Qualche ora fa Studio 397 aveva pubblicato un teaser su Twitter riguardante una nuova auto, annuncio poi "rovinato" da Fanatec che con un post su Facebook aveva rivelato l'identità della vettura, la BMW M2 CS Racing. Ma adesso è ufficiale, e a darne notizia sono gli stessi sviluppatori tramite un post sul loro sito

La vettura è dotata di un motore sei cilindri S55 da 350cv, con un pacchetto per portarlo a 450cv in sviluppo, coppia massima di 550 Nm con un cambio 7 marce a doppia frizione con un software appositamente studiato per il motorsport.

La stretta collaborazione tra BMW e Studio 397 ha permetto di ricreare la vettura in ogni minimo dettaglio, sia puramente estetico sia per quanto riguarda la sua guidabilità grazie anche all'aiuto fornito dai piloti BMW Motorsport

E' possibile acquistare l'auto nell'item store su Steam al prezzo di 4,99€

 Commenti nel topic dedicato

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On the day of the release of the real car, we are proud that for our newest release we were able to team up with the race fanatics that are BMW Motorsport to bring the newest and hottest automobile from the Bavarian manufacturer to the virtual tracks everywhere in the world. Tested to perfection on the iconic Nürburgring Nordschleife, the BMW M2 CS Racing is the up and coming Cup class that will have drivers right in the action of multiclass endurance racing. Front engine – rear wheel driven, the formula for a thrilling challenge no matter where you race it!

The close collaboration with BMW Motorsport, which started already during the development and testing of the real car, meant we had full access to every aspect of the car and the performance data BMW has gathered over the last couple of months. This means not only does the car look beautiful, being created based on the actual CAD data for the exterior, interior and suspension, but it drives just like the real one. We faithfully recreated every setting that you can use to setup the car and by comparing telemetry with that on our laser scanned tracks, we validated all aspects of suspension, engine and gearbox behavior. During these development iterations, we also had the BMW Motorsport drivers helping us with testing and validating the physics, so all the ingredients are there for an enjoyable time behind the steering wheel!

Some technical details about the car. It is based on the F87 M2, with 3.0L turbo engine producing 550 Nm of torque and 350 horsepower. Those figures might seem low on paper compared to many modern street legal sports cars, but this car is built specifically for track usage, and BMW made sure acceleration from corner exit is more than good, with a flat engine power curve from 5000 rpm, up to almost 7000 rpm. Mid-corner, the M2’s well known agility is kept in check by a set of four 285 mm wide slicks on 18″ rims. Dry weight is 1535 kg, supported by track oriented adjustable dampers and a few sets of stiff springs. Both front and rear anti-roll bars are adjustable (2 options for each). Stopping power is provided by beefed up, lightweight 6 piston (front) and 4 piston (rear) calipers combined with 380 mm discs all around and ABS system tuned specifically for track usage. Traction control is also available, with a dedicated preset for dry and wet conditions, or can be turned completely off. To improve torque transfer to the rear tyres, the car has a proper racing plate-type Limited Slip Differential. Aerodynamics have also been optimized, with front splitter and adjustable rear wing at the back.

The car is for sale in rFactor 2 now and you can find it here. Enjoy the drive!

David Perel, pilota reale nel campionato Blancpain GT e grande appassionato di simracing, ha pubblicato un nuovo e spettacolare video di confronto diretto fra la realtà della pista di Barcellona, a bordo della sua Ferrari 488 GT3, il simulatore americano iRacing ed Assetto Corsa Competizione della Kunos Simulazioni.

E' notizia della scorsa settimana: Need for Speed Heat ha stabilito un nuovo record di vendite nei primi 7 giorni di disponibilità su PC, PS4 e Xbox One. L'ultimo capitolo del racing arcade di Electronic Arts ha infatti superato i risultati fatti registrare da qualsiasi altro episodio, che pur aveva venduto tantissimo, ovvero nell'ordine Need for Speed: Rivals, Need for Speed: No Limits, Need for Speed (2015) e Need for Speed Payback.

Need for Speed Heat è il classico racing arcade, divertente, per certi versi spettacolare, caratterizzato da alcune idee interessanti, come l'alternanza fra le gare diurne e notturne, i fattori di guadagno di denaro o reputazione, una mappa grandissima, tanti eventi di gioco, un tuning auto portato all'estremo e la tipica grafica scintillante e d'effetto dei titoli di questo tipo. A quanto sembra dalle vendite, invece, la trama di gioco insulsa e a tratti ridicola, non interessa più di tanto ai giocatori.

Ma come si può spiegare un successo del genere, o le vendite ancora maggiori di titoli sim-arcade come Forza Horizon 4 o GT Sport, soprattutto se andiamo a confrontarle con quelle dei nostri amatissimi simulatori di guida, che nella migliore delle ipotesi arrivano a raggiungere un paio di milioni di copie vendute?

E' vero che titoli sim-arcade come Gran Turismo Sport o F1 2019 possono contare su campagne promozionali colossali ed eventi esport altrettanto giganteschi, che naturalmente spingono non poco le vendite, ma il divario numerico fra titoli simili ed i vari iRacing, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Racerooom, AC Competizione e gli altri "duri e puri" sembra essere eccessivo. Non dovrebbero questi ultimi offrire un'esperienza di guida molto più eccitante ed appagante per gli utenti?

Il primo problema è proprio questo: la guida!
Il simulatore più accurato richiede quasi obbligatoriamente l'uso di periferiche di guida adeguate allo scopo, per sentire nel modo giusto la vettura, controllarla in modo adeguato e anche "di fino" e quindi riuscire a raggiungere il limite. Guidare un iRacing, rFactor 2 o AC Competizione con la tastiera e con un joystick significa perdere il 99,9% dell'esperienza che questi titoli sono in grado di offrire. Di fatto avere fra le mani un buon volante ed una buona pedaliera è obbligatorio e non tutti possono permetterselo, per motivi di costi, spazio, tempo da dedicarci e cosi via. Ancora oggi sono tanti i possibili piloti virtuali andati persi, semplicemente per mancanza di periferiche!

Il secondo fattore in gioco è il tempo.
Se un sim-arcade è studiato per essere immediatamente accessibile, riuscendo ad andare in pista praticamente dopo pochi minuti, un simulatore richiede invece un investimento in termini di tempo decisamente importante, visto che spesso servono alcune ore solo per regolare al meglio il force feedback, fondamentale per sentire la vettura in pista! Bisogna poi comprendere e regolare al meglio le impostazioni del menu di gioco, una volta in pista occorrono ore ed ore, se non addirittura giorni, per iniziare a sfruttare al meglio la vettura, ovviamente dopo aver imparato la pista... Non tutti hanno il tempo per poter intraprendere questo percorso inizialmente molto ripido.

Il fattore "brand", inteso come marchio e nome ormai famosi e la pubblicità.
Gran Turismo è un nome noto persino alle massaie ormai e gode di campagne pubblicitarie e promozionali faraoniche, che raggiungono praticamente tutti. Basta guardare la recente finale mondiale GT Sport di Monaco, con la presenza addirittura di Lewis Hamilton! Il semplice appassionato di motori è facilmente stregato dal bombardamento del "real driving simulator", è quasi impossibile resistere al suo fascino.
Per chi invece segue la Formula 1, è impossibile sfuggire alla pubblicità di Codemasters e del suo F1 2019, per il quale è pronto ed impacchettato in modo spettacolare persino il sogno del campionato virtuale ufficiale F1 Esport: compri la tua copia del gioco, metti il disco nella Playstation e con un bel pad ti trasformi in Lewis o Seb...
Per contro, il "vero" simulatore, che sia un iRacing, rFactor 2 o AC Competizione, bisogna andarselo a cercare, non si tratta di un nome conosciuto (nel senso di conosciuto alla massa) ed anche se spesso gode di un'ottima promozione legata al motorsport reale (basta pensare ad Assetto Corsa Competizione con il Blancpain GT o iRacing con la Nascar), o di eventi esport ad esso collegato, il target di pubblico è comunque limitato ad una cerchia ristretta di appassionati del settore.

