The Best Assists To Turn On For Your First Race
Learn the best assists to turn on for your first race in NASCAR 25. Get recommended beginner settings, quick steps, and fixes for common handling issues.
Updated October 23, 2025
You jump into NASCAR 25, the car feels wild, and suddenly you’re in the wall before Turn 1 is over. That’s normal—stock cars are heavy, powerful, and unforgiving. The best assists to turn on for your first race will calm the car down, give you consistent grip, and let you focus on driving lines instead of just surviving.
Quick answer
For your very first races in NASCAR 25, you generally want:
- Steering assist: On / Medium
- Braking assist: On / Low–Medium
- Traction control: On / Medium–High (if the game offers it)
- ABS / anti-lock brakes: On (if available)
- Stability / spin recovery assist: On / Medium
- Automatic gears: On
- Damage, tire wear, and fuel use: Reduced or Off to start
This setup makes the car stable and predictable while you learn where to lift, brake, and get back to the gas. You can turn assists down later for more speed and realism.
Do this now (60 seconds)
- Open Options / Settings from the main menu or pause menu.
- Look for a section named something like Driving, Gameplay, Assists, or Controls.
- Turn automatic transmission on.
- Set any steering / stability / traction assists to Medium or On.
- Lower AI difficulty to the bottom third of the slider.
- Turn damage, tire wear, and fuel usage to reduced or off if you see those options.
- Save your settings and run a single race or practice session at a simple oval (short or medium length).
What this means in NASCAR 25
In NASCAR 25, “assists” are helpers that let the game take over part of the driving job. They don’t make you a pro instantly, but they smooth out the hardest parts: braking, turning, and keeping the rear of the car from snapping around.
Why this matters:
- Speed: A car that’s stable lets you carry more speed without spinning.
- Consistency: You’ll hit your marks more often when the game helps prevent big mistakes.
- Safety: Fewer crashes, fewer cautions (yellow flags), and more actual racing.
- Enjoyment: You learn racing lines, drafting, and racecraft instead of just fighting the car.
A few key terms you’ll see:
- Tight / Push: The car doesn’t want to turn. You turn the wheel, but it wants to go straight toward the wall.
- Loose: The rear of the car wants to step out or spin, especially exiting a corner.
- Draft: The air pocket behind another car where you get less drag and more speed.
- Aero: Aerodynamics—the way the air pushes on the car at speed.
- Tire falloff: Tires losing grip as laps go by, making the car looser or tighter.
- Cautions / Yellow flags: Slowed race conditions after crashes—everyone bunches up again.
Assists don’t change the rules of NASCAR—they just help you keep the car under you while you learn.
Symptoms → likely causes → fixes (beginner-focused)
Below is a simple mapping you can skim any time something “feels wrong” in NASCAR 25.
Handling and control
Symptom: Spinning out when you touch the gas out of a corner
- Likely cause: Too much throttle too fast; low traction or stability assist
- Fix:
- Increase traction control assist (if available).
- Increase stability / spin assist one step.
- Roll into the throttle slowly instead of flooring it.
Symptom: Car keeps plowing straight to the wall (won’t turn / pushes)
- Likely cause: Entering the corner too fast; relying on steering assist only
- Fix:
- Increase braking assist to Medium.
- Lift off the gas earlier before the corner.
- If there’s a steering assist strength slider, move it up one step.
Symptom: Car darts or fishtails when you move the stick/wheel
- Likely cause: Steering sensitivity too high; low stability assist
- Fix:
- Lower steering sensitivity a bit.
- Turn stability or steering assist to Medium.
Symptom: Locking up the brakes and sliding up the track
- Likely cause: Hard braking with ABS off (if the game simulates it)
- Fix:
- Turn ABS / brake assist on.
- Use smoother, progressive brake input.
Race difficulty and frustration
Symptom: You’re getting lapped in a few laps every race
- Likely cause: AI difficulty too high; too few assists
- Fix:
- Lower AI difficulty slider.
- Turn on or increase steering, traction, and brake assists.
Symptom: Constant wrecks and yellow flags
- Likely cause: Overdriving into corners; unstable car; too much throttle
- Fix:
- Add more stability / traction assist.
- Brake a bit earlier and lighter.
- Consider turning full damage off while learning.
Symptom: Car feels slow but safe; you want more challenge
- Likely cause: Assists too strong; AI too easy
- Fix:
- Reduce steering / braking / traction assists one step at a time.
