If you start to play TrackMania beyond Solo mode and explore what the community has to offer, you soon get confronted with a plethora of different terms for tracks, not all of which are self-explanatory.

In this article many of the different types of tracks, which have developed over the years, are introduced with a short explanation. Some types might be missing, especially from the early days of TrackMania Original. If you are aware of additional types of tracks, please add those in a comment to this article.

The terms track and map are used synonymous and are often interchangeable.

--=> B <=--

BASCO Track

A Build A Stage COmpetition is a special community track, where each part (stage) of a track is built by anyone interested in taking part in the competition. Each contribution is evaluated by a group of judges who decide who the winner for the current stage is. Then building begins anew for the next stage, then judging again - until the track is finished. This concept was developed at TMX in 2006.

Bug Map

A bug map is a track which aims to exploit errors in the track editor to create impossible or otherwise sensational parts and transitions. Most bugs involve deleting previously placed blocks and the most famous example is probably the invisible road in the environment Island in TrackMania Sunrise.

--=> C <=--

Classic Track

A classic track is a special track category at TMX. Classic tracks are manually selected by the TMX crew and have the leaderboard rankings of their uploaded record times deleted, because the TMX leaderboard ranking went towards the theoretical maximum. Classic tracks have their own TMX leaderboard, but they are outside the normal rankings.

Community Track

A community track is a track building effort by several members of the player community. Usually four to six players build 10 to 15 seconds each of the track.

--=> D <=--

Demo Track

A demo track is a track built with a demo version of any of the TrackMania games. Demo versions of the game usually merely feature one environment and a limited choice of blocks compared to the release version of the game.

Since the release of the free TrackMania Nations ESWC, demo tracks have lost much of their appeal, but back in the days of TrackMania Original and TrackMania Sunrise there had been quite a few players, who never owned the actual game, but extensively played the demo versions and built tracks for those.

Drift Map

From all environments especially coast with the inertness of its car is predestined for controlled drifting and some players especially build tracks for drifting. The idea is not to drive the fastest time, but to achieve the best and longest drifts.

--=> F <=--

Freestyle Track

Freestyle tracks are the predecessors to stunt tracks. Before stunt mode had been added to TrackMania, players realized that they can do more with their cars on a track than just racing for the best time. They began to build special tracks, which were suitable to do all kinds of crazy stunts, but still were race tracks. Those tracks were never meant to drive the fastest time, but to do cool stunts.

(Full)Speed Track

A speed track has merely a few or even no technical parts and can be driven at high speed levels throughout. If you never need to lower your gas, it's a full-speed track.

--=> G <=--

GP Track
A grand prix track is a track in the Coast environment, which solely or at least mostly uses the black asphalt "grand prix" style blocks for its layout.

--=> L <=--

League Track
A track made for or played in any of the leagues playing a TrackMania flavor. League tracks are often tech tracks, which even challenge expert level players.

LOL Track

Usually a very short track with just one major idea, jump or obstacle built into it and thus not really a racing course in the common sense. While not always welcomed for online play on "serious" servers, there are quite a few servers around especially offering LOL tracks.

To be continued…