After weeks of teasing and announcements, iRacing has released its Season 2 update for 2023. Bringing cars, features and a new track, here's everything to sink your money into this week.
Just three months after the release of the first 2023 iRacing season, the development team has now brought out its latest major update. Like every quarterly update in iRacing, Season 2 brings enough new content to bankrupt the common simracer along with some great new features.
That being said, Season 1 releasing in December brought a grand total of three cars and two and a half tracks. In comparison, Season 2 seems somewhat on the light side with just one new circuit, a free car and two paid-for vehicles. With plenty of hopes and dreams surrounding upcoming content and features, could this smaller update show signs of a revolutionary Season 3 drop this summer?
One addition that is sure to be popular is the Renault Clio Cup car. An entry level touring car, this model will compete in the Production Car Challenge alongside the Mazda, Toyota GR 86 and Mustang FR500. With another four-cylinder engine, this car's front-wheel bare the brunt of 180hp.
Finally, iRacing has updated its Late Model Stock Car this season. This 400hp oval racer completes the line-up of grassroots racing cars joining the sim this week. The season-long series using this model will certainly focus on short ovals as racers get to grips with the art of turning left.
A lesser-known venue to more recent motorsport fans, Jerez has a brilliant mix of high-speed curves, long straights and slower corners. This great variety of sections makes for a great test for both man and machine all while providing good passing opportunities. It should fit well with most cars on iRacing.
A new feature many may be unsure about however is the Auto Fueling system. In the past, longer races required drivers to manually calculate the fuel they needed to get to the end. However, this new feature will automatically calculate how much fuel is required at a pitstop taking away the engineering aspect to longer races. Users simply input the level of risk they are willing to live by and the game gives you the fuel you need. Those that enjoyed calculating a race to the very last drop may resent this new feature. But the majority of racers will be relieved at the stress being lifted.
Each of the new cars added in the update can now be driven by the AI and several new track layouts have also been added to the options. The iRacing AI, which some consider the best in the business, now has many possibilities for car-track combinations.
Finally, oval racers will rejoice a tweak to how penalties are dealt for jump starts in restart zones. Now all we need is a similar addition to the road racing side of the service to prevent cars going half a lap before the start line.
What is your favourite part of the Season 2 update for iRacing? Let us know in the comments below.
Just three months after the release of the first 2023 iRacing season, the development team has now brought out its latest major update. Like every quarterly update in iRacing, Season 2 brings enough new content to bankrupt the common simracer along with some great new features.
That being said, Season 1 releasing in December brought a grand total of three cars and two and a half tracks. In comparison, Season 2 seems somewhat on the light side with just one new circuit, a free car and two paid-for vehicles. With plenty of hopes and dreams surrounding upcoming content and features, could this smaller update show signs of a revolutionary Season 3 drop this summer?
New Cars joining iRacing in Season 2
In total, three cars join the iRacing service in Season 2, one of which every iRacer has access to for free. The Formula Ford, or Ray FF 1600, is a small, wingless single seater powered by a small four-pot engine. Famous especially in the UK, this little racer should make for great racing given the lack of aero and the H-pattern manual gearbox. Low on power and with a keen nose for slipstreaming, pack racing in this cute racer will get hearts pumping.One addition that is sure to be popular is the Renault Clio Cup car. An entry level touring car, this model will compete in the Production Car Challenge alongside the Mazda, Toyota GR 86 and Mustang FR500. With another four-cylinder engine, this car's front-wheel bare the brunt of 180hp.
Finally, iRacing has updated its Late Model Stock Car this season. This 400hp oval racer completes the line-up of grassroots racing cars joining the sim this week. The season-long series using this model will certainly focus on short ovals as racers get to grips with the art of turning left.
Jerez: The only track in the update
Circuito de Jerez is a Spanish circuit best known for hosting Formula 1 Grand Prix in the 1990s. However, it has since seen many different motorbike championships compete on its intricate and technical layout.A lesser-known venue to more recent motorsport fans, Jerez has a brilliant mix of high-speed curves, long straights and slower corners. This great variety of sections makes for a great test for both man and machine all while providing good passing opportunities. It should fit well with most cars on iRacing.
Headlining features of the Season 2 drop
Perhaps low on content, the Season 2 update for 2023 brings several quality of life improvements to the game and its UI. The most noticeable to users of the new launcher will be a refreshed look to the program. Softer colours and a more stylised font go a small way to making the game look better.A new feature many may be unsure about however is the Auto Fueling system. In the past, longer races required drivers to manually calculate the fuel they needed to get to the end. However, this new feature will automatically calculate how much fuel is required at a pitstop taking away the engineering aspect to longer races. Users simply input the level of risk they are willing to live by and the game gives you the fuel you need. Those that enjoyed calculating a race to the very last drop may resent this new feature. But the majority of racers will be relieved at the stress being lifted.
Each of the new cars added in the update can now be driven by the AI and several new track layouts have also been added to the options. The iRacing AI, which some consider the best in the business, now has many possibilities for car-track combinations.
Finally, oval racers will rejoice a tweak to how penalties are dealt for jump starts in restart zones. Now all we need is a similar addition to the road racing side of the service to prevent cars going half a lap before the start line.
What is your favourite part of the Season 2 update for iRacing? Let us know in the comments below.
- Next page: iRacing Season 2 2023 Changelog
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