- Raise AI difficulty a little and test again.
Step-by-step: How to do it
Because exact menu names can change between builds, treat the paths below as patterns to look for. The wording in your copy of NASCAR 25 may be slightly different.
1. Open the assists/settings menu
- From the main menu, look for something labeled:
- Options, Settings, or Game Settings.
- Inside that, find a sub-menu like:
- Driving, Controls, Assists, Gameplay, or Driving Aids.
- If you’re already on track, pause the game and look for a similar Options/Settings button.
Common gotcha: Some games separate Controls (buttons, wheel settings) from Assists (driving help). If you don’t see assists under Controls, back out one level and try Gameplay or Driving.
2. Turn on core beginner assists
Once you’re in the assists/driving menu, adjust the following if you see them:
Transmission / Gearing
- Set to Automatic.
- What you’ll feel: The game shifts for you; you can focus on braking, turning, and throttle.
Steering Assist / Driving Line Assist
- Set steering assist to Medium or On.
- If there’s a visual racing line, you can turn it On to learn where to drive.
- What you’ll feel: Car feels calmer and less twitchy; you’re gently guided into corners.
Braking Assist / ABS
- Turn braking assist to Low–Medium.
- Turn ABS (anti-lock braking) On if it’s listed.
- What you’ll feel: Less sliding when braking; easier to slow down in time.
Traction Control (if available)
- Set to Medium–High for your first races.
- What you’ll feel: Less wheelspin and fewer snap spins when you floor the gas exiting corners.
Stability / Spin Recovery Assist
- Turn to Medium or On.
- What you’ll feel: The game fights spins and big slides for you; car feels planted.
3. Soften the race rules (optional but recommended)
Look for a Race Settings or Rules / Simulation section:
Damage
- Set to Off, Reduced, or Visual Only.
- This keeps a single mistake from ending your race.
Tire Wear & Fuel Use
- Set to Off or Slow / Reduced for your first few races.
- That way, you don’t have to worry about pit strategies yet.
Flags / Cautions
- If you’re spinning constantly, you can reduce some rules, but generally it’s good to keep cautions on so you learn real race flow.
Common gotcha: Some games bundle these under “Simulation” or “Casual/Normal/Hardcore” presets. If you see presets, start with Casual or Easy and tweak from there.
Beginner settings & assists (recommended)
Use this as a roadmap for your first hours in NASCAR 25.
Beginner (first 5–10 races)
Focus: Control and confidence.
- Transmission: Automatic
- Steering assist: Medium
- Braking assist: Low–Medium
- ABS: On (if available)
- Traction control: Medium–High
- Stability / spin assist: Medium
- Racing line / suggested line: On (at least in corners)
- Damage: Off / Visual / Reduced
- Tire wear & fuel: Off / Reduced
- AI difficulty: Lower third of the slider
Why: You remove the biggest ways to ruin a race (spins, damage, pit mistakes) so you can learn how NASCAR races actually feel—lines, drafting, side-by-side racing.
Intermediate (once you can run clean races)
Focus: More speed, more realism.
- Transmission: Automatic (optional: start trying Manual with buttons/paddles)
- Steering assist: Low
- Braking assist: Low
- ABS: On or Low
- Traction control: Low–Medium
- Stability assist: Low
- Racing line: Corners only or Off
- Damage: Reduced / Normal
- Tire wear & fuel: On (Normal)
- AI difficulty: Middle of the slider
Why: The car will start behaving closer to a real Cup car, and you’ll feel more of the track—bumps, tire wear, aero effects in traffic.
Advanced (ready for full sim-style challenge)
Focus: Maximum control and realism.
- Transmission: Manual
- Steering assist: Off
- Braking assist: Off
- ABS: Off (if you want full realism)
- Traction control: Low or Off
- Stability assist: Off
- Racing line: Off
- Damage: Full
- Tire wear & fuel: Full
- AI difficulty: High / near your limit
Why: You’re doing the full job—throttle modulation, brake control, and car balance—just like a real driver.
Practice drill (10 minutes)
Use this to quickly feel what your assists are doing.
Pick a simple oval
- Choose a basic speedway (1–1.5 miles) or whatever “standard oval” the game offers. Avoid superspeedways or road courses at first.
Run 5 solo laps with your beginner assists
- No AI, just you.
- Focus on:
- Lifting off the gas before the corner.
- Letting the car roll, then gently back to the throttle.
