As the title of the game implies, Jimmie Johnson's Anything With An Engine allows the players to race in themed races ranging from modern tracks to rural roads with several drivers whose machines range from bathtubs to concrete mixers and even World War II bombs outfitted with engines. The gameplay is similar to the Mario Kart games with players using weapons to knock out opponents.

To obtain these weapons the player must gain fan votes by either performing well during the race or by running over green and yellow fan switches which add to the vote count. There are three different weapons including mines, missiles and ram along with a nitro boost. As players gain more votes they can level up their weapons, making them more dangerous. Additionally there are traps scattered throughout the tracks that the player can activate by running over and destroying opponents caught in the path.

There are three different modes: Single Event, Career and Multiplayer. The single event is an exhibition where a player can choose and driver or track and race against the A.I. or friends. The Career mode has several cups that the player competes in, depending upon how the player finishes in points from the races will they be able to race head-to-head with NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson in an attempt to win the cup.

Each cup has different events:Regular*: eight racers compete in a regulation race.

• Matador: the field is divided up in half and face off head to head in a figure eight-race.
• Time Trial: the player goes alone in five laps in order to reach a target time.
• Elimination: the field races against a timer in which the last racer at the end of each timer is eliminated
• Endurance: the player races several laps in which each time they cross the finish line the are awarded points

There is also a multiplayer mode where the player can compete against several online opponents in various tracks and even race as the game's namesake, Jimmie Johnson.