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iRacing.com – New Build Available

Posted on July 30th, 2009 in iRacing – 58 Comments

iRacing.com has released the new build of  their online racing simulation, adding various improvements to the system.

Alongside the many improvements and fixes, two important new content items are available for purchase now. The choice of cars is enriched by the much anticipated Lotus 79, the historic Formula One car sells for 15 dollars. The track lineup features a new NASCAR oval as the Chicagoland Speedway can be downloaded for $20. Furthermore, the new build includes a content freebie for all subscribers as a new testing skidpad called Centripetal Circuit is now available.

Existing iRacing subscribers can download the new build by loging into their iRacing account, the member website has been heavily revamped too. Those who aren’t part of iRacing yet can check out some previews below, showing the new Lotus 79 at Chicagoland and Lime Rock.

GTOmegaRacing.com

  • GeraArg

    The 3D model of the Lotus is beautiful 😎 but that yellow skin is a white phosphorus attack on the eyes! :sd: :sd: :sd:

  • UncleChuckle

    You know, if iRacing was more like WOW, I’d probably give it a go. You know, monthly fee, BIG content expansion you pay for every year or two, and lots of other new content for your monthly fee between the big releases.

    However they are far too greedy and I just can’t justify that sort of expense. With the way iRacing is priced, it’s almost introducing a “haves” and “have nots” system into sim racing as only those who have decent income can afford the whole deal. I mean I’m not poor or anything, and I can stretch to a monthly fee, but all this paid content is just nuts and creates a subdivision where it’s very much “I can’t afford to race there.”

    Which I guess, now I think about it, makes it an extremely realistic portrayal of racing. 😆

  • Danny

    iracing is greedy? They invested 22 million before they even launched. Your upset with the have and have nots system? Welcome to the real world.

  • moppenheimer

    UncleChuckle: You know, if iRacing was more like WOW, I’d probably give it a go. You know, monthly fee, BIG content expansion you pay for every year or two, and lots of other new content for your monthly fee between the big releases.
    However they are far too greedy and I just can’t justify that sort of expense. With the way iRacing is priced, it’s almost introducing a “haves” and “have nots” system into sim racing as only those who have decent income can afford the whole deal. I mean I’m not poor or anything, and I can stretch to a monthly fee, but all this paid content is just nuts and creates a subdivision where it’s very much “I can’t afford to race there.”
    Which I guess, now I think about it, makes it an extremely realistic portrayal of racing.

    every post on iracing you say the same thing, we get it, you dont want to pay for it. shut up and leave those of us who do alone…

  • http://www.bsimracing.com BSR-WiX

    Once again it feels like xmass. What a build. I love the lotus. By far the best power feel i had to date. One lap in that car could show people why iRacing is a few steps ahead when you like the SIM part more then the eye candy or wrecking effects.
    I do remember when iRacing first appeared , i said it looked dated and was not going to be of any interest to me. Man oh man, whas i wrong ! Now we are a year later and i would not trade it in for any other release.

    And like Moppenheimer says, Every iRacing post is being critisized. Mostly by people who did not even give it a try, or have never seen it in action. Funny .. its exactly wat neighbours do when you purchase yourself a new BMW or Audi….
    Further more , most people that are wining about the price spend more on booze , women and designer clothes on a weekly basis. Funny isnt it.
    Weird thing. Some people seem to hate it , but cant shut up about it and find the interest and time to write entire texts about it time after time. I dont ike Caviar, and i cant afford it on a daily basis… Maybe i should start posting hate mail on all food releated blogs.

  • Husky42

    So first I am not an Iracing subscriber at this time, that said I did have it for awhile.

    It truly is an amazing feeling sim and cannot be touched by anything out there.

    I have not had better FFB, feeling or enjoyment out of racing then I had with I-racing.

    Once i figure out what I’m doing with my money – Shumachers return mean i may spend my new car/new bike savings on a trip to an F1 race. I also have a Lemans 2010 savings although thats struggled abit and sadly and F1 race will cost quite abit more so i may deplete my saving haha.

    Anyways thats all besides he point. If you can afford it I-racing is the best.

  • moving-target

    Danny:
    iracing is greedy? They invested 22 million before they even launched. Your upset with the have and have nots system? Welcome to the real world.

    😮 REALLY? Didn’t know that.

    Personally I don’t have a problem with unfree addon content (M$ Flightsim fan). But I do not like the idea of monthly fees because I never know if I will have time to use the software. On the other hand I would feel kinda forced to use it because I payed for it.

    Anyway.