Il fattore dispersione utenti.
Se aprendo un GT Sport, si trovano già li tutti i giocatori del globo, pronti a correre con noi, senza bisogno di fare ricerche o perder tempo nel capire cosa ci conviene fare per divertirci al meglio, il mondo della simulazione di guida è ormai una immensa giungla variegata di siti web, tornei, campionati, gruppi e pagine social, gare e garette, eventi esport grandi e piccoli, grazie alle quali i già pochi utenti si disperdono in modo infinitesimale...
In parte fa eccezione iRacing, che è un mondo chiuso ed è un servizio più che solo un software, ma anche nell'ambito del sim americano, oltre a partecipare agli eventi ufficiali, è possibile andare a correre in decine di campionati, tornei e gare organizzati da appassionati o team privati. 

Il problema del modding.
I mods (ovvero i contenuti aggiuntivi - auto, piste, utility - creati dagli appassionati) sono un problema? Ma se ampliano in modo spesso smisurato il nostro simulatore preferito! Verissimo, com'è altrettanto vero che, a causa dei contenuti rubati da atri titoli o creati senza licenze ed autorizzazioni, rappresentano un enorme problema per i simulatori stessi e per le software house che li producono. Per non parlare poi del fatto che molti di questi mods, se non la maggior parte di essi, sono semplicemente lavori di qualità scarsa o infima, che non solo non offrono nulla di più all'utente, ma spesso lo danneggiano: crash del gioco, problemi grafici, perdita di compatibilità con i server online e via discorrendo. Se iRacing ed AC Competizione hanno chiuso la porta al modding ci sarà pure un motivo...
Il modding di qualità, ancor meglio quello che richiede un contributo un denaro agli utenti (perchè è giusto pagare il lavoro e la qualità!), rappresenta effettivamente un importante valore aggiunto per un titolo, ma allo stesso tempo potrà rappresentare un qualche tipo di problema per gli utenti meno competenti di PC, tra installazioni da fare nel modo corretto, versioni diverse che possono creare conflitti sui server online e cosi via.

Il problema dell'hardware, nei suoi duplici aspetti di costo e semplicità d'uso.
E' presto detto: una Playstation 4 o qualsiasi altra console, costa relativamente poco ed è utilizzabile praticamente da chiunque senza il minimo problema. Per contro una console non è adatta a gestire un simulatore complesso, per le sue limitate capacità di calcolo. Dall'altra parte abbiamo il simulatore che equivale a dire personal computer: costo molto più elevato (un gaming PC decente oscilla intorno agli 800 euro, quasi il triplo di una console!), centinaia di configurazioni diverse, fra processori, schede madri, schede video, per concludere con quello che spesso è il dramma del binomio scaturito da sistema operativo e driver... Per non parlare della VR, che richiede ore se non giorni di configurazione!
Bisogna poi far funzionare il tutto e nel migliore dei modi col proprio sim preferito e non è detto che comprando un PC già pronto e configurato ci saremo tolti ogni pensiero: prima o poi arriverà un aggiornamento di Windows, un nuovo driver della scheda video o un update del simulatore stesso a mescolare, a volte completamente, le carte in tavola. Si intuisce quindi che lo scoglio della difficoltà rappresentato da un PC è spesso il motivo per il quale la massa si orienta sulla console.

Lo scoglio della semplicità del racing online.
Avete mai provato a girare online su console con Gran Turismo Sport, F1 2019 o un qualsiasi Forza? In 5 secondi siete in pista contro altri concorrenti. E' vero che le opzioni e possibilità lato server sono molto limitate e bisogna accontentarsi, ma non solo è tutto molto immediato, è ancora di più semplice!
Il racing online con un simulatore su PC è tutt'altra storia: bisogna sapere cosa c'è da fare e come farlo, tra menu più complicati, opzioni da definire, server da cercare e casomai, quando finalmente si arriva in gara, qualche incapace ci butta fuori alla prima curva!
iRacing rappresenta naturalmente un'eccezione, ma sicuramente non è per la massa, con un numero di utenti ancora molto limitato, seppur di altissima qualità. Una strada e soluzione interessante può essere quella di Assetto Corsa Competizione, con il suo sistema integrato e globale di rating, ma anche in questo caso si tratta di una qualità che va ben compresa dall'utente. 

Il problema delle competenze tecniche ed ingegneristiche del pilota.
In un sim-arcade il setup vettura non riveste un'importanza fondamentale, anche perchè le variazioni di assetto impattano in modo minimo sulle prestazioni e poi tutti i titoli mettono a disposizione varie opzioni già pronte ed intutitive, senza bisogno di doversi sporcare le mani di grasso...
Per guidare con performance di livello un simulatore di guida bisogna necessariamente conoscere aspetti tecnici del veicolo, comportamento a livello di fisica e dinamica del mezzo, almeno le basi dell'ingegneria applicata all'assetto dell'auto, anche perchè, quando si arriva al limite, avere un buon setup fa decisamente la differenza, anche se di pochi decimi!
Con un simulatore di guida, oltre che piloti, bisogna anche essere meccanici ed ingegneri, soprattutto se si vuole andare davvero forte e vincere. E' vero che in tempi recenti anche i sim offrono setup preimpostati davvero ottimi, ma è altrettanto vero che perfezionare e cucirsi addosso un assetto già pronto può fare una grande differenza.

Il fattore strategia e concentrazione del pilota.
Se nei racing arcade sono praticamente nulli, nei titoli sim-arcade variabili come strategia e concentrazione sono decisamente poco importanti, se non superflui: le gare sono normalmente molto brevi, quindi si va all'attacco sin dalla prima curva come dei forsennati, mentre se si commette un errore si potrà ripetere da capo la gara o comunque le conseguenze saranno scarse.
Un pilota reale una volta mi ha detto: "Nel simracing è più difficile che nella realtà! In pista virtuale ho tutti avversari fortissimi, quindi devo essere concentrato al mille per cento in ogni momento e senza pause, inoltre nella pista vera per la strategia mi affido al mio ingegnere che mi dice quello che devo fare, come farlo e nel momento giusto, invece davanti al monitor devo fare tutto io da solo... da diventare matto!". Praticamente il riassunto perfetto di quanto è difficile fare il simdriver!
Bisogna anche aggiungere che mentre nella realtà gli stimoli sensoriali sono molteplici, al simulatore le informazioni che ci arrivano sono molto limitate (di solito vista e feedback dello sterzo),  quindi la nostra concentrazione non solo dovrà sempre essere al massimo, ma dovrà spesso focalizzare anche i particolari più insignificanti. E' anche per questo che di solito un pilota virtuale messo alla guida di un'auto reale non avrà quasi problemi, anzi sarà veloce sin dall'inizio. Il discorso strategia è naturalmente molto soggettivo ed è bene affinarla un poco per volta, con eventi di durata e complessità crescente.

Il fattore competenza da pilota.
Con un sim-arcade si va in pista da subito senza problemi, sarà il gioco e casomai gli aiuti alla guida, spesso invisibili, a darci una grossa mano ed a farci sentire da subito - erroneamente - dei grandi piloti...
Un simdriver deve invece conoscere le corrette tecniche di guida in pista, concetti come la traiettoria e la scia, il punto di staccata e l'uscita di curva, persino le differenze di approccio da mettere in atto a seconda del tipo di vettura: una trazione anteriore non si può certamente guidare come una posteriore, una possente GT a motore centrale è un'altro pianeta rispetto ad una monoposto. Il software non ci aiuterà, dovremo essere noi a comportarci nel modo corretto e se non sappiamo farlo, dovremo impararlo. Ovvero girare, girare ed ancora girare.
E' bene ricordare in proposito che quando vediamo un pilota in pole position girare 4 secondi più veloce di noi, vorrà dire che solo 1, forse uno e mezzo di quei secondi, saranno merito di un setup cucito a pennello sullo stile di guida del pilota, ma tutti gli altri dovremo metterceli noi: vuol dire che stiamo sbagliando, di grosso, noi, traiettorie, staccate, uso dei pedali e cosi via!

