Fans of US stock car racing are missing NASCAR in Automobilista 2. But despite there not being a proper vehicle, livery packs may scratch your itch in Reiza Studios’ sim.
Three Racin’ USA DLC packs have been released for Automobilista 2, which added four oval circuits to the sim. Daytona, Fontana, Gateway and Indianapolis complement the Jacarepagua “oval”, which is part of the base content. Additionally, circuits like Watkins Glen and Road America serve as great road course locations for NASCAR racing.
The DLCs also focused on two popular US-based racing classes, those being IMSA with the DPi and GTE cars, and IndyCar with historic and a semi-fictional 2023 vehicle.
What is absent, however, is US-style stock car racing. Whereas AMS2‘s engine predecessor Project CARS 2 had a fictional vehicle, Automobilista 2 has yet to introduce anything in this regard. A fourth bonus Racin’ USA DLC has been mentioned in the past, which could rectifiy this. However, it is unknown when this pack is going to release.
Meanwhile, if you are a NASCAR fan and into AMS2, you can still get that stock car oval racing fix – with a few caveats, that is. As we recently mentioned already when looking at the state of oval racing as of AMS2 v1.5.3, livery packs for multiple types of cars are available, courtesy of RaceDepartment user @TomLehockySVK. Many of them come with custom AI files to add the cars’ real drivers as well.
With full-course yellows now working in AMS2, combined with the decent AI, the oval racing basics are there. Even scheduled FCYs are a thing now – you can schedule them to appear at 25, 50 or 75% of the full race distance, or have it come out randomly. Anyway, on to the paint schemes!
Now, the 1986 Opala Stock Cars are not particularly fast, topping out at about 250 kph (~ 155 mph), which makes running them on their own rather unspectacular. In a pack of cars, this changes drastically, despite the lower speed. Door-to-door racing and bump drafting are certainly good fun in these vehicles.
This extends to the 1999 Stock Car Brasil vehicles, too. While they are faster than the 1986 cars, they also will not crack the 300 kph (~ 186 mph) barrier. However, they are rather lively, and look the part thanks to the corresponding livery pack. It comes with two versions, the Earnhardt and Labonte packs. They each add 20 liveries from the 1990s and early 2000s in addition to two bonus cars, one fictional, the other Ned Jarrett’s 1965 car.
The livery pack for the class basically contains a “Best Of” of liveries from the 1960s to the 2000s, creating a great-looking grid. Performance-wise, the Super V8s are probably the best fit for NASCAR in Automobilista 2. They are heavy and certainly not planted in the banked corners, and they can reach speeds of about 340 kph (~ 211 mph) at Daytona.
This makes for a very engaging oval experience, although practice is absolutely required to extract serious speed from the cars. The great soundtrack provided by the big V8 engine certainly helps spending a lot of time in the car, though.
Again, the speed of the class does not match NASCAR’s, but they still make for good oval racing regardless. Just like with the other classes, they are no downforce monsters, so a lively ride has to be expected. Keeping the momentum up is key in the cars as well, as they will take a little while to regain their top speed.
Speaking of top speed: All of the cars mentioned so far come with asymmetrical oval setups. You will find them on the car automatically once you start an oval session with them. However, taking a look at the setup screen is important in order not to sacrifice top speed due to basic settings being a bit off in some cases.
Usually, you can reduce the radiator opening and brake duct size considerably compared to the default setup. This means they create less drag, resulting in higher top speeds. Similarly, cars with rear wings can have their angle set way too high. Dialing this down dramatically will make you faster on the straights without sacrificing handling in the corners in a notable way.
Meanwhile, liveries are also available for cars that do not quite fit the NASCAR bill. Ever wanted to race a Copa Uno (basically a Fiat Uno) box in the colors of Jeff Gordon’s famous paint scheme? No problem! How about racing trucks, as in actual trucks and not pick-ups? There is a pack for that. Even the Formula Classic Gen 4 and Formula Dirt vehicles received the NASCAR treatment.
Additionally, a few standalone liveries for a few cars are available, such as the Corvette C8R GTE. @BigYetimane has created both a real and a fictional version of Jimmie Johnson’s paint scheme for the Vette.
Need a pointer on how to install mods and skin packs for AMS2? Check out Timo's Ultimate Modding Guide!
Have you tried to race NASCAR in Automobilista 2? Let us know your thougts on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
Three Racin’ USA DLC packs have been released for Automobilista 2, which added four oval circuits to the sim. Daytona, Fontana, Gateway and Indianapolis complement the Jacarepagua “oval”, which is part of the base content. Additionally, circuits like Watkins Glen and Road America serve as great road course locations for NASCAR racing.
The DLCs also focused on two popular US-based racing classes, those being IMSA with the DPi and GTE cars, and IndyCar with historic and a semi-fictional 2023 vehicle.
What is absent, however, is US-style stock car racing. Whereas AMS2‘s engine predecessor Project CARS 2 had a fictional vehicle, Automobilista 2 has yet to introduce anything in this regard. A fourth bonus Racin’ USA DLC has been mentioned in the past, which could rectifiy this. However, it is unknown when this pack is going to release.
