rFactor 2 | SC2018x Stock Cars Released

Paul Jeffrey · Mar 23, 2021

Studio 397 have tonight released a free new car set for rFactor 2, adding the second tier SC2018x Stock Cars to the simulation via the Steam Workshop.

At 650hp, the SC2018x represents the second level of American Stock Car content within rFactor 2, slotting in as a supporting series to the previously released Stock Car 2018 and earlier Stock Car 2015 machines already available within the simulation.

rFactor 2 | SC2018x Steam Workshop: Click Here

Although the new car utilizes the same 3D model as their more powerful cousin (model updates are expected at some point in the future), the cars do look visually different from the Stock Car 2018 machines thanks to a set of new liveries that, as in stock car racing, also incorporate the front light and grill arrangement - effectively giving both models within the pack an entirely new style front end from the main series cars.

The SC2018x Stock Cars also have newly developed audio and aerodynamics compared to the top tier car, details of which can all be found in the release notes below:

SC2018x Update Notes:

New: 650 HP Engine
New: More left side weight
New: Templates created to give a different visual with the noses of the cars.
New: All new paint schemes.
New: Updated sounds (Inside and outside remixed).
New: Dirty Aero update, balanced the downforce to react more in a more realistic way.
Fixed: Smoothing issues on car bodies.
Fixed: Aero in dirty air, increasing stability and reducing ‘loose’ car behaviour.
Updated: Superspeedway draft package update.
Updated: Default road course setup.

Original Source: Studio 397.

rFactor 2 is available now, exclusive to PC.

For the latest news, or to find out answers to your most ponded questions, head over to the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment, start up a thread and get involved with the community today!

AyrtJ97 · Mar 24, 2021

henri4 said:
After reading some of the posts here, I tried it on Sebring. Surprisingly friendly handling; short lift for up shift and a little blip under braking/down shift makes this a very balanced car. Does this car have a dog clutch in real life?

I think so. I've read NASCAR cars do have dogshifts

fatal4you · Mar 24, 2021

Will Mazeo said:
You know NASCAR =/= Stock Car Brasil, right?

davehenrie · Mar 24, 2021

AyrtJ97 said:
I think so. I've read NASCAR cars do have dogshifts

4 speed Dog Ringed transmission. Requires Clutch engagement for all shifts. (afaIk)

AyrtJ97 · Mar 24, 2021

davehenrie said:
4 speed Dog Ringed transmission. Requires Clutch engagement for all shifts. (afaIk)

AFAIK, on dog ringed, H-patther transmission you only need to lift the throttle to shift gears, and clutch only on launchs. Well, at least it is what I've always read about them.

Ole Marius Myrvold · Mar 24, 2021

davehenrie said:
4 speed Dog Ringed transmission. Requires Clutch engagement for all shifts. (afaIk)

Don't need clutch for all shifts, no. That's been a talking point in some road course races in NASCAR. Also why pedal cams are less used and less interesting now than before

Usus Gecko · Mar 24, 2021

2stains said:
How is the Ai behaviour now? Did they get a nice update to go with this new content?

Feels very good on glen and silverstone

jimst57 · Mar 24, 2021

Shannon Flynn said:
www.stockcarsimracing.com[/URL] runs the rFactor 2 stock car mods 7 nights a week, and a few of the people involved in the development race there.

RedBarchetta · Mar 24, 2021

Great car but still useless on ovals

Leynad777 · Mar 24, 2021

Ardylicious said:
Are you serious? RF2 is smooth. Even on cars as robust and powerful as these, I feel i can push these cars. AMS 2 is frustrating to get right on my wheel. Its definately improving but still feels bouncy and erratic to which i am told is actually better on a belt driven wheel. It has massively improved and the new car is some of the best on AMS 2. But the information you get from game to the wheel is still an issue for me. And yes i agree the stock car comparison is overly silly, nevertheless i seem to put more time into rf2 than most. So it must say something.

It's just about what you prefer and are used to. I'm running rF2 the least these times and usually hit the Quit-botton very soon, because the cars don't drive like I'm used to. rF2 is also a title I preferred with my old Accuforce, which FFB-bounce far less. I'm already using a milder version from the granitedevices-forum because the profiles provided by rF2 I call

And when I watch onboards that show how bouncy a track really is, AMS2 is just scratching the surface. I think sim-racers have a very wrong perception about bumps, because separating graphics and physics was the trick to gain better performance and still is in charge because it kind of sucks in real life as well...

Shannon Flynn · Mar 24, 2021

Thanks Jim!
I actually bookmarked the site and FB page a month or so ago, but haven't had a chance to take action on it because the start times are cutting it tight with my work schedule. SOMEday

Aiden237 · Mar 24, 2021

If I was to make a few liveries for these would they work fine when the new models came or would I have to remake them?

=Fieldzy= · Mar 24, 2021

RedBarchetta said:
Great car but still useless on ovals

Make sure you have an oval setup as default. These are great on ovals.

Ardylicious · Mar 25, 2021

Leynad777 said:
It's just about what you prefer and are used to. I'm running rF2 the least these times and usually hit the Quit-botton very soon, because the cars don't drive like I'm used to. rF2 is also a title I preferred with my old Accuforce, which FFB-bounce far less. I'm already using a milder version from the granitedevices-forum because the profiles provided by rF2 I call

And when I watch onboards that show how bouncy a track really is, AMS2 is just scratching the surface. I think sim-racers have a very wrong perception about bumps, because separating graphics and physics was the trick to gain better performance and still is in charge because it kind of sucks in real life as well...

