Racing games have been around about a long as sports gaming has been around. Through the years here at OS, many of the great racing games have won our Racing Game of the Year Award. In 2009, another one of the all-time greats joins the exclusive list of the best of the best racing games.

Forza Motorsport 3 takes what was an excellent game in Forza Motorsport 2 and fixes the issues with it while adding a whole new layer of awesomeness on top of it. Be it the extensive selection of cars, the amazing physics and driving engine, or the plethora of game modes and customization options, there is literally something for everyone. Casual racers, hardcore racers and everyone in between generally all agree: Forza Motorsport 3 was simply awesome. So it has deservedly won our racing game of the year.

Racing Game of the Year: Forza Motorsport 3

Jayson Young: If Trials HD was eligible for this category, I would vote for it, but since it is not, I will give the nod to Forza Motorsport 3. Though the game may not have a ton of major improvements over Forza 2, Turn 10's racing engine is still the best in the industry, both for its realism behind the wheel and for helping beginners with a number of optional driving assists. Unmatched car customization and a great online interface make Forza 3 the industry's best driving simulation to date.

Caley Roark: I am not a huge "sim" racing fan, but I have been hooked on Forza 3. The assists, customization options and graphics make this an easy game to jump into, and a hard one to put down. I love the marketplace too -- a great way to extend the value of the game and a perfect example of the integration of user-generated content.

Jim Harris: I had two major beefs with Forza 2: The Achievements were far too difficult to acquire, and it was incredibly frustrating when you got near the end of a long race and would then lose because of one mistake. Forza 3 addressed both of these concerns and added the cockpit view, which I love. Granted, the rewind feature is unrealistic, but you do not have to use it if you do not want to, and if it prevents controller-throwing frustration, I am all for it. Terrific game.

Matthew Coe: I voted for Dirt 2 because it is the only one I played this year. Its beautifully detailed cars and environments were just awesome to experience and the gameplay, despite being less Euro-centric and more X-Games, was still very satisfying. Career mode was also a pleasant surprise for me in Dirt 2.

Christian McLeod: The last time I invested a fair amount of time into a racing game was back in 2002 when Grand Turismo 3 came out for the PS2. I am happy to say that after seven years I am once again hooked on a top-notch racing simulation. Forza has the depth, graphical power and true-to-life handling physics to keep the game in my regular rotation for years to come.

Reader's Choice

Winner: Forza Motorsport 3

Voting Results: Forza Motorsport 3 (72%), Need for Speed: Shift (15%), Dirt 2 (13%)

Reader Comments: Forza, hands down. - Brett_OS

Honestly, three-way tie. All so fun, but so different. There are enough strengths and weaknesses in each game that level the field, hence the tie. So I flipped a three-sided coin and voted Shift. - Lieutenant Dan

I am not big into racing games and enjoyed the crap out of Forza. It's deep, customizable and anyone can play it and get something out of it. No contest for me. - SoxFan01605