The History of NASCAR Cover Curses

The sports video game cover curse is a tradition. Today will go over some of NASCAR's worst in history.
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[@tosfabu3289]

The Madden curse started when they stopped putting John Madden (yes the series is named after him) on the cover in 2001. However, NASCAR didn't have this dilemma. Sooooo... let's just socially distance ourselves from Kyle Petty

[@michaelhansen5185]

Pat Mahomes broke it though

[@ManiakComesAlive]

@Andrew Anderson got injured during midseason

[@brennankinder1461]

Actually madden 2000 (released in 1999) had daunte culpepper on it

[@ManiakComesAlive]

@Andrew Andersonso He got injured for 5 weeks and almost ended his season, the curse hit him also Rob in the '17 cover won SB but he was out of the season with a injury.

[@ManiakComesAlive]

@Andrew Anderson Doesn't matter if he won SB he got injured and it got him, the curse is base off the player getting injured or have bad season and the future of the player but I think your a fan of his or fan of the team

[@thebreakfastmenu]

"Released on the Microsoft MS DOS." Ya killin me, Black Flags.

[@Zach636465]

This was hilarious, but painful on the inside... should we tell him there were PC operating systems before Windows and iOS? :D

[@Tsukuyomi28]

Makes it sound like a console.

[@N4SCARfaN]

“Johnson’s celebrating on the inside ‘cuz he knows what’s up.” The way you said “‘cuz he knows what’s up” is really funny, I like it.

[@jedinightknight]

Johnson's wreck at 7:09 is literally just Ryan Newman's 2003 flip and I can't unsee it

[@SilentSpades]

Probably because it literally is

[@eastonwest7958]

That wasn't a good idea to copy that crash.

[@x1_n_only_jtm_]

Especially when you see the rear end fly off

[@MattGoelz]

It really is frame by frame almost the exact same crash

[@aidandavis1959]

Why did I never get a cover

[@DennyDeliversYT]

Jimmy Spencer you did for tv

[@hunterthe1]

2Fast4U

[@grcia_08]

I don’t know, Jimmy.

[@Toxic2T]

lol

[@davethevtwinaddict2151]

Jimmy I've been wondering where you were how's it going buddy I miss hearing our radio sweetheart on the weekends mr. Radio sweetheart Kurt Busch himself

[@Katomivt]

Nascar racing 4 had earnhardt on the cover. He died 9 days later.

[@m.c.martin]

Edgy The Shadow They did a tribute to him on NASCAR Thunder 2002 and Jeff Gordon was on the Cover

[@j9vlikz683]

Oh shitttt

[@drnoise]

eh, he was in the background of the cover. That cover featured Jeff Burton as the star front and center.

[@ADRENALINE7TRUSH]

im just glad my 2nd fav driver chase eliott won the championship btw my first fave is dale sr and jr rip dale the best driver who lived

[@ADRENALINE7TRUSH]

beside hudson

[@whoasked9500]

Fun fact: On the PAL cover of NASCAR 06, Kurt Busch was the cover guy. He didn't even finish the season, due to being kicked from the #97 after being charged with reckless driving.

[@Atlantisfromtheinternet]

That was a big lol wat moment for as a British person I didn’t know we got 06 in pal, only ever seen 09 and 08 across the pond

[@whoasked9500]

@@Atlantisfromtheinternet at least for the NASCAR 08 cover they put Juan Pablo Montoya which made a lot more sense for that region

[@FlameTurtle440]

Fun fact: Jeremy Mayfield was originally going to be on the cover for NASCAR 2005 Chase for the Cup, but they chose Harvick instead and Mayfield (or his agents) broke the deal, which is why he's not in the game.

[@tgs2141]

BlazeSupersaur That would kinda make sense because Mayfield was pretty good back then however it makes more sense that Harvick would be picked

[@nascarfan0331]

@@tgs2141 your not wrong

[@TealProjects]

@@nascarfan0331 And *if* Mayfield was in the '05 cover, then Jeremy would have a hard time coming instead of Kevin Harvick.

[@maskiiofficial3345]

We got NASCAT Heat 4, and since Jeff Gordon is no longer a driver, the entire 2020 season was cursed!

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

1: The normal game has Kevin Harvick on the cover. 2: Heat 4 represents the 2019 season. Not 2020. And yes, I get the joke. I have my anti-wooosh shield ready.