La necessaria conoscenza dei regolamenti!
Raramente ci si pensa, ma nel simracing conoscere davvero bene il regolamento e le norme, sia della gara o torneo virtuale che stiamo disputando, sia in generale quelle che riguardano il motorsport, incluso quello virtuale, può spesso fare la differenza fra una vittoria ed una sonora sconfitta.
E' obbligatoria la sosta ai box? Bisogna cambiare gomme e persino il tipo di mescola? Qual'è la velocità massima da tenere in pit lane? Qual'è la procedura da tenere in caso di partenza lanciata? Come mi devo comportare in caso di doppiaggio? E' previsto un briefing prima dell'evento in pista?
A tutte queste e molte altre domande, un pilota virtuale, anche alle prime armi, deve essere in grado di darsi una risposta, per non incorrere in penalità, sanzioni o semplicemente... in una sconfitta!

Quindi il simracing di quanto può crescere? E può farlo davvero?

Le problematiche e questioni da risolvere, per dare al nostro amato simracing il giusto palcoscenico, sono certamente numerose ed ad alcune di queste non possiamo di certo noi, dare soluzione. Per contro alcuni fattori che pesano come macigni sulla nostra disciplina saranno risolti con il tempo o da esterni: ad esempio, è lecito pensare - e sperare - che con il progresso tecnologico i PC diverranno sempre più semplici, intuitivi da usare e con sempre meno problemi. Ma allora siamo in balia del tempo, di chissà chi e della speranza?

No, in realtà c'è qualcosa che tutti noi possiamo fare per il simracing e quindi anche per noi stessi, se non vogliamo ritrovarci in pista sempre con gli stessi avversari. Invece di polemizzare sui forum o sui social, litigare per un incidente di troppo, parteggiare per questo o quel software, dobbiamo darci da fare per far capire il simracing a tutti quelli che sono all'esterno di questo mondo, e casomai lo considerano o valutano nel modo sbagliato, dobbiamo essere noi i primi "ambasciatori di simracing"! Una spinta dall'interno verso l'esterno può essere più potente di qualsiasi campagna promozionale!

Volete un fantastico esempio? E' recentissimo: il simracing apparso sul sito di ACI Sport, ovvero l'ente nazionale che si occupa di automobilismo! Vero è che probabilmente ACI ha iniziato a sentire odore di business, ma dobbiamo essere bravi e capaci tutti a sfruttare questa occasione ed indirizzare le energie del simracing nella giusta direzione. Marco, Cristiano, Andrea, Danilo, Daniele e Maurizio sono partiti benissimo, aiutiamoli e sosteniamoli anche tutti noi!

Un trucco molto semplice per svolgere il nostro ruolo di "promoter" nel migliore dei modi, è quello di non cominciare col parlare dello spettacolo delle gare online, del realismo dei software o delle emozioni alla guida virtuale, ma spiegare e far capire con chiarezza che il simracing, il mondo della simulazione di guida, è solo un parente del sim-arcade: la guida simulata e tutto ciò che vi gira intorno, regala a chi ci si appassiona delle competenze importantissime, ottenute fra l'altro mentre ci si diverte!

Il simracing è un percorso di apprendimento graduale e crescita personale, non già solamente in ambito di tecnica di guida, ma in tutti quei settori che sono correlati allo sviluppo di un buon pilota virtuale: studio, conoscenza, concentrazione, capacità di analisi, pazienza, lavoro per raggiungere obiettivi, correttezza e serietà... Non tutti, forse, diventeremo grandi piloti, ma di sicuro saremo un pò di più uomini migliori. Se lo facciamo sapere in giro, il simracing sarà protagonista di una marcia inarrestabile!

Il simpatico Scott Mansell, conosciuto come Driver61, ci parla in questo suo nuovo video della sua prima gara su un simulatore, iRacing in questo caso, e di cosa ha imparato riguardo la vettura e il simulatore in modo che anche noi possiamo mettere in pratica i suoi consigli per diventare più veloci!

La Sector3 Studios ha annunciato l'arrivo di una nuova vettura ad alte prestazioni per il suo simulatore di guida Raceroom Racing Experience. 

Dire semplicemente che si tratta di una vettura ad alte prestazioni forse è poco, probabilmente sarebbe meglio dire che si tratta di una vera e propria belva visto che stiamo parlando della Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport. Questo è il modello più potente mai costruito da Porsche tra le non legali per la circolazione su strada. Gli sviluppatori sono estremamente orgogliosi di essere riusciti per primi a mettere le mani su questo modello ed inserirlo in una simulazione di corse. 

In parole povere, si tratta di un'auto da corsa chiavi in mano creata appositamente per le giornate in pista e gli eventi Clubsport sulle piste di tutte il mondo. Sono stati creati solo 200 esemplari in tutto il mondo. Di seguito le caratteristiche tecniche della vettura:

• Length: 4.743m
• Wheelbase: 2.457m
• Carbon fibre body panels
• Strut suspension front and rear
• Weight (with driver): 1475kg
• Engine: 3.8L flat-6 twin turbo
• Power: 700hp at 7000rpm
• Torque: 750nm from 2500-4500rpm
• Gearbox: 7-speed paddle shift
• Motorsport ABS
• Motorsport Traction control

Fateci sapere cosa ne pensate di quest'auto sul forum. 

Milestone ha annunciato tramite un teaser di venticinque secondi il nuovo RIDE, che giunge quindi al quarto capitolo.

L'ultimo capitolo dell'amato franchise dei fan delle due ruote uscirà nel 2020. Al momento di questo annuncio, non sono state rese note le nuove caratteristiche tecniche del titolo, ma sappiamo che RIDE 4 mira ad essere il sandbox definitivo per tutti gli appassionati di moto, con un livello di realismo e di precisione mai visti prima. Il nuovo capitolo, inoltre, includerà diverse nuove funzionalità inedite per la serie.

La serie RIDE conta oltre 1,5 milioni di giocatori che condividono la stessa passione per le corse motociclistiche. Infine, Milestone ha annunciato anche una partnership con la Yamaha Moto, la quale con ogni probabilità prevede emozionanti attività digitali e in-store per la community. Anche in merito a ciò, non sono state per ora rese note ulteriori informazioni.

Siete rimasti stupiti da questo annuncio? Fatecelo sapere sul forum. 

Drew Adamson, produttore multimediale di iRacing, ha rilasciato un video tutorial in cui ci spiega come creare delle "Custom Spec Maps" per la verniciatura delle proprie skins.

La nuova funzione Custom Spec Maps consente ai membri di iRacing di aggiungere elementi come materiali cromati, metallici e opachi alla vernice delle auto.

Da adesso potete quindi sbizzarrirvi ancora di più rispetto a prima nel creare la vostra skin preferita grazie a questi nuovi dettagli. Cosa ne pensate? Fatecelo sapere sul forum. 

Inizia la Week 13 su iRacing e come di consueto arrivano le note della nuova build, e c'è tantissima carne al fuoco!

Partiamo dalla portata principale: la IA. Un annuncio che ha lasciato moltissime persone a bocca aperta, in pochi si sarebbero aspettati un'aggiunta del genere date le ultimissime dichiarazioni circa l'IA che non lasciavano pensare ad un rilascio così improvviso. Gli sviluppatori lo definiscono un lancio "soft", solo un'auto (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) e 7 tracciati (Barber Motorsports Park, Barcelona, Donington, Lime Rock Park, Nurburgring GP Strecke, Road America e Watkins Glen). Si potrà gareggiare in due modalità: gara singola o campionato, e la IA sarà ovviamente personalizzabile a partire dal livello di difficoltà passando per aggressività, età e abilità al pit. Essendo un lancio soft potrebbero esserci dei bug, ma gli sviluppatori promettono che se tutto andrà bene presto potrebbero lanciare la IA con la NASCAR Cup Car e su circuiti ovali. Gli stessi sviluppatori inoltre sono convinti che questa sia la IA più intelligente contro la quale si possa gareggiare oggi.

Ma non solo IA: come annunciato in diversi articoli sono presenti anche le nuove Ford Mustang GT e Holden ZB Commodore, la nuova Skip Barber e il rescan di Lime Rock Park e il Lernerville Speedway

Inoltre la Dallara F3 ha adesso il nuovo damage model e molte nuove auto sono state aggiornate al tyre model NTMv7.

Ma non è finita qui, le note per questa build sono infinite e le trovate in calce, questi sopraelencati sono solo alcuni dei nuovi aggiornamenti.

