iRacing’s 2020 Season 1 build is packed with new features, including an AI soft launch, new track, version 7 tires on more cars, plus a lot more. Here are some highlights:
- The Skip Barber Formula 2000 (aka the Skippy) has been rebuilt from the ground up. (Yes it’s a road car but a very popular one).
- Lernerville Speedway (Bad news for the wall riders).
- NTMv7 Tires added to additional vehicles
- AI Races – soft launch
- New Damage Model added to Dallara F3
- Incident and Penalty Updates (Bad news for the chowder heads).
- iRacing BETA Interface enhancement
iRacing Beta Interface
Overall
- Major quality updates on the iRacing beta interface haven been completed. The top menu bar has been compressed. The sidebar menu is collapsible.
- A light theme has been added, and is now the default theme for the interface. [Editorial Comment: Many years of extensive studies have proven beyond any doubt that it is easier to read text on a monitor (and on paper) when the text is dark and the background is very light. It’s a good move to switch the interface to a light theme, yet give members a choice if they want to ruin their eyes on that black background].
- Connectivity has been improved.
- Cookies are now properly created and used.
AI Racing Soft Launch
- AI racing is available through the iRacing beta interface. This soft launch is a public beta test of iRacing AI. Members will be able to provide feedback to iRacing staff. If you want to try iRacing AI, open the beta interface, click ‘Go Racing,’ then ‘AI Races.’
- You can jump in and run a single race or create your own season. You can create a customized roster of up to 60 competitors. Randomly generated rosters are available for a quick start.
- AI is currently only available on the Porsche 911 GT3 and seven road courses.
Hosted Racing
- Lap count is now shown on the race summary page.
- You can now add admins to your hosted races in the beta user interface.
- Do not count caution laps. With this option enabled, laps completed under caution will not be counted. This can only be enabled if automatic full course yellows are also enabled. This will also apply to heat races.
- Create a race has been reworked for speed and stability.
Unfortunately, iRacing has failed again to fix the GWC bug in heat racing events. This is disappointing.
The iRacing Simulation
Windows 7 SP1
Microsoft will end support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020 and iRacing will no longer support accessing the member site or running the simulation on Windows 7.
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Version Seven Tires
The new tire model will be available on the following oval vehicles:
- Legends Ford ’34 Coup (ALL)
- NASCAR Gander Outdoors Chevrolet Silverado
- NASCAR Gander Outdoors Toyota Tundra
- NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – 2018
- NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Ford Mustang
- NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Toyota Camry
- NASCAR Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado – 2013
- Street Stock
- [Archive] NASCAR Cup Chevrolet SS
- [Archive] NASCAR Cup Ford Fusion
- [Archive] NASCAR Nationwide Chevrolet Impala – 2011
- [Archive] NASCAR Sprint Cup Chevrolet Impala COT – 2013
Incidents
- Drivers can be penalized for exceeding a set number of racing incidents. Incident information can now be viewed in the F1 black box.
- All penalties on dirt ovals will be applied post-race.
Cautions
Full course cautions where caution laps do not count has been added to the iRacing simulation.
According to iRacing, the field ordering is determined at the instant the caution flag is thrown. There is no racing back to the caution. The ‘goal’ is the roll back scoring to the last completed green flag lap. I’m not sure if this is merely a ‘goal’ or if it has already been implemented in this build. Further: The leader and all the other cars are reordered according to their most recent order crossing the start/finish line. It starts to sound complicated, but those who have been to many short track races understand exactly how this works.
Cars
Dirt Sprint Cars (all)
The aerodynamic downforce and front tire tread patterns have been adjusted.
Legends Ford ’34 Coupe
- These cars now roll on new tire model version seven.
- The shocks have been updated to more recent specifications.
- The setups have been updated. [Old setups probably won’t work with these cars].
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra
- These trucks now roll on new tire model version seven.
- Hood and nose damage have been adjusted.
- Aerodynamics have been adjusted.
- The setups have been updated. [Old setups probably won’t work with these trucks].
NASCAR K&N Pro Chevrolet Impala
- Version seven tire parameters have been adjusted.
- Nose and hood damage has been adjusted.
- Aerodynamics have been adjusted.
- The setups have been updated.
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – 2018, Ford Mustang, and Toyota Camry
- These cars now roll on new tire model version seven.
- Nose and hood damage has been adjusted.
- Aerodynamics have been adjusted.
- The setups have been updated.
Street Stock
- These cars now roll on new tire model version seven.
- The setups have been updated.
Tracks
Lernerville Speedway
Lernerville Speedway is now available. This is one of the most popular dirt ovals in America and is loved by many racers and fans. Lernerville Speedway is a four tenths mile clay oval in Saver, Pennsylvania. The track first opened in 1967.
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