    It is funny to see the same development over and over again:

    iRacing hater: “HOW CAN ANYONE PAY FEES FOR USAGE AND ADDON CONTENT???”
    iRacing lover: “I do.”
    iRacing hater: “BUT WHY DO YOU PAY FEES FOR USAGE AND ADDON CONTENT???”
    iRacing lover: “It’s fun. I love iRacing.”
    iRacing hater: “NAH… BUT HOW CAN ANYONE PAY FEES FOR USAGE AND ADDON CONTENT???”
    iRacing lover: “I do.”

    …

    @ the beginning it was funny, but now, 30 iRacing threads later… NOT :weird:

  • Diswanio

    @ moving-target, i hear ya!

    Its a very sad way of getting some attention..
    If mom says no, get a job and stop leaving those gay-dumbass comments imo

  • Peregrinne

    UncleChuckle:
    You know, if iRacing was more like WOW, I’d probably give it a go. You know, monthly fee, BIG content expansion you pay for every year or two, and lots of other new content for your monthly fee between the big releases.

    WoW has 12 million subscribers, so the development costs can easily be covered by box purchases and subscriptions. iRacing has around 10000 subscribers. Subscriptions pay for bandwidth, servers, and salaries of administrative and development staff. Track and car fees cover scanning costs and development costs, along with any applicable licensing fees iracing had to pay the owners.

    As someone else mentioned, we live in the real world. iRacing provide a very high quality service, but none of it is free, or even cheap to produce. They aren’t a charity, they have to earn a living out of this and I’m sure a profit would be desireable too. There are plenty of other options out there, such as rFactor, GTR2, LFS, for those who don’t like or can’t afford iRacing’s payment model. Complaining about the cost of iRacing is like complaining that you can;t buy a BMW 3 series for the price of a Ford Mondeo. Sure both are high quality automobiles, but their development costs are not the same.

  • sediol

    Guys,
    if iRacing would be the most realistic simulator….what should one choose to get the “second best”? What is your personal oppinion :question:

    btw. my favorite is rF Caterham Mod, though I think it can’t be the most realistic. But it’s so much fun…

  • Ghettorat

    The Lotus is amazing to drive! Maybe the most involving sim experience i have had yet 🙂

  • Klaas Jan

    Chicagoland is listed as USD 20,- on iRacing’s homepage, but I actually paid USD 15,- for it.

  • http://www.arsimulations.com Peter

    Yeah I paid $15 for Chicagoland aswell and with the 25% discount I ended up paying $11.25 for Chicagoland, $11.25 for the Lotus and $11.25 for the pre-order of the VW TDI.

  • http://timwheatley.org Tim Wheatley (iRacing)

    Sorry about that. $15 is correct price.

  • http://www.bsimracing.com BSR-WiX

    I always purchase 3 items at once. With the discount , and the usual iRacing money amound bonus it is not as expencive as it sometimes may look.

  • http://www.racing-shots.deviantart.com Eddie

    Look, i cant believe im saying this both that I agree with uncle chuckle, AND I have never posted on an iracing topic.

    If you want to pay for content fine, but then why also pay for subscription?
    Lets look at MMO’s you pay for the month and get everything. Sure a expansion pack comes out now and again, but it has alot of content, not one car, and oval (oh and the skidpad, awesome hurrr. I have a free one for GPL)

    If it was a track like sebring (yes i know) I can see paying 15-20 for something like that, albeit a strech, but for an oval? get serious. Is bristol out yet too? Because I would laugh at anyone who would buy a track that small for $15. “OHHH! BUT IT HAS REAL BUMPS HURRR, AND ALL THE SEATS ARE MODELED RIGHT!” Yes but it is a half mile oval…. it is worth nothing over $10.

    And for all the people saying “you just don’t play iracing because you cant afford it” firstly, get off you high horse. and secondly, I would rather pay $50 once (rFactor) for a game that might be just that bit less real, but have countless mods.

  • jdash

    I agree, if iracing was just a monthly fee I would have no problem with it. But $15 for a freaking track? Seriously? In my honest opinion thats just greedy, if I’m already being charged to play the game I purchased then the last thing I would want to do is PAY for addons that should be free.

  • drowsy

    I honestly don’t know why people bother arguing about iRacing. Some don’t mind the costs and are happy with what they get for their money, while others will always complain as long as there’s a cost involved in playing the game. Just stop bringing up the same points in every f’ing thread and go play your rFactor or LFS, they are quality games too.

  • Raikku

    100% again! And now I have Lotus!

    Hopefully VW comes soon, so I could test some Diesel power.

  • ScHiRoCk

    I do not have this game, but i find it expensive…

  • Peregrinne

    Eddie:
    Look, i cant believe im saying this both that I agree with uncle chuckle, AND I have never posted on an iracing topic.
    If you want to pay for content fine, but then why also pay for subscription?