Cosa ne pensate? Sicuramente un gran modo per cominciare la nuova stagione, fatecelo sapere nei commenti o nel topic dedicato

Quote

This season release includes a soft launch of AI Races, three new cars, two new tracks, more V7 Tires, and plenty more to keep you busy! Welcome to iRacing 2020 Season 1!

Some highlights include:
• Supercars Ford Mustang GT
• Supercars Holden ZB Commodore
• Skip Barber Formula 2000 - re-built from the ground up!
• Lernerville Speedway
• Lime Rock Park - re-built from the ground up!
• AI Races - soft launch
• V7 Tires added to additional vehicles
• New Damage Model added to Dallara F3
• Incident and Penalty Updates
• Custom Vehicle Spec Maps
• Updated Crowds
• iRacing BETA Interface Changes
• Much more!

Full 2020 Season 1 Release details are below.

iRACING BETA INTERFACE:

Overall

- Some big quality of life updates have been completed on the iRacing BETA Interface!
- - The top menu bar has been adjusted and compressed. Many of the options have been re-organized slightly, and many are now located in a menu that appears when you click on your helmet in the top-right corner.
- - A direct link to the Member Forums as well as to the Classic Membersite can be found in this menu.
- - The side bar menu at the left is now collapsible.

- Light Theme!
- - A brand new Light Theme has been added to the iRacing BETA Interface.
- - The Light Theme is now the default for the iRacing BETA Interface.
- - - To switch back to the Dark Theme, click on your helmet in the top-right corner, and select Dark Theme.

- Connectivity throughout the iRacing BETA Interface has been improved.
- - User authentication for logging in and connecting has been made exponentially faster!
- - Data authentication has been simplified, and is more stable.

- Improved sizing performance on modal windows.

- Cookies are now properly created and used across the application.

AI Races - Soft Launch

- AI Races are now available through the iRacing BETA Interface!
- - This soft launch of AI Races is designed to give you a taste of what we've been working on, and to help us with additional feedback!
- - Click on "Go Racing" and then "AI Races" to start competing against fully customizable racers with artificial intelligence!

- AI Races includes a variety of functionality and customization for you to enjoy.
- - Jump right in, and run a Single AI Race against a Roster of AI Drivers.
- - Craft your very own AI Season of events, earn championship points, and try to claim the top spot of the podium.
- - Create a Roster of up to 60 AI Drivers to compete against; including custom paint jobs, adjustable driver personalities, customizable racing skills, and much more.
- - - Please note that using over 40 AI Drivers may have an impact on frame rates as well as cause some quirky AI Driver behavior.
- - Use randomly generated Rosters to get on track against AI Drivers quickly; you might even see some familiar names out on the track.
- - Use iRacing supplied Official AI Seasons, and coming soon: iRacing supplied Official AI Rosters!
- - Share your custom built AI Seasons and Rosters with other iRacers - see who is the master of the bots!
- - Adjust the challenge and difficulty of the AI Drivers to help you train and improve your racing.
- - - The default Driver Skill range is set to 25% - 50%. This should be a good place to start for an average driver.
- - - We recommend a Driver Skill spread (the difference between maximum and minimum) of about 30% for the best racing experience.

- AI Races are currently available using the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (991).

- AI Races are currently available on the following Track Configurations:
- - Barber Motorsports Park - Full Course
- - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - Grand Prix
- - Donington Park Racing Circuit - Grand Prix
- - Lime Rock Park - Classic
- - Nürburgring Grand-Prix-Strecke - Grand Prix
- - Road America - Full Course
- - Watkins Glen International - Cup

- Please keep in mind, this is a soft launch of this feature. We are very excited to get your feedback, and look forward to optimizing, updating, and adding much more to AI Races in the future.

Create a Race

- You can now add Race Admins to user-created races.

- Lap count is now shown on the Create a Race Summary page.

- New Create a Race Options have been added:
- - Consecutive Cautions Restart Single File
- - - When a Caution is triggered immediately following a previous Caution period, the subsequent Caution restart is single file.
- - Wave-Around
- - If enabled, during the Caution period, lap cars that stayed out during pit stops to receive the Wave-Around will be allowed to do so when the "1 to Go" signal is displayed. Lap cars pacing behind the leader will be shuffled to the back.
- - Do Not Count Caution Laps
- - - Laps completed while the Caution flag is displayed will not be counted towards the number of event laps completed. This option cannot be enabled unless Automatic Full Course Yellows is also enabled.
- - - This Race Option has also been added to Heat Racing configurations for any Heat Races in the race weekend.

- When you finish Create a Race, the interface now properly redirects you to the proper view to see your newly created race.

- You can now easily select content you do not own.

- In "All Steps" view, when returning from Time Limit Details or Heat Session modal windows, you are now returned to the step from which you left.

- Create a Race has been overhauled for stability and speed.

- Fixed an issue where Hardcore Level was not defaulting to the correct setting.

- Fixed an issue where the Back button was not visible when creating a League Session.

- Fixed an issue where a Session with a Qualifier could have the time be zero minutes.

- Fixed an issue where wind speed would not be converted properly when set as KPH.

- Fixed an issue where sorting compact tables was not functional.

Time Attack

- Fixed an issue where users were unable to race against people who have completed laps.

Results

- When sorting results by date, results are now sorted by both date AND time for optimum ordering.

Friends List

- Friends List has been updated for stability and speed.

- The format for date and time for offline friends has been updated.

- Fixed an issue with the vertical height of the Friends List when searching.

Leagues

- Searching for Leagues has been vastly improved!
- - League Size and Culture settings are now optional search parameters.

- What a user is allowed to see while browsing a League now follows the privacy settings of that League.

- League creation dates are now displayed correctly.

- Accepting a League invitation no longer temporarily creates two Leagues of the same name in your Leagues view.

Maintenance Messaging

- Downtime, maintenance, and important notifications will now appear in a maintenance messaging bar at the top of the interface.
- - When active, clicking on the message will open your web browser to the iRacing.com Membersite Forums - Staff Announcements page where you can learn more about the message.

Protest

- Members may now access the Protest form from within the iRacing BETA Interface.
- - Users can access this new modal window from either the Race Results screen, or from the Help & Support modal window. This form lives directly within the iRacing BETA Interface; no need to head to the Classic Membersite.

iRACING SIMULATION:

Windows 7 SP1

- This is a reminder that Microsoft will be ending support for Windows 7 on January 14th, 2020. At that time, iRacing will no longer support accessing the Membersite or running the Simulation on the Windows 7 operating system.
- - If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact Customer Support at support@iracing.com.

Rallycross Racing

- The collidable blue tire bundles have been removed from Rallycross track turn centers and have been replaced with blue "turtle" curbs, like those used at Charlotte - Roval.

Weather

- With Dynamic Weather enabled, cloud cover may now change density over time, which can ultimately change the selected weather cloud status. This may be most noticeable in sessions that span a longer simulated time, where, for example, partly cloudy may become cloudy or clear.

V7 Tires

- V7 Tires have been enabled on the following vehicles:
- - Formula Renault 2.0
- - Formula Renault 3.5
- - Global Mazda MX-5 Cup
- - Kia Optima
- - 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
- - Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car (991)
- - Street Stock
- - Supercars Ford Mustang GT
- - Supercars Holden ZB Commodore
- - VW Jetta TDI Cup
- - [Archive] Ford Falcon FG V8
- - [Archive] Holden VF Commodore V8
- - [Archive] Mazda MX-5 Cup - 2015
- - [Archive] Mazda MX-5 Roadster - 2015
- - [Archive] NASCAR Cup Chevrolet SS
- - [Archive] NASCAR Cup Ford Fusion
- - [Archive] NASCAR Nationwide Chevrolet Impala - 2011
- - [Archive] NASCAR Sprint Cup Chevrolet Impala COT - 2013
- - [Archive] V8 Supercar Ford Falcon - 2012

- Off-track grip has been reduced slightly.

New Damage Model

- New Damage Model has been enabled on the Dallara F3!

- With this build, we have concentrated on stability and quality improvements along with an overhaul of how the sound system integrates with the New Damage Model.

- Stability Improvements:
- - Transitions from Session to Session are now stable.
- - Moving to and from the garage is now stable.
- - Wheel-to-wheel contact and damage is now stable.

