[2] The game was also a sponsored for the 17th edition of World Wrestling Entertainment's Raw and SmackDown pay-per-view Survivor Series, which was taking place on November 16, 2003 from American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

However, if the player drafts the opponent (a new feature for the game), that rival's level in grudge severity drops.

In Season and Career modes, the grudges and alliances the player makes carry over to future races.

[2] The game received positive reviews from critics, with IGN giving the PS2 version an 8.8/10, praising the sounds, "QuickSave", and microphone support.

NASCAR Thunder 2004 also nominated for The Electric Playground's 2003 "Best Driving Game for PC" and "Best Console Driving Game" award, but lost to Need for Speed: Underground and Project Gotham Racing 2 respectively.