Celebrate the History of Arcade Racing Games with this Museum ExhibitCelebrate the History of Arcade Racing Games with this Museum Exhibit

Check to see whether you've still got what it takes to dominate friends or try early arcade games you've never seen before at The Strong Museum of Play.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

December 16, 2022

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The Strong Museum of Play's exhibit, "Raceway Arcade."The Strong Museum of Play

The Strong Museum of Play’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games in Rochester, N.Y. has nearly 200 arcade cabinets that span decades of game history.

While the collection naturally features obvious classics such as Space InvadersPac-Man, and Donkey Kong, it also includes a variety of racing games. Many of these mark key technological or cultural moments in the history of video games.

To showcase these racing games, the museum has opened an exhibit called Raceway Arcade, featuring video games and their mechanical precursor driving games.

The museum says: “Whether on back-country dirt tracks or brickyard speedways, Americans revel in the raw thrills of racing. Skillful drivers push cars to their limits, weaving through danger and dodging destruction. Electro-mechanical and electronic arcade racing games provide the adrenaline rush without the risk to life and limb. Raceway Arcade is about how dropping a coin, gripping a steering wheel, and pushing a pedal drove play onward.”

While solo speed runs in games like Out Run and Cruis’n USA are challenging, the most fun comes from driving head-to-head against friends, as in the two-player Daytona USA, three-player Super Sprint, and the two-player favorite Mario Kart Arcade GP.

Related:How to Upgrade Your Arcade 1Up Game's Spinner Controller

The museum’s arcade is so realistic that the machines require purchasable tokens to play, just like they did in the old days. The money collected keeps the games in working condition, according to the museum. Click through our gallery (for free!) for a look at some of the machines on display.

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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