- Quality Improvements:
- - The appearance of scrapes, scratches, and debris has been improved. Damage should now look more appropriate given the materials of the parts and the damaged areas.
- - The force required to trigger an incident due to track hits has been adjusted.
- - The interaction between driver tires and the driving surfaces has been updated to improve handling of irregular geometry such as aggressive curbs.
- - Suspension damage has been adjusted; suspension will now bend within more reasonable parameters.
- - Objects and opponent cars will now more often run at 60hz for improved performance.

- Sound Improvements:
- - The audio system now supports playing many more scrape sounds, is more efficient, has lower triggering thresholds, and much more!
- - The threshold for triggering "medium" and "hard" impact sounds has been increased to increase sound diversity and realism.
- - Crash sounds have been offset forward by a meter to stop DirectSound from always pushing the sounds to the center-front speaker.
- - Fixed an issue where scrape sounds were not loud enough in Replays.
- - Fixed issues with sounds related to hard curb impacts and medium concrete impacts.

Incidents

- Drivers may now incur a pit road penalty when exceeding a set number of incidents.
- - Penalties for exceeding incident limits can be set to penalize every N incidents, or for the first N incidents then again for each M incidents.
- - If the incident limit for DQ is set, then pit road penalties stop being issued at that point and the driver is disqualified.
- - - Incident limits for pit road penalties must be lower than the incident limit for DQ if the DQ setting is in use.
- - Additional penalty time will be imposed if pit service is taken during a pit road penalty.
- - For the Classic Membersite Create a Hosted Session interface, this new setting may be found in the OPTIONAL SETTINGS section.

- Dynamic incident information has been added to the F1 black box.

- Cars that have taken the Checkered Flag should no longer be penalized or disqualified for causing incidents. However, the Simulator will continue to count incidents as usual.

- All penalties are now applied post-race for any event that never allows pit service, such as rallycross and dirt oval racing.
- - This change adds this behavior to dirt oval racing, where getting into the pits can be very difficult to do safely. In other words, if we do not have a proper pit lane and pit crew, in-race penalties will not be used.

- More descriptive text has been added to the Info tab for Incident Limit.
- - The text now reads “Incident Count DQ Limit:".

Cautions

- Some new features have been added regarding full-course cautions:
- - You can now separately specify whether or not lap(s)-down cars get waved around the pace car to get a lap back when nearing the end of a full-course caution period.
- - You can now separately specify that a single-file restart should be used on the second and subsequent caution periods without an intervening complete green-flag lap, even if a double-file restart would have otherwise been used.

- A new caution mode has been added: Full-Course Cautions where Caution Laps Do Not Count as Race Laps.
- - This caution mode is modeled after short-track oval racing, where laps under caution are not counted, though it is not intended to exactly mirror any particular series' set of rules.
- - Full-Course Cautions where Caution Laps do not count functions as follows:
- - - At the instant the caution flag is flown, the field ordering is determined (there is no racing back to the line). One goal is to roll-back scoring to the prior completed lap, thus undoing any passing that might have occurred during the lap that brings out the caution. This is accomplished as follows:
- - - - The lead contender on track and all cars on track behind them to the S/F line are reordered as to their most recent lap crossing. Laps are no longer scored for this set of cars until the green flag following the caution period.
- - - - The cars on track behind the S/F line backwards to the lead contender on track are reordered as to their most recent lap crossing, and placed behind the other group. These cars will have their next lap crossing under caution scored, thus preventing them from going a lap-down. A disabled car that does not make it back to the line will not be awarded this lap. These laps will be scored so as to preserve how they are sorted into the pace field. Subsequent laps for these cars while under caution are not scored.
- - - - Any cars not on track when the caution flies will be placed at the back of the field when they exit the pits, and will not have any laps scored during the caution period.
- - - If the selected restart setting (single file, double file, etc.) indicates that lapped cars are to go to the back of the field for the restart, and lapped cars will not get a wave-around to un-lap themselves as the caution is ending, then lapped cars will be placed into the initial pace order behind cars that are on the lead lap. Since laps under caution are not being scored, these cars will be directed to fall-back behind the lead lap cars, as opposed to passing the pace car to catch up to the end of the field. When nearing the end of the caution period, lapped cars that have become co-mingled with lead lap cars due to pitting will again be directed to fall-back and let the lead lap cars by.
- - With this new caution mode enabled, fuel is NOT consumed during these potential extra laps.

- For the Classic Membersite Create a Hosted Session interface, the old caution selection drop down has been removed and replaced with two new checkboxes for Automatic Full-Course cautions, and for enabling Lucky Dog rule.
- - The new setting to enabled Caution Laps Do Not Count may be found in the CAUTIONS section.
- - The new setting to restart single file when one caution is followed immediately by another caution is in the RESTARTS section.

Rendering

- SDR rendering now uses a linear format frame buffer. Previously, unless HDR was enabled in the graphics options, the frame buffer was always gamma encoded. This encoding resulted in mathematically incorrect blends when compositing to the frame buffer. Earlier this year we released improved linear frame buffers, which avoids this issue, but only when HDR was enabled. Now we switched SDR to also be linear! It may be a tiny bit more expensive, but now it blends correctly in both SDR and HDR, and it speeds up our development process going forward.
- - This change may affect the appearance of some things that composite in the frame buffer, like track surface detail decals, or effects. We are still in the process of re-tuning some of them.

- Improved the appearance of the sky where it meets the horizon.

- Reduced the amounts that reflectors sparkle with large blooms in the distance.

- Refined the windshield reflection algorithm.

- Added the support to display extra detail layers to several of our night mode GPU shaders.

- Altered the solar specular color to be whiter at higher solar angles.

- Fixed a crashing issue at night tracks with night shadows maps enabled.

- Fixed an issue where the solar bloom would not appear when the camera was moved far from the track’s center position.

- Fixed an issue with lighting sometimes appearing dark blue (at daytime) in one direction only, when shadow maps were disabled.

- Fixed an issue with the specular reflection color of the sun on dirt tracks.

Visual Effects

- The depth of field effect has been updated.

- Sparks are now colorized based on the material that is casting them.

Audio

- The sound system now crossfades between microphones whenever the camera changes, to smooth out the sound between the cameras.
- - In-car and on-car mics' crossfade over 0.1 seconds for a quick but smooth transition, while TV cameras crossfade over 0.35 seconds for a more noticeable blend that is not too dramatic.

- Fixed some issues with opponent car engine sounds not playing correctly from in-cockpit cameras.

- Fixed an issue where collisions with cones were not triggering sounds while using the normal damage model.

Spotter

- The default Aussie spotter package has been improved and updated.

Flagman

- The flagman should now only be visible during Practice, Qualify, and Race session types.

Crowds

- Two-dimensional crowd planes have been replaced with billboarding characters.
- - While still two-dimensional, these people should appear to have a side of themselves always facing your viewing angle, making for more realistic crowds.
- - Billboarding crowd characters should be found at ALL tracks and configurations!

- Race marshal characters have been added around some tracks!
- - The appearance of these characters should be player car-type specific. For example, if the player is using a NASCAR vehicle, these characters should resemble NASCAR officials, or, if the player is using an F1 vehicle, these characters should resemble F1 officials.

- The box ambulance truck, ambulance van, and tow truck have all been updated to new higher detailed versions. You are much safer now.

Paint Shop

- Support has been added for custom specular (spec) maps for all cars.
- - Our rendering engine now supports custom spec maps that can be used with custom paints. A spec map is a .tga image file that tells the iRacing Sim what properties the underlying materials on the custom paint .tga image are made of. By altering individual pixels in a specific way, you can tell the Sim if the pixel is metallic or nonmetallic, if the pixel is smooth or rough, or if it should be lit by our lighting engine or not. This should allow you to create all kinds of materials, from matte to chrome and everything in between!
- - Our Sim uses Physical Based Rendering (PBR). Physical Based Rendering uses shader and lighting models to accurately create materials that reflect their real world counterparts. Instead of using a spec, gloss, and environment map to create the spec maps for a material, you simply decide if the material is metallic, and then decide how smooth the surface of the material is. The shader does the rest. This greatly simplifies the process of creating spec maps.

