Would-be NASCAR drivers will get a chance to taste the virtual rubber with a new competition called the 3Dfx Cup. NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway, an interactive race driving center, has teamed up with sponsors 3Dfx Interactive and Creative Labs for a four-state, four-city, no-holds-barred championship with a top-place prize totaling US$30,000.

　　The three-tiered competition will take place at Speedway race driving centers located in Minnesota's Mall of America, Illinois' Woodfield Shopping Center, Dallas' Galleria, and in Southern California's Irvine Spectrum Center.

　　Lifelike racing occurs in two-seat 700hp NASCAR stock cars specially mounted onto a full-motion platform giving the driver the feeling of all the bumps, shocks, and shimmies one gets when traveling at speeds up to 195mph. Dale Jarrett, NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver, said, "I am amazed at how competitive this simulated race can get. I felt like I was fighting for every inch of track, not unlike any given Sunday in a NASCAR Winston Cup race."

　　If you want to try your hand and racing feet, stop by one of the Speedway locations between Sept 12 and November 15 to qualify to race in the veteran, pro, or rookie levels. During the elimination races on Nov. 18-29, the top two qualifiers in each class will win a trip to Dallas to compete in the 3Dfx Cup final on Dec. 5. To qualify for the race, you'll have to rate faster than 29.39 seconds for the pro class, 29.40-29.99 for veteran, and 30 seconds and above for the rookie class. Signing up for the competition will cost gamers $10, but they'll walk away with a 3Dfx T-shirt. Also, all participants must be 18 or older.

　　"We created the 3Dfx Cup in response to the popularity of racing leagues that have sprung up at each Speedway and hope to expand it into an annual national competition as dozens of sites open around the country over the next two years," said Chris Morse, vice president of Silicon Entertainment, creators of the Speedway.

　　All eight winners in each level will take home a little green too. The first place racer in the pro class will take home US$5,000, the top of the veteran class will take $2,500, and the rookie winner will take home $1,250.