I totally agree about the bumps but i am not sure AMS 2 was going that way or if it was then i would call poor implementation. I did mention Sebring to show that a a track can influence driving and that is one of the best experiences on rf2. Maybe it should be more intense? But the bumps in AMS 2 just seemed erratic and a hindrance. It felt inconsistent on where you were on the track. Hey i like rally games that bash my vehicle around. Love my Wreckfest for those no nonsense bumps and crashes.

I also get my configs from Granite website and i can't complain. My moan on rf2 is more to do with everyones pet hate: BUGS.

Durge Driven · Mar 25, 2021

Virginia and these were a blast

BlaKArg · Mar 25, 2021

Ardylicious said:
I totally agree about the bumps but i am not sure AMS 2 was going that way or if it was then i would call poor implementation. I did mention Sebring to show that a a track can influence driving and that is one of the best experiences on rf2. Maybe it should be more intense? But the bumps in AMS 2 just seemed erratic and a hindrance. It felt inconsistent on where you were on the track. Hey i like rally games that bash my vehicle around. Love my Wreckfest for those no nonsense bumps and crashes.

I also get my configs from Granite website and i can't complain. My moan on rf2 is more to do with everyones pet hate: BUGS.

Yeah this was the case before with AMS2, but they've fixed the track meshes a couple of months ago and now it feels great.

I love Sebring in rF2, the bumps feel great. That and Road Atlanta are my favorite tracks in the game (and pretty much the only tracks I race on it).

Leynad777 · Mar 25, 2021

Ardylicious said:
I totally agree about the bumps but i am not sure AMS 2 was going that way or if it was then i would call poor implementation. I did mention Sebring to show that a a track can influence driving and that is one of the best experiences on rf2. Maybe it should be more intense? But the bumps in AMS 2 just seemed erratic and a hindrance. It felt inconsistent on where you were on the track. Hey i like rally games that bash my vehicle around. Love my Wreckfest for those no nonsense bumps and crashes.

I also get my configs from Granite website and i can't complain. My moan on rf2 is more to do with everyones pet hate: BUGS.

Reiza smoothed out many tracks regarding bumps and also in the FFB in case you haven't noticed and most cars don't have a 10k four-way-damper suspension setup like in modern GT3-cars, even better in GTE. Compare to ACC's erratic damper-behavior every other title feels smooth as silk from the bumps and hieve-effects.

If you take tracks like Spa and Silverstone, they are very smooth in sims and look smooth in most onboards as well, but POV-cams show a different picture and it seems, that the anti-shake-function in modern cameras do a too decent job when mounted fixed in the car...

tr1v1um · Mar 25, 2021

Leynad777 said:
Reiza smoothed out many tracks regarding bumps and also in the FFB in case you haven't noticed and most cars don't have a 10k four-way-damper suspension setup like in modern GT3-cars, even better in GTE. Compare to ACC's erratic damper-behavior every other title feels smooth as silk from the bumps and hieve-effects.

If you take tracks like Spa and Silverstone, they are very smooth in sims and look smooth in most onboards as well, but POV-cams show a different picture and it seems, that the anti-shake-function in modern cameras do a too decent job when mounted fixed in the car...

He has the cam mounted on his helmet so it's no surprise that bumps will appear in a more exaggerated way due to the gforces. Mount it onto a stable platform inside the car and it's a completely different story.

That said, you need to stop banging the horse on how much better AMS2 handles bumps in every goddamn thread. First of all it's the only sim that has that many issues with bumps and suspensions - and no, it's not a great feature - compared to any other sim on the market. You can see cars doing stuff that real cars don't do even on smoothed out tracks. It's getting better but to call AMS2 a physics benchmark at this moment is a really far stretch.

Anyway, this has nothing to do with this update.

Kenny Paton · Mar 25, 2021

tr1v1um said:
Anyway, this has nothing to do with this update

Very true, so let's get back on topic gents.

Leynad777 · Mar 26, 2021

tr1v1um said:
He has the cam mounted on his helmet so it's no surprise that bumps will appear in a more exaggerated way due to the gforces. Mount it onto a stable platform inside the car and it's a completely different story.

That said, you need to stop banging the horse on how much better AMS2 handles bumps in every goddamn thread. First of all it's the only sim that has that many issues with bumps and suspensions - and no, it's not a great feature - compared to any other sim on the market. You can see cars doing stuff that real cars don't do even on smoothed out tracks. It's getting better but to call AMS2 a physics benchmark at this moment is a really far stretch.

Anyway, this has nothing to do with this update.

I've never said that AMS2 is the benchmark regarding bumps and Raceroom has some brighter moments, but I've sat in a car with race suspension around the Nordschleife and it's not smooth like in games. The POV-cams are more showing what to expect or the onboards from Misha.

Damper technology has improved a lot in the past decades with 3-way dampers in the early 2000's, 4-way dampers now and probably 5- and 6-way dampers or fully automated ones in the future. If you get a smooth convenient ride on any track with a default unadjustable fixed suspension setup something is wrong with the game (cough, iRacing, cough). And when cars feel unprecise and vague despite highend suspension and with any setup, something is wrong as well (cough, ACC, cough).

rF2 is complex and very setup-sensitive. I would like to see some track-specific default-setups for not having to deal for hours with it before enjoying the driving.

Ryan Soucy · Mar 26, 2021

Back to the Xfinity cars: does the constant tire squealing annoy anyone else? It seemed that even taking the corners easily was triggering the skidding noise from turn in to track out.

And there's zero body roll. These cars are massive, I don't think their dampers are THAT good. It might be an rF thing, I did some laps with some highly regarded F1 mods after and there's zero suspension travel. In what you feel or what you see. It totally breaks immersion too when you see front wishbones stiff as a board.