- For the pair of new Supercars, their car paints support translucency and stamping of text, numbers, sponsors, etc. onto windows or other translucent surfaces.

Replays

- Fixed some visual issues that could appear when stepping through a Replay with Motion Blur enabled.

- Fixed an issue with camera-aim smoothing in Replays while paused or playing.

Screen Capture

- The latest D3DGear SDK has been added.
- - This fixes an issue with a flickering Record icon, and the filepath no longer changes.

Virtual Reality

- Support has been added for screen shot and video capture while in VR, using the built-in iRacing capture tools.

- The D3DGear files have been moved to their own sub directory, so the iRacing root install folder is not added to the command line.
- - This may help stop Beat Saber from picking up our version of the openvr_api.dll file by accident.

- For openVR, call PostPresentHandoff() to notify the compositor to start its work ASAP, instead of waiting for a later call to WaitGetPoses (but only when the full wait for vsync is disabled). This notifies the SteamVR compositor that we sent it all the info, and it can go, otherwise it waits until later in the next frame (when we call the routine to wait for sync and get poses) to start. This is a newer API call in SteamVR for this sort of case.

- The "ResolutionScalePct" field has been removed from the [OpenVR] section of the "rendererDX11.ini" file.
- - This option is now obsolete, SteamVR supports it behind our back via SteamVR settings, causing them to multiply together.

- The post-processing motion blur effect is now always reduced slightly while using a VR headset.

Controls

- The latest Logitech wheel prototype API has been integrated.

Telemetry

- A few new telemetry SessionString entries have been added:
- - WeekendInfo:WeekendOptions:GreenWhiteCheckeredLimit: {unlimited, or number with 0 being no gwc laps}
- - WeekendInfo:WeekendOptions:FastRepairsLimit: {unlimited, or number with 0 being no fast repairs}

- A few new telemetry variables have been added:
- - "PitstopActive", irsdk_bool, "Is the player getting pit stop service"
- - "FastRepairUsed", irsdk_int, "How many fast repairs used so far"
- - "FastRepairAvailable", irsdk_int, "How many fast repairs left, 255 is unlimited"

- The telemetry variable, "SessionFlags" is now logged directly to disk as well as live, so you can view the status of flags offline.

- Support has been added for setting/changing variable name after class creation when allocating an irsdkCVar object.

Loading Screens

- New 4K loading screen images have been added for the following tracks and configurations:
- - Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
- - Brands Hatch Circuit
- - Charlotte Motor Speedway - 2016
- - Charlotte Motor Speedway
- - Charlotte Motor Speedway - Roval
- - Charlotte Motor Speedway - Roval Long
- - Concord Speedway
- - Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle
- - Dover International Speedway
- - Mount Panorama Circuit
- - Virginia International Raceway

Clubs

- All iRacing members from the country of Georgia have been moved from the Asia Club to the Central-European Club. Any in-progress seasons will continue to a part of the Asia Club, until the season ends.

CARS:

Aston Martin DBR9 GT1

- V7 Tire parameters have been adjusted.

Audi RS 3 LMS

- V7 Tire parameters have been adjusted.

- Tire sidewall texture at high speed has been updated.

BMW M8 GTE

- 2020 Season 1 Balance of Power changes: Minimum weight has been reduced by 10 kg.

Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1

- V7 Tire parameters have been adjusted.

Dallara F3

- New Damage Model has been enabled for this vehicle!

- Significant V7 Tires adjustments have been made, including: construction re-tooled, compound updated with greater grip and more responsiveness, and additional differential adjustability for greater locking potential.

- Season setups have been updated.

Dallara IR18

- Season setups have been updated.

Dirt Sprint Car

- (ALL) - Front tire tread pattern and aerodynamic downforce have been adjusted.

Ferrari 488 GT3

- 2020 Season 1 Balance of Power changes: Aero drag has been reduced slightly.

Ferrari 488 GTE

- 2020 Season 1 Balance of Power changes: Minimum weight has been increased by 5kg.

Ford GT - 2017

- Fixed an issue where the STRAT knob keybind was set to "Throttle Shaping Set" instead of "Fuel Mixture Set".

Ford GT GT3

- Fixed an issue where the interface model of this vehicle was not utilizing GGX shaders.

Formula Renault 2.0

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Fixed an error in the rear wing flap tooltip.

- Baseline setup has been updated to match the Renault "Suggested Setup".

Formula Renault 3.5

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Fixed an error in the rear wing flap tooltip.

- Baseline setup has been updated to match the Renault "Suggested Setup".

Global Mazda MX-5 Cup

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- This vehicle has been brought up to the latest spec.

Kia Optima

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

Legends Ford '34 Coup

- (ALL) - V7 Tires have been enabled on these vehicles!

- (ALL) - Shock package has been updated to more recent specs.

- (ALL) - Season setups have been updated.

McLaren MP4-30

- Fixed an issue where this vehicle was not correctly tagged as an Open Wheel car in some filters.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Chevrolet Silverado

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, and hood damage has been adjusted.

- Downforce and balance have been adjusted slightly.

- Per updated NASCAR rules, splitters are now forced to be unpainted carbon fiber.

- Season setups have been updated.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Toyota Tundra

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, and hood damage has been adjusted.

- Downforce and balance have been adjusted slightly.

- Per updated NASCAR rules, splitters are now forced to be unpainted carbon fiber.

- Season setups have been updated.

NASCAR K&N Pro Chevrolet Impala

- V7 Tire parameters have been adjusted.

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, and hood damage has been adjusted.

- Season setups have been updated.

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 - 2018

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, hood damage has been adjusted, fuel consumption has been decreased, and engine performance has been tuned.

- Level of Detail settings (LoDs) for Replays has been optimized.

- Per updated NASCAR rules, splitters are now forced to be unpainted carbon fiber.

- Season setups have been updated.

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Ford Mustang

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, hood damage has been adjusted, fuel consumption has been decreased, and engine performance has been tuned.

- Level of Detail settings (LoDs) for Replays has been optimized.

- Per updated NASCAR rules, splitters are now forced to be unpainted carbon fiber.

- Season setups have been updated.

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Toyota Camry

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, hood damage has been adjusted, fuel consumption has been decreased, and engine performance has been tuned.

- Level of Detail settings (LoDs) for Replays has been optimized.

- Per updated NASCAR rules, splitters are now forced to be unpainted carbon fiber.

- Season setups have been updated.

NASCAR Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado - 2013

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, and hood damage has been adjusted.

- Downforce and balance have been adjusted slightly.

NASCAR Xfinity Chevrolet Camaro - 2019

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, and hood damage has been adjusted.

NASCAR Xfinity Ford Mustang - 2019

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, and hood damage has been adjusted.

NASCAR Xfinity Toyota Supra

- Aero has been adjusted, nose damage vulnerability has been increased, and hood damage has been adjusted.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car (991)

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Tweaks have been made to diff and aero (slightly less drag, slightly more downforce, and significantly forward center of pressure). Diff changes were to eliminate inside wheelspin at corner exits. Drag reduction was to better correlate with real-life end-of-straight speeds. Downforce and CoP changes were to better account for the fact that we apply forces in the car frame and all quoted aero data is in the ground or world frame.

- Engine torque has been increased slightly across the rev range for better real-life correlation.

- Rear toe-in adjustment range has been increased.

- Rear camber adjustment range has been increased by 0.5.

- Gearshift, backfire, and ignition cut sounds have been improved.

- Baseline setup has been updated.

Porsche 919 Hybrid

- Improved a variety of vehicle sounds and overall audio mixing for this vehicle.

Radical SR8

- Season setups have been updated.

