However, the following year Chicago Coin entered financial difficulties which would eventually lead to the dissolution of the company, and as Exidy had sold exclusive manufacturing rights they could no longer profit from Destruction Derby.

[2] Needing an interim product to introduce to distributors, they decided to modify the Destruction Derby game so that it would be saleable by their organization.

On the top and bottom of the screen, players could wrap around to the opposite side in a manner similar to Atari's Space Race (1973).

Though a number of sources have reported that the game was a licensed adaptation of the 1975 film Death Race 2000,[8] Exidy has denied that this was the case.

[2] The name "Death Race" was chosen as a reflection of the undead monsters depicted in the cabinet art and marketing, both devised by artist Michael Cooper-Hart.

[10] In July 1976, Associated Press reporter Wendy Walker reached out to Exidy based on her viewing of the game at a Seattle arcade.

[4][5] Many at Exidy attribute a large jump in sales for the company to this increase in national profile for Death Race, even though most of the coverage was negative.