iRacing

File:E3 2011 - Playseat racing seats (5831894364).jpg]]

iRacing primarily focuses on creating an environment in game that will mimic real-life driving as closely as possible, including the use of LIDAR-scanned cars and tracks.{{cite web|last1=Swinbanks|first1=James|title=iRacing - not just for sim-racing junkies|url=http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/324217, iracing-not-just-for-sim-racing-junkies.aspx/1|website=www.pcauthority.com.au|access-date=7 October 2016|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009155011/http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/324217,iracing-not-just-for-sim-racing-junkies.aspx/1|url-status=dead}} In most circumstances, players are confined to a cockpit-only view when driving.

iRacing offers a day-night-cycle, offering more dynamic racing due to temperature variation and limited sight at night.{{cite web|title=Patch Note, December 4th Season 1 Build|url=https://www.iracing.com/patch-hotfix-release-notes/|website=iracing.com|access-date=16 March 2019}} As of 2024, iRacing also added a realistic dynamic weather model, simulating rain and fog with its respective effects on the track's surface and temperature.{{cite web|title=iRacing weather system|url=https://www.iracing.com/weather|access-date=16 November 2024}}

Racing wheels and gamepads are supported, as are adaptive controllers and other auxiliary input devices.{{cite web|url=https://m.nascar.com/news-media/2020/03/26/nascar-iracing-what-you-need-to-know-about-getting-started/|title=NASCAR iRacing: What you need to know about getting started|last=Luvender|first=Steve|date=March 26, 2020|access-date=May 22, 2022|website=NASCAR.com}} iRacing also supports the use of VR headsets.{{cite web|url=https://www.windingroad.com/articles/reviews/the-vr-headset-difference-in-iracing-must-have-or-nice-to-have/|title=The VR Headset Difference In iRacing: Must Have Or Nice To Have?|date=March 6, 2019|last=Martin|first=Tom|website= Winding Road|access-date=May 22, 2022}}

Support for computer-controlled opponents was added in late 2019.{{cite web|title=iRacing 2020 Season 1 Update Now Available: The Dawn of AI, New V8 Supercars, and More|first=Michael|last=Leary|url=https://www.gtplanet.net/iracing-2020-season-1-update-now-available-the-dawn-of-ai-new-v8-supercars-and-more/|website=GT Planet|date=December 3, 2019|access-date=May 22, 2022}} Initially limited to a small selection of tracks and cars, the developer has gradually added support for more of the game's content.{{cite web|url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/iracing-season-4-kicks-off-with-new-cars-new-circuits-hosted-ai-more-169168.html|title=iRacing Season 4 Kicks Off with New Cars, New Circuits, Hosted AI, More|date=Sep 12, 2021|last=Vasile|first=Cosmin|access-date=May 22, 2022|website=Auto Evolution}}

iRacing.com operates in seasons lasting 13 (rarely 14) weeks, four seasons per year. New content and features are typically released in the week before the start of a new season.

iRacing.com sanctions many different race series on its service, some of which are meant to correspond to race series held in real life. These are called official series, and can be ranked or unranked. In ranked series, the player's performance affects their iRating and Safety Rating (described below).

With few exceptions, a series uses one car, one class of cars, or a few car classes throughout the entire season. Typically, a series runs on a different track each week of the season for 12 (rarely 13) weeks. In the last week of the season, so-called Week 13, most regular official ranked series are suspended, and temporarily replaced by unranked races designed to be showcase the new, just released content, and to provide a slightly more relaxed racing experience.[https://www.iracing.com/iracing-101-week-13/] iRacing 101: Week 13

There are five disciplines of auto racing available for players: sports cars (cars with fenders), formula cars, oval, dirt road (composed of rallycross and trophy truck racing), and dirt oval. Before early 2024, sports cars and single-seater (formula) cars were included in a single road discipline.

Each series has three session types for the given week: Open practice, Race, or Time Trial.{{cite book|title= iRacing Official Sporting Code v2021.04.23|chapter=5.3 Sanctioning|date=May 4, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021|url=https://ir-core-sites.iracing.com/members/pdfs/20210504-iRacing_Sporting_Code_dated_Apr_23_2021.pdf}} In most cases, a Race session is immediately preceded by a short two-lap lone Qualifying session which determines the starting order for the race. Some series use detached Qualifying session, whereby the best lap time achieved by the player in any Qualifying session they participated determines their relative starting position for all subsequent races in this week.