Skip Barber Formula 2000

- FULLY RE-BUILT VEHICLE!
- - The Skip Barber Formula 2000, an open-wheeled road car, has been completely re-built graphically from the ground up! This update does not alter the vehicle physics, only artwork.
- - - Designed around a classic open-wheel, single-seat formula car layout, but built with a bit more room to accommodate all sizes of drivers and added strength to withstand the rigors of racing schools, the SBF2000 was used in all six Skip Barber Race Series Championships. The list of drivers who have advanced their careers behind the wheel of an SBF2000 reads like a Who's Who of motorsport, ranging from A.J. Almendinger to Mike Wallace, with Marco Andretti, Townsend Bell, Kenny Brack, Jeff Burton, Helio Castroneves, Jon Fogarty, Memo Gidley, Alex Gurney, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bryan Herta, Jeff Gordon, Todd Bodine and Kasey Kahne just a few of the names in between. The SBF2000 features a 150-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. The 2.0-liter, single-overhead-cam power plant is mated to a five-speed sequential gearbox driving a 1,250-lb. tubular space-frame chassis. Capable of speeds up to 135 mph, the FSB 2000 accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and through 100 mph in less than 10 seconds. One of the most basic, but purest racing cars in existence, the SBF2000 offers drivers the chance both to learn the dynamics of an uncompromised racing car and how to compete with other drivers in identical equipment - lessons that are applicable in any car on any race track in the world.
- - This re-built version replaces the original version. Any Member who owned the original Skip Barber Formula 2000 now owns this fully re-built version, free of charge.
- - Add Skip Barber Formula 2000 to your digital garage, by purchasing it from the iRacing store here: <LINK TBD>

- V7 Tire parameters have been adjusted.

Street Stock

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Season setups have been updated.

Subaru WRX STI

- 2020 Season 1 Balance of Power changes: Power has been reduced slightly and center of gravity has been raised slightly.

Supercars Ford Mustang GT

- NEW CAR!
- - The Supercars Ford Mustang GT is now available for purchase!
- - - The Ford Mustang carries on a long tradition of Ford involvement in Supercars competition. Introduced in time for the 2018 season, it’s already claimed back-to-back drivers’ championships in the capable hands of DJR Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin. DJR used the Mustang to claim its 100th victory in Supercars competition in 2019, and will look to score yet another championship for 2020. Powered by a 5.0 liter engine, Supercars can produce upwards of 635 horsepower. They can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, and hit a top speed of nearly 300 km/h. Australia’s premier racing category announced its Gen2 spec in December 2014, and adopted it in time for 2018 season after three years of development.
- - Any Member who purchased the vehicle formerly known as Ford Falcon FG V8 within the past 24 months receives this vehicle, free of charge.
- - Add Supercars Ford Mustang GT to your digital garage, by purchasing it from the iRacing store here: <LINK TBD>

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

Supercars Holden ZB Commodore

- NEW CAR!
- - The Supercars Holden ZB Commodore is now available for purchase!
- - - The Holden Commodore ZB continues Holden’s long and storied history as one of the most prominent brands in Supercars action. The ZB made its debut in the 2018 season, replacing the popular VF and immediately finding victory lane its first race out with Shane Van Gisbergen. The ZB has already significantly expanded Holden’s lead on the most wins in Supercars history, a number which totals well over 500 at the end of the 2019 season, and is campaigned by its two winningest teams of all time, Triple Eight Race Engineering and Walkinshaw Andretti United. Powered by a 5.0 liter engine, Supercars can produce upwards of 635 horsepower. They can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, and hit a top speed of nearly 300 km/h. Australia’s premier racing category announced its Gen2 spec in December 2014, and adopted it in time for 2018 season after three years of development.
- - Any Member who purchased the vehicle formerly known as Holden Commodore VF V8 within the past 24 months receives this vehicle, free of charge.
- - Add Supercars Holden ZB Commodore to your digital garage, by purchasing it from the iRacing store here: <LINK TBD>

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

VW Jetta TDI Cup

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

[Archive] Ford Falcon FG V8

- This vehicle has been renamed from "Ford Falcon FG V8" to "[Archive] Ford Falcon FG V8".

- This vehicle has been added to the default iRacing content.
- - All Members now own this vehicle.

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Tire warmers for 45 degrees Celsius have been added.

- Backfires and engine sounds have been updated.

- Baseline setup has been updated.

[Archive] Holden VF Commodore V8

- This vehicle has been renamed from "Holden Commodore VF V8" to "[Archive] Holden VF Commodore V8".

- This vehicle has been added to the default iRacing content.
- - All Members now own this vehicle.

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Tire warmers for 45 degrees Celsius have been added.

- Backfires and engine sounds have been updated.

- Baseline setup has been updated.

[Archive] Mazda MX-5 Cup - 2015

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

[Archive] Mazda MX-5 Roadster - 2015

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

[Archive] NASCAR Cup Chevrolet SS

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Season setups have been updated.

[Archive] NASCAR Cup Ford Fusion

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Season setups have been updated.

[Archive] NASCAR Nationwide Chevrolet Impala - 2011

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- This vehicle has been converted to use PBR shaders.

[Archive] NASCAR Sprint Cup Chevrolet Impala COT - 2013

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- This vehicle has been converted to use PBR shaders.

[Archive] NASCAR Xfinity Chevrolet Camaro

- Season setups have been updated.

[Archive] NASCAR Xfinity Ford Mustang

- Season setups have been updated.

[Archive] NASCAR Xfinity Toyota Camry

- Season setups have been updated.

[Archive] V8 Supercar Ford Falcon - 2012

- V7 Tires have been enabled on this vehicle!

- Forward adjustment range for brake bias has been added.

- Baseline setup has been updated.

TRACKS:

Atlanta Motor Speedway

- Race marshal characters have been added around this track!

- Flagman animations have been updated.

- (Rallycross Long) - Fixed a cut-through.

- (Rallycross Short) - Fixed a cut-through.

Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari

- Level of Detail settings (LoDs) have been adjusted for some objects to reduce visual popping as objects change distance from the camera.

Barber Motorsports Park

- Race marshal characters have been added around this track!

- Flagman animations have been updated.

- Pace Car pit road entry checkpoints have been adjusted to prevent it from severely swerving.

Bristol Motor Speedway

- Flagman animations have been updated.

Charlotte Motor Speedway

- Larger brake markers have been added.

- (Roval) - The wall and tirewall at the entrance to the new chicane have been extended slightly.

- (Roval) - Yellow curbs have been added going into the chicane in place of the triangular signs.

Chicagoland Speedway

- Fixed an issue with the pit merge start checkpoint.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

- Fixed an issue with blurry track cameras.

Concord Speedway

- This track has now been fully re-textured with PBR surface materials.

- Weekend cars have been adjusted.

- A floating crowd member has been exiled.

Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle

- Flagman animations have been updated.

Donington Park Racing Circuit

- (Grand Prix) - Race lines have been updated.

- Fixed an issue with dirt flying around on Turn 3 and Turn 4.

Homestead Miami Speedway

- (Oval) - The pit entrance has been moved from off of Turn 3 to off of Turn 4.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

- Flagman animations have been updated.

Knoxville Raceway

- Fixed an issue with giant halo effects on the main grandstand lights.

Kokomo Speedway

- Gain-time checkpoints have been adjusted slightly to better match the race lines.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

- Night lighting has been completed at this track!
- - This track now fully supports events at Night, or events that transition to/from night.

Lernerville Speedway

- NEW TRACK!
- - Lernerville Speedway, a dirt oval, is now available for purchase!
- - - Sarver, Pennsylvania is home to one of the most beloved dirt ovals in America: Lernerville Speedway. The 4/10-mile clay track hosted its first races in 1967, and its first full championship the next year. Over the past 50 years of operation, it's grown into one of the most popular tracks on the World of Outlaws schedule for both the Sprint Car and Dirt Late Model divisions. Lernerville boasts a pair of marquee World of Outlaws events each season: the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup for Sprint Car drivers, and the Firecracker 100 for Dirt Late Model drivers. Each race attracts some of the world's top dirt oval drivers to battle for the track's highest paying purses of the season. Alongside their marquee WoO events, Lernerville is also the only track in America to run 410 Sprints, Super Late Models, and Big Block Modifieds on a weekly basis.
- - Add Lernerville Speedway to your digital landscape, by purchasing it from the iRacing store here: <LINK TBD>

Lime Rock Park

- FULLY RE-BUILT TRACK!
- - Lime Rock Park has been completely re-built from the ground up, and updated for the modern age!
- - - Connecticut's own Lime Rock Park is one of the oldest continually operating road racing venues in America. Opened in 1956, the track has long been a staple of the United States' premier road racing championships, including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Northeast Grand Prix since 2015. With seven corners and multiple long straightaways on its classic layout, Lime Rock Park is also one of the fastest road courses in North America. For that reason, it also features multiple chicanes that are occasionally used as part of different layouts to slow cars down. For its extensive history and iconic layout, the track was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
- - All Members automatically receive this track, as it is part of the iRacing default content.

