# Car Racing Game Tips From 28 Timed Test Runs

> Car racing game tips from Hollowdrive: 28 timed runs ended in 4 to 12.6 seconds, switching sides lasted longest and the score was nearly always 0.

- Source: https://yesthisgame.com/blog/car-racing-game-tips/
- Published: 2026-11-08, updated: 2026-11-08
- Author: Yes This Game (the team that makes the games on the site)

## Key takeaways

- 28 timed runs ended between 4.0 and 12.6 seconds after the start.
- Doing nothing averaged 7.1 s, holding left 8.3 s, holding right 8.4 s and alternating about once a second 8.6 s.
- 12 runs that switched sides at random every 0.25 to 0.95 s averaged 9.5 s and all stayed between 8.4 and 12.0 s.
- In 34 game over screens the score was 0 in 33 and 1 once.

**The first car racing game tip is to keep switching between left and right instead of holding one key: in 28 timed runs of [Hollowdrive](https://yesthisgame.com/hollowdrive/), 12 runs that switched sides at random all lasted between 8.4 and 12.0 seconds, while holding one direction ended runs as early as 4.0 seconds.** We pressed Enter in a test browser, steered in five different ways and timed how long it took to reach the GAME OVER screen.

## How the game works

Hollowdrive is a car game seen from above. A small blue pickup drives around the inside of a green tunnel that keeps turning. Orange spikes and cyan arches come toward you. A score and a timer sit at the top left, and when the run ends a GAME OVER screen shows your score and your best score. You start and retry with Enter, or by tapping on a touch screen.

## 28 runs in five steering styles

We used the left and right arrow keys. Four runs were hands-off, four held left, four held right and four switched between left and right about once a second. Twelve runs switched between left and right at random, every 0.25 to 0.95 seconds. We measured the seconds from pressing Enter to the GAME OVER screen.

*Seconds until GAME OVER, by steering style*

| Steering | Runs | Shortest | Longest | Average |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No keys | 4 | 5.1 | 9.7 | 7.1 |
| Left held | 4 | 4.0 | 12.6 | 8.3 |
| Right held | 4 | 4.9 | 10.6 | 8.4 |
| Left and right, about 1 s each | 4 | 7.7 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| Random side switching | 12 | 8.4 | 12.0 | 9.5 |

Small samples from one test browser; times are accurate to about half a second, and the spikes and arches come in a different order every run.

![Chart of how many seconds each Hollowdrive test run lasted in five groups: no keys averaged 7.1, left held 8.3, right held 8.4, left and right about every second 8.6 and random side switching 9.5 seconds](https://yesthisgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/hollowdrive-run-length-chart.png)
*Every dot is one run; the bar shows the average of its group.*

## Holding one key is not safer than doing nothing

The hands-off runs lasted 5.1 to 9.7 seconds. Holding left ranged from 4.0 to 12.6 seconds and holding right from 4.9 to 10.6 seconds. The averages are close, 7.1, 8.3 and 8.4 seconds, but the spread is wide: one held-left run ended after 4.0 seconds and another lasted 12.6 seconds.

## Switching sides was the most even

The 12 runs that switched sides at random averaged 9.5 seconds and none ended before 8.4 seconds. Switching sides about once a second came close, from 7.7 to 9.3 seconds. In our test the runs that kept the car moving from side to side lasted longest.

## The score stays near zero

We read the score on 34 GAME OVER screens. It was 0 in 33 of them and 1 once. The runs are so short that points were rare in our test, and we did not find a steering style that reliably raised the score.

## 4 tips that follow from the numbers

- **Do not hold one key.** Held-left and held-right runs ranged from 4.0 to 12.6 seconds; the worst ones were as short as doing nothing.
- **Switch sides often.** 12 runs that switched every 0.25 to 0.95 seconds all lasted at least 8.4 seconds.
- **A steady rhythm also works.** Left and right about once a second gave 7.7 to 9.3 seconds.
- **Retry at once.** A run is over in about 8 to 9 seconds, and Enter restarts the game immediately.

## Where to try it

Try it yourself in [Hollowdrive](https://yesthisgame.com/hollowdrive/). For more driving, [Apex Drift Garage](https://yesthisgame.com/apex-drift-garage/) is about drifting and [Downtown Cruiser](https://yesthisgame.com/downtown-cruiser/) is a city drive.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long does a Hollowdrive run last?

In 28 timed test runs the game over screen appeared between 4.0 and 12.6 seconds after the start; the average was 8.7 seconds.

### Is holding one direction a safe strategy?

No. Holding left averaged 8.3 seconds and holding right 8.4 seconds, but single runs ended as early as 4.0 and 4.9 seconds.

### Does switching sides help?

In 12 runs that switched between left and right at random every 0.25 to 0.95 seconds, every run lasted between 8.4 and 12.0 seconds, averaging 9.5 seconds.

### What happens if you press nothing?

Four hands-off runs ended after 5.1, 5.7, 7.7 and 9.7 seconds, an average of 7.1 seconds.

### Why is the score 0 so often?

In the 34 game over screens we read, the score was 0 in 33 and 1 once, so points are rare in short runs.

### Does Hollowdrive work on a phone?

Yes: in portrait and landscape phone-sized tests the game filled the screen and a tap started it.

## Games in this guide

- [Hollowdrive](https://yesthisgame.com/hollowdrive.md): Play Hollowdrive online: steer a small blue pickup around a rolling green tunnel past orange spikes and cyan arches. Keyboard or touch, no download.
- [Apex Drift Garage](https://yesthisgame.com/apex-drift-garage.md): Play Apex Drift Garage online: a 3D car drift simulator with a night city, three driving modes, drift cash and a garage to paint and tune your car.
- [Downtown Cruiser](https://yesthisgame.com/downtown-cruiser.md): Play Downtown Cruiser online: drive around a 3D city, choose from 13 vehicles, switch camera views and customize your car. Needs a keyboard.