Running the game in windowed mode worked twice, with cloing the game and restarting it, but after two lucky starts, it crashes as above again.
Also, this game requires a Nintendo gamepad to control the vehicle. Keyboard controls exist, but they're imprecise and more difficult to use.
I know there are emulator programs that can help, but I can't get the game to launch reliably to use one.
Also, I would rather not have to remember to return the game to windowed mode before exiting it.
I really wish EA would be upfront about what appears to be a rather common problem.
That said, the product itself looks beautiful, has good reviews, and they allow you to return what doesn't work if you do so within 24 hours, which is a great way to build confidence. I wish I could just get this to work right. I really want to keep it.