Each series has its own seasonal championship for Race and Time Trial, and also a separate, non-series based Time Attack mode.{{cite book|title= iRacing Official Sporting Code v2021.04.23|chapter=5.4 Divisions|date=May 4, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021|url=https://ir-core-sites.iracing.com/members/pdfs/20210504-iRacing_Sporting_Code_dated_Apr_23_2021.pdf}} Users are allowed to create their own race or practice sessions and their own full series and seasons using iRacing's Hosted Sessions and Leagues features, respectively.{{cite book|title= iRacing Official Sporting Code v2021.04.23|pages=14–15|date=May 4, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021|url=https://ir-core-sites.iracing.com/members/pdfs/20210504-iRacing_Sporting_Code_dated_Apr_23_2021.pdf}} Hosted races and leagues are always unranked.

After the "Rookie" license, which all players start at, iRacing uses a letter-grade licensing system, with grades of D, C, B, and A, from lowest to highest. There is also a Pro license, which is reserved for drivers who qualify for the premier eSports series hosted by iRacing.com, such as the eNASCAR iRacing Series and the Porsche eSports Supercup.

Licenses are specific to each of five iRacing disciplines.

Advancement of a license class is determined by a player's participation in sessions that have a minimum required license that isn't lower than the player's current license (called a Minimum Participation Requirement), and advancement of safety rating.

Official series require a minimum license level to participate, e.g. to participate in a race in a C-level series, the player must possess a C, B or A license, while players with Rookie or D licenses generally are not allowed to join such race.

The safety rating system in iRacing is a no-blame system for determining how "safe" a player is on the track by assigning "incident points" for events such as going off the track, losing control of the car, and contact with an object (usually a barrier or wall) or another car.

At the end of an official race session, the ratio of corners driven to incident points incurred ("corners per incident", CPI) is calculated over a large number of most recent corners, usually covering more than the most recent race. The exact number of corners depends on the player's current license level. The resulting CPI figure determines the player's Safety Rating, calculated separately for each iRacing discipline.

Players can be penalized in-race or disqualified from a session for incurring too many incident points.

In case of contact between cars, the system does not assign fault, and all players involved in the incident incur the same number of incident points.{{cite book|title= iRacing Official Sporting Code v2021.04.23|chapter=3 License Class|date=May 4, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021|url=https://ir-core-sites.iracing.com/members/pdfs/20210504-iRacing_Sporting_Code_dated_Apr_23_2021.pdf}}

iRacing also includes an ELO-type driver skill rating system called iRating, used to split drivers into different race sessions and championship divisions for better competition. Like Safety Rating/license class, iRating is tracked separately for each of iRacing's five disciplines.

iRating and Safety Rating are only impacted in iRacing.com-sanctioned official ranked races.{{cite book|title= iRacing Official Sporting Code v2021.04.23|chapter=4.1 iRating|date=May 4, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021|url=https://ir-core-sites.iracing.com/members/pdfs/20210504-iRacing_Sporting_Code_dated_Apr_23_2021.pdf}}

Additionally, a minimum number of players (usually 6) must participate in the race for iRating to be affected.

24 cars and 32 tracks are provided in the subscription's base content. Additional vehicles and tracks are available for individual purchase, though players must maintain an active iRacing subscription to access these after purchase. Ranked races in the Rookie license class primarily utilize the content included with the base subscription.{{cite web|title=What's the cost of iRacing?|url=https://traxion.gg/whats-the-cost-of-iracing/|website=Traxion.gg|last=McGregor|first=Ross|date=May 22, 2021|access-date=May 21, 2022}} The track and vehicle catalogue in iRacing is subject to additions of new content with each season update. The iRacing catalogue consists of more than 100 cars and tracks. Cars on the service include stock cars, sprint cars, touring cars, open-wheel cars, and prototype cars.{{cite web|url=https://www.iracing.com/cars/|title=iRacing Cars Archive|access-date=May 22, 2022|website=iRacing.com}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.iracing.com/tracks/|title=iRacing Tracks Archive|access-date=May 22, 2022|website=iRacing.com}}