[@bennybtw5084]

John Smith well harvick had an eh season last year. Definitely bad compared to 2018

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

@@bennybtw5084 Uh, no. Harvick had an amazing season last year. 4 wins and a 3rd place finish is a great season, even by Harvick standards. Harvick had his best season to date in 2018, and the only reason is because of the money Stewart-Haas got from the Nature's Bakery lawsuit. Claiming that 2019 was a bad season for Harvick couldn't be further from the truth. By that logic, Jeff Gordon had a bad 1999 season with 7 wins and Jimmie Johnson had a bad 2008 season despite, you know, winning the championship.

[@bennybtw5084]

John Smith I said it was an eh season, he didn’t show up until Loudon. I only said it was bad when comparing it to 2018

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

@@bennybtw5084 It was not an "eh" season either. A 3rd place finish in the points is good, no matter how many wins he had. Besides, 4 wins is still a decent amount in a season. It's tied for the 3rd most that he's had in a season. That's like saying Kyle Busch had an "eh" season last year just because he had more wins in 2018 then 2019. It wasn't a groundbreaking season, but it was not an "eh" season. An "eh" season by Harvick standards would be something like 2 wins and a round of 8 elimination

[@TotoDG]

Kamikaze's review of NASCAR 07. Truly a cinematic masterpiece.

[@whoasked9500]

His NASCAR 09 review was also pretty good.

[@austinselz5630]

Ty

[@nascarfan0331]

Nascar 07 is my childhood

[@gabepollock1641]

2:29-2:36 was the biggest wave of nostalgia I have felt in a very, very long time. That game was part of my childhood and for years I would dust off and fire up my dad's Playstation 2 just to play that game, even after getting a PS3. Thanks for the good memories.

[@jaggerproietti128]

Gabe Pollock FACTS

[@zac.bolin01]

I played it on the game cube

[@DennyDeliversYT]

Yeah... I made the final four with driving Hamlin in career mode in Heat 4 with literally the same big three and lost..... you really do hate to see it

[@joshuashutterspeed]

how'd you drive hamlin in career?

[@NASCARFan18_]

Joshua White pick his car at the beginning of the season

[@charliesinferno]

@@joshuashutterspeed Sign with JGR before the season and take his car

[@jimmiejohnson4871]

Ed soundhead is that you

[@JayT10200]

I heard that Jeremy Mayfield was originally the cover driver for 2005 but there was a falling out & he was even left out of the game itself.

[@danielvaughan1759]

Dave Stremme they shoulda left him out of nascar 07 instead. I think Jeremy would wanna forget about that year.

[@johngancarcik5682]

Wasn't that from the Erin crocker fall out?

[@Cody-ch2lc]

Nascar 07 introduced me to breaking Benjamin. That song is heavy af, even for them

[@SideStrafed]

Cody pure nostalgia

[@DiegoOspina86]

Since them, I became fan of Breaking Benjamin

[@missaellopez9363]

Nascar for PSP

[@REEEEEEEEEEEE0]

The entire game Nascar Heat Evolution is a curse. And it had nothing to do with Carl Edwards on the cover.

[@jc1424]

Number of people that liked the video when Jeff Gordon destroyed the whole field 10 seconds in. 👇

[@DupontandLowesWarrior]

#24 was #1 on that one

[@jackietang3789]

8 people

[@DupontandLowesWarrior]

@@jackietang3789 50 people now

[@jc1424]

holy crap

[@natman5708]

Please delete comment

[@starkiller9597]

let's just say that Chase Elliot broke the NASCAR cover curse when he won the 2020 Championship

[@aimeeallison5502]

I was 8 when 2004 came out & remember my older brother playing nonstop, then he started letting me play. That's part of why girls like me & other girls get into Nascar & other sports, I was ever the typical little sister lol. Games like this brought families together!

[@LWGrounds]

2004 built relationships. 2005 destroyed them. I lost so many friends too 2005

[@nickcarter6917]

@@LWGrounds Yep My Family was Destroyed alright in 2005 when i was born that year :(

[@Tsukuyomi28]

I was 4 and played it at a friends house. Didn't really know what I was doing though.

