1. iRacing
  2. News

iRacing News

Two New Sports Cars, One New Short Track, New and Enhanced Features Highlight June 2017 Updates

The 2017 Season 3 Build features a pair of great new sports cars, one legendary short track, enhanced graphics and dynamic track surfaces, and new replay modes along with a host of updates to existing cars and features.

Just in time for the second annual iRacing 24 Hours of Le Mans, we're rolling-out the fastest sports cars yet produced by two of the world's iconic automakers in the Ferrari 488 GTE and Ford GT. We're also adding a great new short track in Myrtle Beach Speedway, springboard to the careers of multiple generations of Pettys, Earnhardts and Jarretts.

The build also includes improvements in the surface heat of the dynamic tracks along with some cool new replay modes and dramatic improvements to shadows and reflections on the cars. The NASCAR Class B (aka Xfinity) cars have been updated to 2017 specs as well.

USAC Sprint Cars added

USAC Sprint Cars Now Available

The USAC 410 and 360 Sprint cars (non-winged) are now available for purchase and download. Sold as a package, these new cars add to the immensly popular dirt racing catalog that recently launched on iRacing

September 2016 Update

The 2016 Season 4 Build has been released and features the long-awaited debut of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At 13.6 km and 8.4 miles, the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans is the second longest track on the iRacing service and, along with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ranks as the world’s most historic active racing venue.

There’s more to the new build than the fantastic new Le Mans circuit, however. Our new dynamic night shadow maps will enhance the night racing experience, including realistic windshield reflections, while updates to the dynamic track have resulted in improved realism of heat mapping and rubber build-up. You’ll also notice a new character in the driver’s seat, as well as wind-animated flags at the circuits.

Brake bias adjustments have also been added to a small number of cars for Fixed Setup series, and we are also launching support for OpenVR /HTC Vive headsets, and antialiasing in our virtual reality views.

Also available is the Audi 90 GTO car and Nissan GTP ZX Turbo. These two historic cars are available for purchase and are racing in a brand new series on iRacing called the Kamel GT Series – utilizing many of the same tracks the real world counterparts raced on back in 1989.

June 2016 Update

The 2016 Season 3 Build is out and, with it, comes another legendary race track and a host of new and improved features.

Headlining the new build is Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (more familiarly known as Imola), one time home of the Italian and the San Marino Grands Prix and one of Europe’s most historic circuits. And while South Boston Speedway has been available on the service for quite some time, the thorough artistic overhaul included in the build makes it seem almost like new.

Speaking of overhauls, the physics on every track have been updated to better model physics collisions with objects large and small, as well as to bring dust and gravel kicked-up by off-course excursions onto the racing surface along with the corresponding impact on the tire grip. The Gen 6 Chevies, Fords and Toyotas now sport the digital dashboards found on their NASCAR Sprint Cup counterparts, while V8 Supercar devotees will enjoy the improved stability of the 2014 Fords and Holdens. We’ve also upgraded the ability to retrieve accurate Incident Point statistics and we’ve even added preliminary DirectX 11 support for iRacers with an Oculus Rift.

March 2016 Update Available

Packed with new cars and new features, our latest build is now available.

The 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Car is FREE to all members and will replace the previous generation MX-5 Cup and Roadster in the Rookie level series. iRacing worked hand and hand with Mazda and Long Road Racing over the past 12 months to help develop this car in the real world and to then bring the most accurate representation possible to the simulation.

The Audi R8 LMS, Mercedes AMG GT3 and Formula Renault 2.0 round out the list of of new cars available. Audi and Mercedes are two of the most successful manufacturers in recent history and the FR 2.0 gives iRacers another choice in the open wheel arena.

Additional highlights include:

Improved netcode
Abilty to flash headlights
Selectable time of day - morning, afternoon, late afternoon and night when available
Improved animation for lollipop guy
Video capture
New visual tire debris
Trial version of upgraded graphics engine DX11
New car sounds
Much more!

You can read the full release notes in themember forums or here: http://www.iracing.com/2016-season-2-release-notes/