Top 10 Best Racing Games for the Playstation 2

Need for Speed: Underground 2

I always have some nostalgia attack when I listen to Riders on the Storm with Snoop Dogg or any other song from the soundtrack of this game. Very simple and fun.

I love this game! I like how you need to find all the stores. It makes the game more fun. The URL races and special events just make this game the best racing game ever!

Totally worth it! Amazing graphics, awesome gameplay, easy-to-learn controls! If this game weren't on my system, I would never touch my PS2.

Gran Turismo 4

The scope of this game is beyond anything else that was available at the time. Over 700+ cars, 50+ tracks, and a very extensive career mode (that can take over 200 hours to complete if you do everything on A-Spec mode) offer a widespread way to go through the game at your own pace with what you want. Solid driving experiences put Gran Turismo 4 on its own plateau as an all-time classic racing game.

Hundreds of cars and excellent racing tracks.

It is the best racing game for sure.

Burnout 3: Takedown

Burnout 3 remains one of the most pure arcade racing experiences ever made. Despite the years past, it has aged absolutely beautifully. The speed is intense, putting the player right on the edge of whether they can nail the corner, take down their opponents (hence the name), or head straight for the wall or oncoming traffic.
Combine that with a rocking soundtrack, great performance (runs at a rather consistent 60 FPS), native 480P support, and the always-excellent crash mode, and this game stands as one of the best arcade racers of all time.

Such a great game. As other comments have pointed out, the takedowns are amazing, and it manages to put thrills and a sense of chaos into an otherwise fairly bland genre.

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

One of the best PS2 racing games out there. And it was one of the console's launch titles!

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

The gameplay, graphics (at the time of its release), the realism of the cars and crashes, the vast customizations, and overall layout made this game stand out as an instant classic. Worth playing, and you won't regret it.