iRacing began to be developed in 2004, when Dave Kaemmer, co-founder of the Papyrus Design Group, partnered with John W. Henry to create FIRST.net LLC, which then acquired the code to NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. Kaemmer then worked this source code into what would become iRacing, released four years later in 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-2021/106/the-man-who-made-iracing-dave-kaemmers-smash-hit|title=The man who made iRacing: Dave Kaemmer's smash hit|date=October 2021|last=Lerner|first=Preston|access-date=May 22, 2022}} iRacing retains the multi-body physics system of NR2003, as well as some of the track presentation and multi-user packet code, but everything else has been changed, or is completely new, like the tire model and graphics engine.{{cite journal |last = Denton |first = Jon |title = The Masters of Mass. |journal = AutoSimSport |volume = 4 |issue = 4 |pages = 21–34 |date = August 2008 |url =http://www.autosimsport.net/index2/index.php/backissues/doc_download/9-autosimsport-magazine-vol-4-iss-4 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110723021513/http://www.autosimsport.net/index2/index.php/backissues/doc_download/9-autosimsport-magazine-vol-4-iss-4 |url-status =dead |archive-date =2011-07-23 |access-date = 2009-04-12 |format = PDF}} The service receives regular updates between 12-week competition seasons.{{cite journal|last=Denton |first=Jon |title=iRacing.com Announce: Revolution |journal=AutoSimSport |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=19–30 |date=February 15, 2008 |url=http://www.autosimsport.net/index2/index.php/online-article-list/98-ass-mag-v4i1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116231151/http://autosimsport.net/index2/index.php/online-article-list/98-ass-mag-v4i1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2009 |access-date=2009-04-12 |format=Flash }}

Over a two-month period in December 2021 and January 2022, iRacing.com acquired a pair of racing game companies, Orontes Games and Monster Games; the former developed the Orontes game engine used in its 2020 off-road racing game Drag, while the latter has created multiple racing games including NASCAR Heat. The two remained independent from their new parent, though iRacing's development team absorbed assets like Orontes' lead developers Christian Folkers and Thorsten Folkers and Monster's co-founder and owner Richard Garcia.{{cite news|url=https://www.iracing.com/iracing-acquires-orontes-games-developer-of-racing-game-drag-and-proprietary-game-engine/|title=iRacing Acquires Orontes Games – Developer of Racing Game DRAG and Proprietary Game Engine|work=iRacing|date=December 22, 2021|access-date=January 4, 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.iracing.com/iracing-acquires-monster-games/|title=iRacing Acquires Monster Games|work=iRacing|date=January 4, 2022|access-date=January 4, 2022}}

iRacing.com has been a long time partner of NASCAR. Their first partnership was announced in 2010, renewed once, and is now looking forward at a decade or more of future partnership, announced in a further renewal agreement in 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/06/29/nascar-iracing-com-announce-new-official-partnership/|title=NASCAR, iRacing.com announce new official partnership|date=June 29, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2022| website= NASCAR.com}}

On November 2, 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame member Dale Earnhardt Jr. was named as executive director at iRacing.com.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedsport.com/nascar/nascar-cup-series/dale-earnhardt-jr-named-iracing-executive-director/|date=November 2, 2020|access-date=May 22, 2022|title=Dale Earnhardt Jr. Named iRacing Executive Director}} NASCAR is involved in several series present on iRacing, including the premier eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series and its respective, iRacing.com-sanctioned series: the NASCAR iRacing Series classes A B and C, and the eNASCAR Road to Pro Qualifying Series.

IMSA first partnered with iRacing.com in 2020 with the debut of the IMSA iRacing Pro Series, which put professional racing drivers from IMSA and other series against each other in the iRacing simulation software. IMSA also sponsors several iRacing.com-sanctioned series designed to reflect real series that IMSA holds: the IMSA Hagerty iRacing Series, iRacing IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, and the IMSA iRacing Endurance Series.{{cite web|url=https://www.imsa.com/news/2021/10/21/imsa-iracing-extend-partnership-through-2023/|title=IMSA, iRacing extend partnership through 2023|date=October 21, 2021|website=IMSA.com}}

World of Outlaws began partnering with iRacing.com in 2018 to provide two eSports World Championship Series, one for late models, the other for sprint cars.{{cite web|url=https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/iracing-announcement/|title=iRacing announces two World of Outlaws eSport World Championship Series|date=March 16, 2018|website=World of Outlaws|access-date=May 22, 2022}} On April 5, 2022, along with the announcement of the extension of their partnership, WoO announced they would be developing a new World of Outlaws console game with iRacing.com and Monster Games, the first new World of Outlaws game in more than 10 years.{{cite web|url=https://worldofoutlaws.com/news/world-of-outlaws-dirtcar-extend-iracing-partnership-plan-console-game/|title=World of Outlaws, DIRTcar extend iRacing partnership, plan console game|date=April 5, 2022|website=World of Outlaws|access-date=May 22, 2022}}

