Race America is a 2-car cross-country racing game. Either 2 players can compete on the same screen, or the computer can control the second player. The game provides eight colorful opponents to race against, each of whom is supposed to have distinct advantages in a race. Each race begins from a side-scrolling perspective as the 2 competitors speed out of the gate. After a certain distance, the perspective shifts to third person and the driver in the lead occupies the top half of the screen while the driver in second is relegated to half of the lower screen. Occasionally, the game also employs an overhead view. To add to the challenge, the game's cars have 6-speed manual transmissions which players must shift using the control pad, but not while pressing the gas button.