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Drag Race
Drag Race is a two-player action arcade game released by Atari in 1977. Each player controls a dragster and competes in a straight-line acceleration race against the other. Players use a gear-shifting mechanic, timing their shifts through multiple gears to maximize speed without over-revving the engine. Shifting too early or too late costs precious time, making gear management the core skill. The game is displayed from a top-down or side perspective and tracks elapsed time for each run. Both players race simultaneously on split-screen, making direct competition immediate and straightforward. Drag Race is a simple but competitive experience focused entirely on the timing mechanics of a quarter-mile drag race format.
- Developer
- Atari
- Released
- 1977
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 2P
- Rating
- 4.5 / 5 (4.1K)
- Last updated
Drag Race Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Drag Race on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Drag Race Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Drag Race on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Drag Race" Arcade longplay 1977
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Drag Race released?
Drag Race was released in 1977 for the Arcade.
Who developed Drag Race?
Drag Race was developed by Atari, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Drag Race support?
Drag Race supports up to 2 players, ideal for couch co-op or competitive sessions on the Arcade.
What type of game is Drag Race?
Drag Race is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Drag Race for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Drag Race runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Drag Race in the browser?
No. Drag Race streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Drag Race?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Drag Race work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Drag Race this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Drag Race. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