German automobile manufacturer Porsche has worked together with iRacing.com since 2017, announcing the first iteration of the Porsche eSports Supercup in 2018. iRacing.com has many of Porsche's vehicles in its catalogue due to the connection between the two.{{cite web|url=https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/motorsports/porsche-iracing-world-championship-series-esports-partner-911-gt3-cup-16618.html|title=Porsche partners with iRacing for new World Championship Series|date=December 15, 2018|website=Porsche Newsroom|access-date=May 22, 2022}}

In March 2020, FOX Sports aired the inaugural event of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, due to real-life auto racing events being hindered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This endeavor proved to be successful, with the broadcast on FS1 watched by almost a million viewers. FOX subsequently decided to air the rest of the series would continue to be broadcast on FS1.{{cite web|url=https://www.esportsinsider.com/2020/03/enascar-iracing-invitational-fox-sports/|title=FOX Sports to broadcast full eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational|first=Jonno|last=Nicholson|date=March 26, 2020|website=eSports Insider|access-date=May 22, 2022}} The series continued until 2021, when drivers returned to normal driving at real-life events.

On May 30, 2023, iRacing announced{{Cite web |last=KevinB |date=2023-05-30 |title=iRacing to Partner with FIA for Authentic Formula 4 Experience |url=https://www.iracing.com/iracing-to-partner-with-fia-for-authentic-formula-4-experience/ |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=iRacing.com}} an official partnership with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). As part of the agreement, the car known as the iRacing Formula iR-04 was relaunched as the FIA F4 with iRacing’s 2023 Season 3 update release in June 2023.

iRacing.com has many other partnerships with other racing organizations like the USAC, and licensing deals with major automotive manufacturers like Audi and Mercedes. A full list of iRacing.com's partners can be found on their website.{{Cite web |title=iRacing Partners Archive |url=https://www.iracing.com/partners/ |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=iRacing.com}}

{{see also|eNASCAR}}

• eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series (2010–present)
• eNASCAR Road To Pro Series (2020–2025)
• eNASCAR International Series (2021–present)
• eNASCAR College iRacing Series (2022–present)
• eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series (2020–2021)

{{see also|IndyCar Series}}

• IndyCar iRacing Challenge (2020)

iRacing host several Special Events across each calendar year, including 24-hour endurance events inspired by the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the Spa 24 Hours.

{{Video game reviews

|MC = 79/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/iracing/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=iRacing for PC Reviews - Metacritic |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=25 October 2016}}

|PCGUK = 80%{{cite web | url=http://www.pcgamer.com/iracing-review/ | title=IRACING REVIEW | work=PC Gamer | publisher=PC Gamer | first=Mike | last=Channell | date=3 August 2010 | access-date=17 November 2016}}

|rev1 = GameStar

|rev1Score = 68%{{cite web | url=http://www.gamestar.de/test/sport/rennspiel/1955663/iracing.html | title=IRACING TEST (PC) - MIT ULTRA-REALISMUS AUF DEN THRON? | language=de | trans-title=IRACING TEST (PC) - ON THE THRONE THANKS TO ULTRA-REALISM? | work=GameStar | publisher=GameStar | first=Benedikt | last=Plass-Fleßenkämper | date=29 April 2009 | access-date=17 November 2016 | archive-date=18 November 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118040846/http://www.gamestar.de/test/sport/rennspiel/1955663/iracing.html | url-status=dead }}

