Winning Run received critical acclaim from gaming publications, with critics applauding its realism and 3D graphics, considered revolutionary for its time period. In the March 1989 issue of Computer and Video Games, Clare Edgeley and Julian Rignall gave it a positive review, favorably comparing it to Atari's Hard Drivin' – they labeled Winning Runs graphics as "simply stunning", concluding that it is "easily the best racing game yet seen – it's thoroughly realistic and totally exhilarating". The Games Machine was also positive in their review, calling it one of the most impressive arcade games of the era, referring it as "an astonishing coin-op". Praise was also given to its sense of realism to Formula One racing.