[@catjudo1]

“Push that car! Drive it like you stole it!” - Elliott Sadler

[@DepravedCoTApologist]

The ending with Edwards' retirement speech was smooth lol

[@lanesanders1530]

*Sees NASCAR Thunder 2003 "I've been waiting along time for this!"

[@bugtso1923]

The EA cover curses are easy to explain, it's because you need to buy the no curse bundle from EA.

[@jc1424]

Okay what Dale Earnhardt Jr. did to himself was asinine.

[@PYLrulz1984]

Problem was, if he “sat it out” because of the concussion, people would have torn him one because “it’s just a concussion”. Still have to remember how some viewed it, unlike the last 10 or so years.

[@lilrocketman2552]

Completely dedicated to the game

[@LionManatic]

His dad went through pretty much a whole season with a broken neck, because he didn't want to lose points in the standings and miss a title opportunity.

[@nolifenerd2750]

As a Jr fan he is great, but as PYLrulz1984 if he sat out would have torn at him it’s like that.

[@DavidTrumbly]

Expecting a man to be completely in his right mind when he has a concussion is even more asinine.

[@evannuh-koo-la4054]

*Is Ryan Newman a stalker?*

[@scottylewis8124]

In game Ryan is terrifying.

[@scottylewis8124]

Call the police...

[@bryan_vlogs8823]

Black Flags Matter, I love your videos. Your videos are always entertaining. I learn something new every day. Thank you very much for making these videos. Keep doing what you love and you will get million subscribers

[@jacobbecker1905]

I’m really glad you talked about Junior’s comments at Kansas after his California wreck. It gets forgotten even after people figured out about his concussion at California. He talked about how bad he felt about it in his book. Good analysis

[@BlueJimmie48Fan]

Here after Chase Elliott broke the cover curse

[@horsecrazyviking7121]

“Johnson’s celebrating on the inside cuz he knows what’s up.” Yep. Gordon got the win in the game and Jimmie got the win in real life... and then won 5 straight championships. Lol

[@arthurcorassini]

And then there was Nascar Heat 5 with Chase Elliott on the cover.....well, i guess the curse was the only bad thing absent from 2020

[@spudator]

Heh, relation, Jimmie Johnson on Heat 3, goes for a winless season

[@Hyenaboi1999]

I miss the older nascar games, the realistic damage, planes or fireworks during each race intro and caution replays

[@nikkimejia6767]

Carl Edwards raged quit

[@dextermosby5326]

Wasn't Elliott Saddler on Nascar '07 due to his part time sponsorship with Best Buy? There was a push in ads for the game and an alternate cover sold only at Best Buy.

[@trainboy32]

That was nascar 09

[@vepko008]

I wish carl would comeback

[@DepravedCoTApologist]

We all do

[@Clay3613]

No, Gordon should come back.

[@Sanestpenji]

Im here

[@djinnzepar9640]

the car changing of the drive for the cover make me think the commentary look crazy and drivers if they are worst they are taking the lead

[@emiliorod24]

Nascar Heat 3? Hendrick Motorsports struggled 2018 and Chase Elliot had a breakout year but the team struggled and especially Johnson going winless for the first time ever

[@NASCARFAN93100]

Jimmie Johnson was on the cover for NASCAR Heat 3 and look what happened to him that season And Yes I know Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and William Byron are on the cover as well but still

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

I mean, Byron had a pretty bad season that year as well. 23rd in points.

[@NASCARFAN93100]

@@JohnSmith-mk5jt Oh yeah that's right I honestly forgot about Byron's abysmal rookie season

[@stw3art14]

NASCAR HEAT Evolution hurt to play, but it hurt even more to see Carl Edwards lose the championship again and retire. Also, thanks for avoiding NASCAR 14.

[@bono-js5ne]

"cover curses" 2020: "chase your my cover for heat 5" chase: imma get a champ btw wtf if the cover curse to me?

[@thetechfromheaven]

only non cursed cover is NR2003 as Jimmie and Harvick have had excellent careers since then

[@AutoRockinRacing94]

2003 was good for those guys too

[@DupontandLowesWarrior]

Both were in the Top 5 in 2003

[@djretard]

Man when cooter Davis edged out Jim Bob Lee for the championship in 88 I was so excited. What a career those two guys have. Lol those names on the bill Elliott game were hilarious to read

[@CarsSimplified]

A surprisingly reliable curse! Nicely done editing and writing!