}}

iRacing was launched to the public on August 26, 2008.{{cite web|url=https://xconomy.com/boston/2008/08/28/red-sox-owners-simulation-startup-iracingcom-waves-the-green-flag/ |title=Red Sox Owner's Simulation Startup, iRacing.com, Waves the Green Flag |website=Xconomy|date=28 August 2008 |access-date=22 May 2022|last=Roush|first=Wade}} By July 2009 more than 16,000 individuals had subscribed to the service.{{cite web |url = http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/63123 |title = Taking aim online |author = Eric Fisher |publisher = SportsBusiness Journal |date = 27 July 2009 |access-date = 28 July 2009 |archive-date = 26 September 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120926154512/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2009/07/20090727/SBJ-In-Depth/Taking-Aim-Online.aspx |url-status = dead }} The company said there were 50,000 members as of December 2013.{{cite web |archive-date=11 March 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150311213412/http://www.iracing.com/iracing-com-adds-monza |url =http://www.iracing.com/iracing-com-adds-monza/ |title = iRacing.com adds Monza |publisher = iRacing.com |date = 19 December 2013 |access-date = 23 December 2013}} By April of 2020, iRacing.com president and CFO Anthony Gardner claimed the service had over 160,000 active subscribers.{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Tim |title=iRacing subscriptions have surged nearly 50% this year |url=https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/iracing-subscriptions-have-surged-nearly-50-this-year/ |access-date=2022-05-22|website=CNET |language=en}}

iRacing has received favorable reviews from automobile, racing and gaming magazines as well as websites dedicated to racing simulators.{{cite web |url = http://www.automobilemag.com/features/racing/0901_virtual_car_racing_iracing/index.html |first = Preston |last = Lerner |title = Virtual Car Racing - iRacing |publisher = Automobile Magazine |date = 23 December 2008 |access-date = 9 January 2009 |archive-date = 25 December 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081225004943/http://www.automobilemag.com/features/racing/0901_virtual_car_racing_iracing/index.html |url-status = dead }}{{cite video|people=Lear, Scott R. |url=http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/iracing/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080817040647/http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/iracing/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-08-17 |title=iRacing Demo |publisher=Grassroots Motorsports Magazine |format=Flash video |date=November 2008 |access-date=2009-01-09 }}{{cite journal |last = Toivonen |first = Ismo |title = iRacing.com: Kumartakaa uutta mestaria |journal = Pelit |volume = 2009 |issue = 2 |pages = 36–39 |date = February 2009 |url = http://www.pelit.fi/index.php?id=69976 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110616101708/http://www.pelit.fi/index.php?id=69976 |url-status = dead |archive-date = 2011-06-16 |language = fi |access-date = 2009-04-13}}{{cite web|url=http://www.simhq.com/_motorsports4/motorsports_121a.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610144313/http://www.simhq.com/_motorsports4/motorsports_121a.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 10, 2008 |first=Jens |last=Lindblad |title=iRacing |publisher=SimHQ.com |date=June 9, 2008 |access-date=2009-01-09 }} The service has also been criticized for not yet including features often found on other racing simulators, such more advanced visual damage modeling.{{cite journal |last = Vasilakos |first = Aristotelis |title = iRacing: The Physics |journal = AutoSimSport |volume = 4 |issue = 3 |pages = 33–38 |date = June 2008 |url = http://www.autosimsport.net/index2/index.php/backissues/doc_download/20-autosimsport-magazine-vol-4-iss-3 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723021530/http://www.autosimsport.net/index2/index.php/backissues/doc_download/20-autosimsport-magazine-vol-4-iss-3 |url-status = dead |archive-date = 2011-07-23 |access-date = 2009-04-12 |format = PDF}} Rain was added to the sim for Season 2 2024,{{Cite web |title=iRacing Weather System |url=https://www.iracing.com/weather/#:~:text=iRacing's%20all-new%20weather%20system,in%20wet,%20the%20iRacing%20way. |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=iRacing.com}} while not all series and cars offer wet racing as of early 2025 the list of series that do offer rain is extensive.{{Cite web |title=Rain Enabled Content |url=https://support.iracing.com/support/solutions/articles/31000172614-rain-enabled-content |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=iRacing |language=en}} PC Gamer stated that the game was "not one that will be to everyone's taste", while GameStar back in 2009 concluded "The graphics give the impression of an unfinished beta, but at least the atmosphere between the players is always friendly."

{{Reflist}}

• Cole, Shaun & Gangi, Darin. (April 15, 2008). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upg6XSVvbmQ iRacing interview with Scott Mckee] (Flash video). Inside Sim Racing. Retrieved on 15 February 2017.
• [http://www.autosimsport.net/backissues.php#vol4 Autosimsport] 4 (2): 8–9, 19–30, April 15, 2008.
• [https://x.com/NAORiRacing?s=20 NAOR x/twitter Profile] NAOR Cup Series X page

• {{Official website|http://www.iracing.com/}}

{{ESports competitions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iracing.Com}}

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