iRacing version 2.0 released

[Kevin Watts]

Its a day late but its here and its a large update. The download is available as usual through the iRacing members site and weighs in at 713mb. Highlights include the release of Suzuka Circuit with five different layouts - the Grand Prix course, Moto, East, West and West with chicane and Iowa Speedway also with five different layouts - Oval, Road, Legends, Infield Legends and Infield Road. Endurance fans fans will be pleased to see the release of the Ford GT and the Honda HPD ARX-01c both sporting the new tyre model which has been in development for over a year now and promises to set the bar high for sim racing tyre modelling just as iRacing did with their laser scanning track technology upon its release in 2008. Other cars to benefit from the new tyre model are the Chevrolet Impala and Chevrolet Impala B cars and also the Chevrolet Silverado and Formula Skip Barber 2000. There are updates to three other cars but those updates do not include the new tyre model, the cars updated are the Dallara Indycar, the Riley Daytona Prototype and the Williams-Toyota FW31 which has new mappable controls to adjust fuel mixture.

The graphics engine has received an update in this release too with a small shadow bug being fixed and triple monitor support improved so that it distorts less when a small FOV is used, iRacing's triple monitor support is regarded by many to be one of the best available before this update. A depth of field effect can now be enabled in replays, this effect gives a much more natural look to replays but does use up a lot of video memory. Settings such as the camera aperture for each camera can be set using the normal camera controls in replay mode.

Some of the big changes that were promised for hosted racing have been rolled out with this release. One of the most noticeable changes to the hosted menu for anyone who is familiar with hosting events at iRacing is the ability to now run tournaments. Its basic function allows members to link hosted sessions together so that results from one session can be used to determine subsequent rounds. This for example would allow for separate hosted sessions to be run to determine qualification for a later hosted event. The host can use a 'grid builder' function to pull drivers from a previous session so F1 style qualification sessions could be set up. The host also has the option to disable driver aids and opt for a 'hardcore mode'. This is just a small summary of what's been included for hosted racing, for more detail take a look at the release notes here.

The members web site has also been improved. A new browser integrated text chat function has been released as a beta and a new icon for league racing has been added at the bottom of the page next to the icons for iRacing TV etc.. New awards have also been added for those who like to set themselves challenges as seen on systems like the XBOX and Playstation.

This update is another huge step forward, the focus will of course be on the new tyre model and the two new cars and two tracks in this release. Charlotte Motor Speedway has also received a visual update which along with the new tyre model for the Chevrolet Silverado is great news for our members who have signed up for this Sundays RDiR NASCAR event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Chevrolet Silverado. A practice server will be on-line later this evening for members to get used to the new tyre model around Charlotte, details will be posted as usual here in our iRacing forum.

 

[Rich_A11]

Could you please list which cars now have new tyre model and do you know when all cars will have new tyres?

 

[Kevin Watts]

The Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Impala Class B (New Nationwide car), Chevrolet Silverado, HPD-ARX-01c LMP2, Ford GT and Formula Skip Barber 2000 car have the new tyre model currently, all cars will have the new tyre model in August, when in August is not known as yet.

 

[Kevin Watts]

This is just the first part of an overall v2.0 release for iRacing, obviously the other cars will get the new tyre model and there are more features in the works.

 

[John Martin]

I love the NTM and IOWA right out the box I pull a 24.9 not too far off the faster guys.

 

[Yoeri Gijsen]

I'm not sure what to think about the two new cars. Ford GT seems to have a weird tendency to get understeery as the cornering speed goes up, which makes you having to lift in weird places. The Force Feedback on the Acura is very light. It almost feel like rFactor again. I guess it will take a lot of time to get used to these cars, but we'll see.

 

[Lars Strijdonck]

Yoeri The Acura has power steering, you can set it in the garage tab where the gear ratio's are iirc.

Think there something up with the new road tires altough i need more time testing but it seems there way faster cold then on optimum temp which is more like a nascar tire.., lots of stuttering back also at tracks that ran smooth at 180fps before....not a perfect build imo.

Edit!!
Before i give the impression of hating 2.0.. i dont, its a step forward and i had great fun driving the new content lasting night.

 

[George Pilkington]

i had fun! : )

 

[Lars Strijdonck]

Me to! post edit

i had fun! : )

 

[Marko Buhin]

Well, to tell the same as Lars. Tires are faster on outlap than after 2 laps of driving. Which is actually bad, especially for enduro, where tires are suppose to last for 2 or 3 stints (well, maybe this tires will last, but theres a huge difference in performance. at least on setups i had a chance to try... maybe theres something to do with the setup...

