Race Track Rivals is a simplistic racing game designed to provide quick, accessible automotive thrills and asynchronous competition to its players. It is split into three main components: the races themselves, the pit lane and the track editor. The track editor does not become available to players until they have reached experience level 4, but this does not take very long.

In a race, players simply have to use the directional keys on their keyboard to steer their car, the spacebar to brake and one of several different keys depending on the configuration to trigger a nitro boost for a sudden burst of acceleration.

Between races, players visit the pit lane, where they have a variety of options. They can upgrade their car with new parts, customize its appearance and purchase consumable “booster” items; they can also research new parts and car types to unlock new options; and they can repair their car. This latter feature is one of the game's more frustrating aspects, but also forms the backbone of its monetization strategy. Essentially, simply using a car to compete in a race damages it, and once it reaches a certain level of damage it is no longer usable until it is repaired. If the car is even slightly damaged, it cannot be visually.