Thunder Alley is a stock car racing game for 2–7 players with the flexibility and feel of a card-driven simulation. Drafting, accidents, teamwork, yellow flags, pit strategy, working to lead laps, and sprints to the finish are all included and bring the feel of racing to the game. Players will control not just one car, but a team of 3–6 cars. Thus, every race is not only a run for the checkered flag but an effort to maximize the score for all cars on your team. Winning is important, but if only one car crosses the finish line, your team could end up outside the winner's circle looking in.

The game comes with four different types of movement, often with many cars moving with the play of a single card, and each type has its place and time:

• Solo movement lets you break away from the pack.
• Draft and pursuit movement are best used for keeping your cars together.
• Lead movement can make a pack of cars that moves toward the front.

Turns are fast, every play is important, and the track situation is fluid. The wrong movement in the wrong situation can be disastrous, with you possibly being left out of the draft and all alone. Experienced players will be able to identify the best kind of movement for the current situation.

Cars will suffer wear over the course of a race and need to take pit stops. Tire wear, fuel issues, suspension difficulties, and major engine and transmission problems are all modeled in the game. If you feel lucky, you might try to hold it together just a little bit longer in hopes that a yellow flag comes out and cause a mass rush into the pits. Waiting on a yellow that never comes can be maddening as the rest of the pack passes your worn-out car. What's more, an events deck can make your strategy pay off or even punish you for your failure to take precautions. Accidents, worsening track situations, yellow flags and deteriorating cars are all part of the game. Could your perfect strategy be derailed by those incoming rain clouds?

Included in the game are four race tracks: a tri-oval super speedway for wide-open free-wheeling racing and a short track for a tight wheel-to-wheel bumper car duel. Each track uses the same deck of racing cards but the cards that work best on one could be useless in the other. The game also comes with a second board with a road course and and 3 turned (triangle) raceway.

Most racing games require a large number of players to play the game at its best. An unusual bonus for Thunder Alley is the extremely playable and exciting two-player version with six cars on a side.