Meanwhile, if you are a NASCAR fan and into AMS2, you can still get that stock car oval racing fix – with a few caveats, that is. As we recently mentioned already when looking at the state of oval racing as of AMS2 v1.5.3, livery packs for multiple types of cars are available, courtesy of RaceDepartment user @TomLehockySVK. Many of them come with custom AI files to add the cars’ real drivers as well.
With full-course yellows now working in AMS2, combined with the decent AI, the oval racing basics are there. Even scheduled FCYs are a thing now – you can schedule them to appear at 25, 50 or 75% of the full race distance, or have it come out randomly. Anyway, on to the paint schemes!
NASCAR in Automobilista 2: 1980s and 1990s
The livery packs make use of various car classes that are part of the base content of the sim. For an approximation of 1980s NASCAR, the pack for the Opala Stock Cars 1986 (as seen in the header graphic) is your go-to. Not portraying any season in particular, it adds the iconic schemes of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Wrangler colors, Bill Elliott’s Coors car, and many more from 1981 to 1989.Now, the 1986 Opala Stock Cars are not particularly fast, topping out at about 250 kph (~ 155 mph), which makes running them on their own rather unspectacular. In a pack of cars, this changes drastically, despite the lower speed. Door-to-door racing and bump drafting are certainly good fun in these vehicles.
This extends to the 1999 Stock Car Brasil vehicles, too. While they are faster than the 1986 cars, they also will not crack the 300 kph (~ 186 mph) barrier. However, they are rather lively, and look the part thanks to the corresponding livery pack. It comes with two versions, the Earnhardt and Labonte packs. They each add 20 liveries from the 1990s and early 2000s in addition to two bonus cars, one fictional, the other Ned Jarrett’s 1965 car.
NASCAR in Automobilista 2: Super V8s
NASCAR stands for big, powerful cars with an unmistakable V8 growl – something Australia is quite fond of, too. Their Supercars series is not in AMS2 as licensed content either, but a fictional Super V8 is . And this makes a splendid NASCAR stopgap, too! Of course, there are some marked differences, such as the rear wing (also present on the 99 Brazilian Stock Cars) and the 6-speed manual sequential transmission. But generally, they serve the purpose well.The livery pack for the class basically contains a “Best Of” of liveries from the 1960s to the 2000s, creating a great-looking grid. Performance-wise, the Super V8s are probably the best fit for NASCAR in Automobilista 2. They are heavy and certainly not planted in the banked corners, and they can reach speeds of about 340 kph (~ 211 mph) at Daytona.
This makes for a very engaging oval experience, although practice is absolutely required to extract serious speed from the cars. The great soundtrack provided by the big V8 engine certainly helps spending a lot of time in the car, though.
Brazilian Stock Cars 2021: 2022 NASCAR Livery Pack
Fans of the modern NASCAR Cup Series are not forgotten either. The 2022 season livery pack adds 34 paint schemes of that year to the 2021 Brazilian Stock Cars, plus one more for Dale Earnhardt Jr. based on the car he ran in the final race of 2017.Again, the speed of the class does not match NASCAR’s, but they still make for good oval racing regardless. Just like with the other classes, they are no downforce monsters, so a lively ride has to be expected. Keeping the momentum up is key in the cars as well, as they will take a little while to regain their top speed.
Speaking of top speed: All of the cars mentioned so far come with asymmetrical oval setups. You will find them on the car automatically once you start an oval session with them. However, taking a look at the setup screen is important in order not to sacrifice top speed due to basic settings being a bit off in some cases.
Usually, you can reduce the radiator opening and brake duct size considerably compared to the default setup. This means they create less drag, resulting in higher top speeds. Similarly, cars with rear wings can have their angle set way too high. Dialing this down dramatically will make you faster on the straights without sacrificing handling in the corners in a notable way.
Other NASCAR Liveries
While the four livery packs we mentioned make good use of what is in AMS2 to actually emulate NASCAR racing, there are more. The Copa Montana – Simple NASCAR Liveries pack could serve as a stand-in for the NASCAR Truck Series, although the paint schemes are based on Cup Series cars instead.Meanwhile, liveries are also available for cars that do not quite fit the NASCAR bill. Ever wanted to race a Copa Uno (basically a Fiat Uno) box in the colors of Jeff Gordon’s famous paint scheme? No problem! How about racing trucks, as in actual trucks and not pick-ups? There is a pack for that. Even the Formula Classic Gen 4 and Formula Dirt vehicles received the NASCAR treatment.
Additionally, a few standalone liveries for a few cars are available, such as the Corvette C8R GTE. @BigYetimane has created both a real and a fictional version of Jimmie Johnson’s paint scheme for the Vette.
Need a pointer on how to install mods and skin packs for AMS2? Check out Timo's Ultimate Modding Guide!
Have you tried to race NASCAR in Automobilista 2? Let us know your thougts on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
