There is no better feeling in the world than crossing the finish line before your friends in a racing video game. Personally, I have been in some heated Mario Kart battles between my friends and sometimes I come out on top. But, most of the time it’s not so easy. In all of the racing video games there are some pretty difficult race tracks and popular car blog Jalopnik has ranked them:

10: Yoshi’s Land – Mario Kart 64

9: Nile – Hydro Thunder

8: Autumn Crossing — Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

7: Fire Field – F-Zero

6: Laguna Seca – F355 Challenge

5: Citta di Aria – Gran Tursimo 4

4: Fujimi Kaido – Forza Motorsport 3

3: Targa Florio – Grand Prix Legends

2: Rainbow Road – Mario Kart 64 (my personal favorite)

1: Desert Bus

A more detailed list can be found at Jalopnik.com.

I’m sure that within due time SafeAuto’s Payment Panic will make this list as well. Honestly, I haven’t even beaten it once. Try your luck and see if you can beat the high score!

[Source: Jalopnik]

Today, SafeAuto Insurance Company has unveiled a new interactive video game called Payment Panic. Players can try their luck out on the game from www.safeauto.com. After completing the game, players can then post their score on their Facebook pages.

With any luck, you’ll be able to slip past the raging semis and the other crazy drivers on the road to reach the post office in time to make your policy payment.

The game was developed by Columbus, Ohio-based Tracer Media, along with the in-house IT team at SafeAuto. Payment Panic was developed to feel like the popular retro driving games, while incorporating SafeAuto’s NASCAR Truck as the vehicle used in the game. The game also stresses the importance of making your insurance payment on time, to help serve as an interactive way to educate the consumer about the importance of auto insurance.

“This is good for SafeAuto because it gives consumers new ways to experience car insurance,” said Elie Deshe, Vice President of Emerging Media, “And all of the features of the game give the user an interactive approach to Justin Case and broaden the appeal and importance of car insurance.”

Expect to see more announcements in this area as SafeAuto broadens their impact on the digital world and explores new ways to reach the mobile audience.

So, whether you’re visiting SafeAuto.com to get a free quote, check out the new commercials, or make a payment, take a quick break to let off some steam with Payment Panic. Who knows, you may even end up making it to the finale.

Try your luck at http://paymentpanic.safeauto.com/.

This past weekend I went on a road trip to Chicago. The ride ended up being about 6-7 hours long each way, which is a lot of time to fill… Of course many folks listen to music on their iPod’s, watch movies and some travelers even appreciate some good old fashion conversation. But, with all that time to fill, what else can travelers do to pass the time? Long car ride games, of course!

Edmunds.com provides a top ten list of the best road trip games to play while driving through The United States’ crossroads.

One of my favorites coming in at number seven on the list is “The Picnic Game,” in which one player begins with, “I went to a picnic and I brought…” The first player brings an item that starts with the letter A, such as apple. Then the next person repeats the same opening phrase and brings an item that starts with the letter B, such as banana. Then the next player brings something that starts with the letter C. Simple enough?

My favorite game that shockingly came in at number 10 is “Geography Lesson.” This is the game where a category is chosen by the players (I stink at geography so I usually play this game with celebrities) and the first player says the name of a state or whatever the chosen category is. The next player has to then name a state or celebrity that starts with the last letter of the previous players answer. If the first player starts the game with Ohio, the next player names a state that starts with O, like Oklahoma. The next player would then name a start starting with A, like Arizona and so on.

Next time you have some time to pass while on the road, turn down your iPod’s and try out one of these fun games!

[Source: Edmunds.com]