[@Malachi_Marx]

"The worst game in NASCAR history" Motorsports games saw this video and took it as a challenge.

[@MegaMr46]

Months later after NH5 release, Chase Elliott broke the curse.

[@Jacobs4858]

Great video once again Darian!

[@westonpaschal5078]

I don’t know why they slammed JR so hard. Think about what kind of shape SR was in for most of his career. And I had a few of these on N64 and PS2. I miss those days.

[@CharrisThaGoat]

Are we going to talk about the the Tyler The Creator instrumentals in the background

[@DavidRagan3134]

I wouldn't say Sadler was past his prime in '06. I just think the Yates equipment tanked that year. Jarrett was terrible too, but both were solid in 2005. Even so, I don't know why they hell they picked Sadler 😂 That's like picking Chad Gable to be on the cover of a WWE game...he's good, but not a top guy.

[@Intangedous1]

Seeing NASCAR 09 again gives me mad nostalgia.

[@christopherwinter2099]

You missed two games that EA made Nascar Thunder 2004 and Nascar 2008.

[@bhumiriady]

Interesting video as usual! This is one aspect of NASCAR video games that I've never heard of! Your video made me know more about the curse.

[@BlackFlagsMatter]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bhumiriady]

@@BlackFlagsMatter (^_-)v

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

11:03 - was Jr. a championship favorite in 2012? My memory is hazy from then. Although, i reckon it was 2009 - 10 when at his lowest ebb and 2011 the start of his upswing so i guess we all wouldve thought /hoped he was going to compete for a chip. Hope you're good and staying safe. Another great video. We're on lockdown here so i want to say a huge thanks for your uploads.

[@TravisMSimpson]

From what I can tell, Chase Elliott is the only cover boy to go on to win the Championship in the same season.

[@FMecha]

Jeff Gordon, NT2002 (and GBA ver. of NH2002?)

[@tgs2141]

2015: Good Game, Bad Season 2016: Good Season, Bad Game

[@Blizzard0812]

Chase Elliott on the cover actually managed to win the championship

[@sosedup]

Chase Elliot: laughs in 2020 championship

[@8-bitenterprises669]

Great job on this vid And I love these games

[@HalfEliteRacing]

Indycar doesn’t have to worry about it because we don’t have a video game.

[@Maverick33]

IndyCar did also have a cameo in Forza and Project Cars 2

[@HalfEliteRacing]

Yeah, I knew that. I watched David Land’s let’s play of the 2004 game, and I’ve played the Forza cameo, but since 04’ we haven’t had a video game.

[@randytxhc2135]

Dude, when the PS5 drops, and if that backwards compatibility is true, I'm getting '05 Chase for the Cup out and playing that for a week straight. I forgot how much fun that game was.

[@kurtperleberf6983]

It will have backwards compatibility.

[@akidnamedariel]

Love the instrumentals you use

[@thomasstewart-tm2ts]

Man that nascar thunder 2003 game was the greatest. Me and my dad use to play that damn near every night. Those graphics still hold up to me. The gameplay was really smooth too. You had so many cool legends you could unlock. They even had davey Allison's rookie car on there if I remember right. That little clip there hit me in my nostalgia box. Lol

[@DaHomieBurns]

Kyle Petty wasn't a curse. He already sucked as a driver.

[@sabertooth4987]

Let’s see how chase Elliott will do when NASCAR comes back. He is on the cover of nascar heat 5 after all

[@richieosborn2639]

He won the All Star Race, so the cover curse is over... for now at least.

[@cap-2463]

Richie Osborn nope it’s not over

[@richieosborn2639]

@@cap-2463 now it is. Chase Elliott won the cup championship! He has conquered the cover curse!

[@nojo9684]

9:20 SO...MUCH... NOSTALGIA

[@whoasked9500]

In the actual year of 2005, when NASCAR 06 came out, Jimmie Johnson crashed out at Homestead, basically eliminating him from title contention, so he kinda got cursed as well.

[@carrsllccarrillo6507]

Wow! You actually put in Bill Elliott's Nascar Challenge! I had that game when it first came out for the NES and it was so unrealistic! At Daytona you literally had to pit every 15 laps. How I know that? As a kid I data logged my laps for the fuel windows and kept a lap time sheet! Kinda nuts huh? But at least you were able to drive down pit road on your own and control you speed during the restarts! Ha!