- Watch how the car responds; it should feel stable and predictable.
Lower one assist one step and repeat 5 laps
- Example: Drop steering assist from Medium to Low.
- Feel what changed: more freedom, maybe a bit more twitchiness.
Success looks like:
- You can run 5 laps in a row with no spins or wall slaps.
- Your lap times are within a small range (not wildly different each lap).
Big mistake to avoid:
- Don’t turn off multiple assists at once. Change one thing, run 5–10 laps, then decide if you like it.
Common beginner mistakes (and the fix)
Running max assists forever
- What it looks like: You feel safe but can’t catch AI on higher levels; car feels “on rails.”
- Why it happens: You’re afraid to lose control.
- Fix: Lower one assist (steering/traction/brake) one step at a time and practice.
Jumping to no assists too early
- What it looks like: Spins every other lap, rage quits, no progress.
- Why it happens: You want realism before you have basic control.
- Fix: Use Beginner or Intermediate settings until you can run 10 clean laps.
AI difficulty set way too high
- What it looks like: Getting dropped and lapped quickly, feeling “slow.”
- Why it happens: You assume Normal/Hard equals “fair.”
- Fix: Lower AI to where you can race around mid-pack, then raise it in small steps.
Overdriving into every corner
- What it looks like: Car won’t turn, slides up to the wall, frequent contact.
- Why it happens: Braking too late; not trusting that slowing down is faster.
- Fix: Brake or lift earlier; use brake assist and/or racing line to learn good brake points.
Mashing the throttle on corner exit
- What it looks like: Spins coming off the corner, especially from the inside lane.
- Why it happens: Treating throttle like an on/off switch.
- Fix: Turn traction control up and roll on the gas smoothly instead of flooring it.
Ignoring tire wear and fuel when you turn them on
- What it looks like: Car suddenly gets loose or tight mid-run; you run out of fuel.
- Why it happens: You turned on full rules but kept driving like a short sprint race.
- Fix: When you enable tire wear/fuel, pay attention to lap count, pit windows, and how the car changes over a run.
Changing too many settings at once
- What it looks like: You don’t know why the car suddenly feels wrong.
- Why it happens: Tweaking everything in one go.
- Fix: Change one setting at a time, test for a few laps, then adjust again.
FAQs
What are the best assists to turn on for your first race in NASCAR 25?
For a complete beginner, aim for automatic gears, Medium steering assist, Low–Medium braking assist, Medium–High traction control, Medium stability assist, and ABS on if available. Combine that with reduced damage and easier AI so you can focus on hitting your line and learning race flow.
Should I use a racing line in NASCAR 25 as a beginner?
Yes, using the racing line (especially for corners) is very helpful at first. It shows you where to be on track and roughly when to brake and accelerate. Once you’re comfortable, start turning it off (first on straights, then entirely) so you learn to drive by reference points on the track itself.
When should I start turning assists off in NASCAR 25?
Start turning assists down once you can run 10 clean laps in a row without spinning or slamming the wall. Lower one assist a single step (for example, steering assist from Medium to Low), practice, and only then consider another change. You’re ready for fewer assists when your main issue is “I want more speed,” not “I can’t finish a race.”
Do assists make you slower in NASCAR 25?
They can, especially at higher levels. Strong assists often limit how aggressively you can brake and accelerate, which costs lap time. However, for beginners they usually make you faster overall, because staying on track and avoiding spins is worth far more than the small performance loss.
Is automatic transmission bad in NASCAR 25?
Automatic isn’t “bad” for beginners—it’s recommended for your first races. It removes one big task so you can learn braking points, throttle control, and racing lines. When you’re comfortable and want more control (and a bit more performance), you can experiment with manual shifting.
Why does my car feel totally different at the start vs. end of a run?
If tire wear is turned on, your tires lose grip as laps go by, a process called tire falloff. The car might feel tight early and get loose later, or vice versa. That’s normal; adjust your driving by being gentler on tires—smoother steering, braking, and throttle inputs.
Next steps
Start with the Beginner assist package above and give yourself 3–5 short races just to get comfortable. When you can run clean laps and race the AI without chaos, start dialing assists down one notch at a time.
Next, you might want to:
- Learn basic NASCAR racing lines on ovals
- Understand drafting and side drafting in NASCAR 25
- Set up your controller or wheel for smoother inputs
- Explore race distances, pit strategy, and tire management
- Move from Beginner to Intermediate assists safely