Lucas Oil Raceway

- (Rallycross) - Fixed a cut-through.

Michigan International Speedway

- Level of Detail settings (LoDs) have been adjusted for the media suites in pit road to reduce visual popping as they change distance from the camera.

Mount Panorama Circuit

- Physics collision has been removed from some troublesome yellow cones near pit exit.

Nürburgring Nordschleife

- The front two pit stalls have been removed.

Richmond Raceway

- The pit lane merge checkpoint was in the wrong location; it is now located after the final pit exit checkpoint.

Tsukuba Circuit

- Improvements have been made to the environment, objects, and treelines to increase performance at this track.

- Track lighting has been updated.

Virginia International Raceway

- The track surface has been upgraded to fully utilize PBR shaders.

- Smoothing out some bumps near Turn 1 exit in the center of the track and past the end of the inside curbing.

[Archive] Lime Rock Park - 2007

- This track, formerly known as "Lime Rock Park", has been renamed "[Archive] Lime Rock Park - 2007" to make room for the fully updated version.

Tramite Twitter e un post sul blog Codemasters ha annunciato che lo stage di Lydden Hill (UK) è ora disponibile. Purtroppo c'è una cattiva notizia per i giocatori Playstation nella regione europea: a causa di circostanze impreviste il rilascio dello stage è ritardato. Nessun problema per quanto riguarda le altre regioni.

Lydden Hill è il secondo stage facente parte della Stagione 4 di DIRT Rally 2.0 (ricordate come il primo stage fosse quello di Killarney). Lydden Hill, nei pressi di Kent, Inghilterra, è il circuito dove ha avuto luogo il primo evento Rallycross, datato 1967, vinto da Vic Elford su Porsche 911. Questo circuito ora ospita 2 round del British Rallycross Championship e il round del Regno Unito nel GRC Rallycross Europe. Anche il World Rallycross Championship ha fatto visita a questo circuito nel 2014 con Andreas Bakkerud vincitore, il circuito poi è stato parte del calendario del WRX per ulteriori 3 anni prima che il campionato si spostasse a Silverstone.

Il circuito è compreso nelle seguenti versioni del gioco: DIRT Rally 2.0 Deluxe Content 2.0, DIRT Rally 2.0 Year One Pass e DIRT RALLY 2.0 Super Deluxe Edition. Ovviamente è possibile acquistare questo circuito singolarmente nel caso non si possegga una delle versioni sopracitate.

Commenti nel topic dedicato

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Season 4’s second location is here, and we’re off to the birthplace of Rallycross.

Before we begin, a note for PS4 players in Europe:

Due to unforseen circumstances, Lydden Hill, UK (due to release on December 3) will be delayed by a few days on PlayStation EU store.

We are working with Sony to release this content as soon as possible.

Other platforms/regions are unaffected and will release as planned.

Lydden Hill, UK

Lydden Hill (situated in Kent, England), is the birthplace of Rallycross hosting the first ever event in 1967, with Vic Elford taking the honours in a Porsche 911. Lydden Hill now traditionally hosts 2 rounds of the British Rallycross Championship along with the UK round of GRC Rallycross Europe.

The FIA World Rallycross Championship visited the location in 2014, with Andreas Bakkerud as the victor. The series returned for 3 more years before moving to Silverstone in 2018.

Stage Conditions (General):

• Daytime / Clear / Dry Surface
• Daytime / Cloudy / Wet Surface
• Daytime / Heavy Rain / Wet Surface
• Sunset / Cloudy / Dry Surface
• Sunset / Cloudy / Wet Surface
• Sunset / Heavy Rain / Wet Surface

Stage Conditions (Time Trial):

• Daytime / Clear / Dry Surface
• Daytime / Cloudy / Wet Surface

Availability Information

Lydden Hill is part of DiRT Rally 2.0 Season 4. The following game versions/bundles contain Season 4 (it is also available to buy as standalone DLC):

DiRT Rally 2.0 Deluxe Content 2.0

• Season 3 Content
• Season 4 Content

DiRT Rally 2.0 Year One Pass

• Season 1 Content
• Season 2 Content
• Season 3 Content
• Season 4 Content

DiRT Rally 2.0 Super Deluxe Edition

• DiRT Rally 2.0 Base Game
• Season 1 Content
• Season 2 Content
• Season 3 Content
• Season 4 Content

If you have Season 4 already you may have to head to your platform’s store to install Lydden Hill.

Please note that your content may not be unlocked immediately, or the items on your platform’s storefront may appear to require additional purchase. While they can be bought individually Season 4 players will not need to do this; the content will be added automatically, typically within the day of release. As always, keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages for updates on when everything is live on your platform.

Post-release DLC content is currently not available on Oculus. We plan to give Oculus players a way to access DLC content at a later date, and will provide more information as things are finalised.

Qualche settimana fa vi avevamo parlato di come l'update 1.36 fosse disponibile in versione beta. Ebbene oggi, tramite Twitter e un post sul blog i ragazzi di SCS Software ci informano che l'update è uscito oggi dalla beta ed è disponibile in via ufficiale.

La prima cosa che salta all'occhio è il passaggio dalle DX9 alle DX11, che ha portato un miglioramento grafico, un miglioramento nel gameplay e anche un incremento degli FPS, anche se c'è ancora qualcosa da limare.

La Corsica è ora disponibile gratuitamente per tutti i possessori del DLC "Vive la France" e dopo averli testati in American Truck Simulator sono state aggiunte le deviazioni anche in ETS2.

Questi erano solamente gli update più importanti, ma ci sono ancora un sacco di altre feature delle quali potete prendere visione nel video changelog

Vi ricordiamo inoltre che il 5 Dicembre verrà rilasciato il DLC "Road to the Black Sea"

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Euro Truck Simulator 2 Update 1.36

 

Road to the Black Sea is approaching fast so it's time to close the Beta and move on to the next best thing! Euro Truck Simulator 2 Update 1.36 is out now!
 

As always, we'd like to thank every single one of you for all your help with your bug reports, opinions and general feedback during the Public Beta. This time, the update brings probably the biggest system change we have ever implemented, together with some nice features.

The main feature is the upgrade to DirectX 11, which allowed the complete removal of support for DirectX 9 and all its limitations. While it may need a little tweak here and there, general feedback is very positive (FPS increase, smoother gameplay, better long-range LOD behaviours) as we hoped, since listed minimum requirements for Windows already support DX11.

And to spice things up a bit (as "invisible" changes aren't as appreciated as they should be), there are two bigger features and a number of smaller ones.

Corsica, a beautiful island in the Mediterranean is now available to all existing and future owners of the Vive la France! map expansion as a free addition.

Detours are also coming to Euro Truck Simulator 2 after a long testing period in its American twin. Do tell us if it's ok as it is, or what adjustments you'd like us to make still.

Besides that, you'll get a number of other nice features - such as a long-requested feature for drivers, trucks and trailers to be visible on the manager map, avoidance pins for your GPS and more. For those wishing to see a more detailed changelog, please read the Public Beta article, or check out our changelog video!
 

 

To enjoy the 1.36 update, make sure to OPT OUT of beta branches and your game will be automatically updated on Steam.

For the legacy non-Steam edition of ETS2, the update should be ready in a few days.

 

Some mods, however, may have not caught up yet - this update may effectively break them. So remember that you can always stay on 1.35 or an even older branch. The way to access and select them is: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on Euro Truck Simulator 2 → Properties → Betas tab → select the version you want.

Also, check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.

Changelog:

MAP

• Corsica (Vive la France! DLC)

FEATURES

• Detours
• Avoidance navigation pins
• New AI vehicles
• Drivers / Trucks / Trailer visible on manager maps
• DX11 full support (DX9 removed)
• Chinese and other non-Latin character input (IME)
• Anti-aliasing improvements (SMAA, electrical wires)

MOD

• Sun profile changes (HDR)
• LP changes for AI (data-driven types, background texture data)
• Dash display UI elements (digital gauges, fuel consumption bar)
• Map editor history (undo/redo)
• Continuous selection of nodes