Another thing: i love Honda, but dont like Ford so much. Eventho Both cars seems to be unforgiving, Honda still flows thru most corners without problems, and i think i have my new fav iRacing car

 

[Lars Strijdonck]

Do love the lpm to beast of a car good fun to.

Good reminder why i like RD so much this morning. Bumped into a GT twice in praccy said sorry nicely pore boy got all upset.
Long live hosted racing+RD!

 

[Eric Estes]

Trying to get a handle on the tire temps. It seems what used to work for cambers is now putting the temperature gradient across the tires at 2 to 3 times what it used to be, and allowing greater pressure buildup. I'm thinking that a whole new strategy may be required, and that any scrubbing or sliding of the tires in corners is going to build up temps and pressures such that the grip will be gone (doesn't appear to affect tire wear much, though).
Unless tweaked by iR, those simracers used to just throwing the car around (i.e. most of us) are going to have to re-learn a lot to get the car to behave for more than a lap or two. Haven't checked the iR forum threads yet, but I'll bet there's some "concern" at the very least..

 

[Yoeri Gijsen]

I'm getting a better hold of the Ford after a second session. It's really tricky to get the car to steer in well and I don't think I will drive it without setup changes. It really seems to be a car that needs to be set up to handle properly. Braking is still somewhat of an issue, but I'm getting better.

 

[Ivo Simons]

Trying to get a handle on the tire temps. It seems what used to work for cambers is now putting the temperature gradient across the tires at 2 to 3 times what it used to be, and allowing greater pressure buildup. I'm thinking that a whole new strategy may be required, and that any scrubbing or sliding of the tires in corners is going to build up temps and pressures such that the grip will be gone (doesn't appear to affect tire wear much, though).
Unless tweaked by iR, those simracers used to just throwing the car around (i.e. most of us) are going to have to re-learn a lot to get the car to behave for more than a lap or two. Haven't checked the iR forum threads yet, but I'll bet there's some "concern" at the very least..

Good to see. I am a driver who doesnt do that. And i always find it unrealistic when i see other people do that. Especially in RACE its insane how much time you gain with that unrealistic driving and not getting any penalty for it. But i always found RACE abit arcade.
But its good to see the change is happening. Some new rFactor mods made the change already but are abit limited by the engine. Believe rFactor 2 has a massve overhaul also in terms of tires and its good to iRacing doing it also. Will make simracing again abit more realistic.

 

[Saul Boucher]

I turned a bunch of laps in the Skippy last night at Laguna. It took me a few laps to get the feel again, but man after that did I ever have fun. I must have turned laps for 2-3 hours by myself, just playing around with the few setup adjustments and getting a feel for the changes in grip and feel. One thing is for certain, I really notice the change in grip and balance characteristics when making setup adjustments.

I'm loving it, can't wait to get it on a few more cars.

 

[T_Adams]

Unless tweaked by iR, those simracers used to just throwing the car around (i.e. most of us) are going to have to re-learn a lot to get the car to behave for more than a lap or two. Haven't checked the iR forum threads yet, but I'll bet there's some "concern" at the very least..

If true, this is what ive been waiting for them to implement.

 

[Joe Hubbard]

There is also a rather large thread at iRacing about the "problem" with the road tires seeming backwards. I had thought about that as well and talked about it last night. They seem to be best on the first lap out and then drop off very rapidly after that. Instead of building up heat and gaining grip as real life road tires do. I know that if they gain to much heat they degrade and lose grip but this is something else entirely. Also I built my first setup last night all by myself (WOooHOooo just because I did it doesn't mean I understand it) and no matter what I did or changed I could not get the tire temps to even out across the board. I did manage a 2:04 with fuel but there is still something wrong. I got in the 24 fun race thing and was leading the class and went into one corner and had NO grip at all as if the rear tires fell off at the corner before. So I picked myself up and got got on track and simply stepping on the gas spun me. So I feel there is really something off with the new tire model... Don't get me wrong I do love the NTM and cars/tracks, but I feel there will be changes made to it.

 

[John Martin]

I also like the new LMP 2 car. Nimble and fast and I can brake much deeper into corner entry.

 

[Saul Boucher]

I agree Joe, I too noticed the tire temp anomaly when reviewing telemetry data.

 

[Eric Estes]

Found I could get a decent timed lap by taking the outlap very easy. I have a feeling laps 2 & 3 in the first few races are going to be very interesting, with the drastic fall off in grip after the 'sweet lap'. After that, the grip levels do seem to settle down and return a bit, as you would expect.

There are a few technical problems as noted in the thread Joe mentioned. There do seem to be some actual issues with either the model or the telemetry it produces.