Like a Plague, Week 13 is Back

iRacing is almost ready to start season one of 2014, but first we get to suffer through enjoy Week 13! Actually, Week 13 isn’t bad at all if you stick to hosted racing and avoid the official races like the plague. If you don’t care about your safety rating, then go ahead, hit the official races that are offered.

If you hold a license from Rookie to Class B, you could move up the ladder in time for 2014 season one, but that takes safety rating, and I’ve only lost safety rating during Week 13.

Next Level Racing Wheel Stand 2.0

Master your laps without dominating the room. The Next Level Racing Wheel Stand 2.0 stands rock-solid for direct-drive wheels, yet folds away in seconds when real life calls. Full adjustability for wheel, pedals, and shifter lets a man settle into his proper position the honest way. A clever chair cradle keeps your seat planted under hard braking, while predrilled mounts welcome Thrustmaster, Fanatec, Logitech, and the rest. Upgrade later to a full cockpit with the GTSeat add-on. Serious performance, sensible footprint—no compromises required.

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For oval racers, you can try to improve your license by running Street Stocks at these tracks:

Thrustmaster T300RS GT Steering Wheel & Pedal Set

The T300 is a proven mid-range wheel with smooth belt-driven force feedback and a responsive brushless motor for clear track feel. An 11-inch leather wheel, solid three-pedal GT set, and PS5, PS4, and PC compatibility give racers the precision to brake later, hold tighter lines, and improve lap after lap.

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• Charlotte Oval
• Charlotte Legends Oval
• Lanier, Oxford Plains, Thompson, South Boston, and USA International Speedway. You might stand a chance of a safety rating increase at the Charlotte Oval, if you’re smooth and very careful. If you run the rest of those tracks in a Street Stock, good luck. You’re going to need it.

Your iRating and your safety rating are both on the line in the official races, as listed above. Promotions take place at the end of Week 13, if you’re careful enough to get your safety rating high enough to get promoted.

The big news, of course, is the release of the Super Late Model car. According to iRacing, the 24 Hours of Fun 1 (unofficial) will feature the Super Late Model competing on seven different short tracks. The Super Late Model will also be on the New Tire Model version 5! Thank you for this iRacing. I know there will be a lot of people who disagree with me, but being wrong won’t kill them. The New Tire Model makes the current tires look like a bad joke.

Also worth mentioning on the unofficial side is the 24 Hours of Fun 4, featuring the Mazda MX5, the VW Jetta TDi, and the Pontiac Solstice all on one little track: Irwindale’s Figure 8! Demo Derby time!