[@crippledcrusader1321]

The curse must be reversed for the heat games, because Chase Elliot is the cover driver for Heat 5 and the game came out mid season of 2020, and he won the championship

[@hadrionics2755]

Literally any NASCAR driver after seeing this video and getting selected for the cover of a game: Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I won't be turning up, no thank you.

[@htown513]

NASCAR 09 was my favorite lol the paint booth was the best part. My brother use to drive a NASCAR late model, and someone painted me a car that looked just like his.

[@alexmee3524]

Ok that intro to NASCAR09 was amazing

[@bennyt.8077]

The crash physics of the 2007 nascar game is better than nascar heat fours’

[@Medfred3]

Is it just me or did Jimmie Johnson’s crash at Daytona look exactly like Newman’s in 2003?

[@E3T7]

Linnea Ramme 2003 bro...

[@cautioncorner841]

Yess, I’m excited for this one

[@Cbazz]

Dang your certainty getting more variety out there

[@TheKalebWard]

I like that Vince Staples in the back my brotha ✊🏽

[@viperice1958]

I love the music choice at the beginning

[@PERCANGLE412]

Love the odd future/Tyler beats in the background

[@thatsenseijosh4035]

Nascar heat 5 has Chase Elliot on the cover, Chase Elliot goes on to win the 2020 Championship, Elliot beat the cover curse

[@g_men2121]

We’ll see in 21

[@4specialkinggaming807]

Fun fact: Richard Petty‘s Talladega was actually the first one.

[@TVindustries5000]

love that Tyler tracks in the bg

[@danielmackey9765]

That Nascar chase for the cup was amazing!!!!

[@dyland4237]

Seems fitting that Chase Elliott broke this curse in 2020 with Nascar Heat 5 aswell as it being his own father that the curse started with (Bill Elliott)

[@geofox9484]

I see you using SMUCKERS beat in the back. You got good taste

[@tony_smith1576]

Hey u forgot 1 that i play NASCAR 15 and 16 they were both in the same game and i love your vids

[@BLA2428]

A little Smuckers and Nascar ... "Subscribed"

[@Mx64MaxyImpress]

So,Tony Stewart doesn't get cursed in NASCAR THUNDER 2004

[@FMecha]

I actually realized that the cover curse may have been broken as early as NT2002 (he was also on the cover of GBA version of Heat 2002) as it had Jeff Gordon on cover and he was Winston Cup champion in '01 (or not/delayed, as he suffered from a Championship Hangover in '02)

[@microusb42069]

Bruh those old Ps2/Xbox NASCAR games take me back. Make me wanna pick one up again.

[@ryancurley2351]

I always wondered why Inside Line put great drivers in the intro and then throw Landon Cassill in there too?

[@stephswrld4989]

Crazy how heat 5 had Chase and Chase won the chip

[@thejman3489]

I grew up with 2 Nascar games. Nascar Thunder 2002 and Nascar '08. Good memories!

[@benjaminferreira2335]

Chase Elliot was on the cover for NASCAR heat 5 for July 2020 later in November he won the cup championship

[@richieosborn2639]

But in the season finale, he was to start last after failing pre race inspection twice. That was the curse and Chase conquered it with a great comeback!

[@uselesspaprclip5057]

Bro I got work tomorrow why you be uploading videos!! I must click now

[@Leon-yr3bu]

Holy shit he uses a beat of the never released yandhi, you have a very good taste for music 👏

[@SamuraiX6288]

10:28, that was pretty damn cool how they did the livery changes

[@737max3]

7:11 who else was reminded about the kings crash in cars 1

[@E3T7]

yano probably bear It’s really a lot more like Ryan Newman’s 2003 flip

[@E3T7]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHivkp-HpN6Fe9k

[@356Jordan]

So, I was playing nascar 06 and this came on, the quality you have in this video is way better then on my ps2, are this clips on pc?

[@michaelmartin9022]

I think PS2 emulators can render in HD. Gran Turismo 4 can look great

[@adrianofficialmusick]

I call bullshit because like Elliot was on the heat cover and he won the series 🤣🤣🤣

[@pmm4177]

Should have a Tony stewart version where you get points for hitting drivers out of their car, bonus points to stewart for killing one

[@P8nda]

9:20 Oh that brings me back, first NASCAR game I ever owned