    I answered that question above, did you miss it, misunderstand what I explained, or did you just choose to ignore it and ask the question again? It gets hard to tell sometimes if posts like this are genuine curiosity or just plain trolling. The reasons for the costs of iracing have been explained countless times here and elsewhere. It baffles me that the question still comes up. If you prefer rFator’s pricing structure, buy that and stick with it. With all of the venomous complaints about iracing, you’d think people were being forced to subscribe to it.

  • Danny

    jdash: I agree, if iracing was just a monthly fee I would have no problem with it. But $15 for a freaking track? Seriously? In my honest opinion thats just greedy, if I’m already being charged to play the game I purchased then the last thing I would want to do is PAY for addons that should be free.

    You dont seem to realize how much time effort and money goes into producing an iracing laser scanned track. Ill give you a clue. Its a lot more than what it takes to produce a big mac meal which Im sure you have no problem paying for to fill your stomach for a few hours.

  • http://timwheatley.org Tim Wheatley (iRacing)

    Greed?

    A regular MMO charges similar amounts per month, and create fictional content which requires nobody to leave their home. You’re paying more, because it costs more to make them. I would have thought that obvious.

    Here is a video produced by a member. He is just getting used to the camera editor we launched yesterday, but it’s a beautiful thing to see and clearly shows how different the iRacing tracks are to everything else – except the real-world facility.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TipzLaiFMpw

  • Klaas Jan

    Ghettorat:
    The Lotus is amazing to drive! Maybe the most involving sim experience i have had yet 🙂

    Same here, it’s brilliant.

  • simracer64

    Tim Wheatley (iRacing):
    Here is a video produced by a member. He is just getting used to the camera editor we launched yesterday, but it’s a beautiful thing to see and clearly shows how different the iRacing tracks are to everything else – except the real-world facility.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TipzLaiFMpw

    not sure what I’m meant to be looking at, looks pretty average to me to be honest

    iRacing is the least impressive game for me as far as eye candy goes, the track surface with all the laser scanned bumps and dips is the stand out feature of iRacings tracks but as they are invisible meshes laid over flat textured track you can’t see them anyway.

  • http://timwheatley.org Tim Wheatley (iRacing)

    If you can’t see the nuances of the track, that’s fine. Nevermind. Obviously I am at a loss to explain it. 😉

  • simracer64

    I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder

  • DW

    Interesting video. From driving Watkins Glen in GPL I’m thinking “brake – brake!” as he approaches the corners. This car has SO much grip.

  • http://timwheatley.org Tim Wheatley (iRacing)

    simracer64:

    not sure what I’m meant to be looking at, looks pretty average to me to be honest
    iRacing is the least impressive game for me as far as eye candy goes, the track surface with all the laser scanned bumps and dips is the stand out feature of iRacings tracks but as they are invisible meshes laid over flat textured track you can’t see them anyway.

    That’s not actually correct. The track surface matches the bumps. It isn’t flat textured.

  • simracer64

    so your saying the textured surface that you can see is not a simplified low poly mesh, all evidence points otherwise but I’ll bow to your greater knowledge

  • http://timwheatley.org Tim Wheatley (iRacing)

    If there’s spots they didn’t match, it’s a bug. Try to find some videos of Lime Rock Park, that’s probably the bumpiest track.

  • simracer64

    to be honest looking at the video you posted about at 1:37 in (or 1 second from the end) the front wheel is about 2 inches off the track surface for what appears to be no reason other than its going over an invisible bump

  • http://timwheatley.org Tim Wheatley (iRacing)

    Absolutely could be. With a track surface carrying those bumps it’s possible for some to slip by unnoticed. Or, the Lotus could have lifted a wheel. The front wheels do chatter on the surface quite a bit.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61401920 aj_1986

    Looks impressive and I’m sure it drives incredibly (I can’t afford a new wheel at the moment, let alone an iRacing subscription). It’s just a shame it still sounds more like a Honda CBR600 than a Cosworth DFV, even if you turn the volume up. 🙁

  • Sensekhmet

    BSR-WiX:
    And like Moppenheimer says, Every iRacing post is being critisized. Mostly by people who did not even give it a try, or have never seen it in action. Funny .. its exactly wat neighbours do when you purchase yourself a new BMW or Audi….
    Further more , most people that are wining about the price spend more on booze , women and designer clothes on a weekly basis. Funny isnt it.

    That’s because people who drive new Audis and BMWs are usually total d***s. There’s a reason people spit at them.
    About your booze, women and clothes argument… I find spending more on a game than on those things (it’s called life I think?) to be funny, call me a weirdo.

  • http://www.virtualr.net Montoya

    Sensekhmet:

    That’s because people who drive new Audis and BMWs are usually total d***s.

    Ouch, thanks 😉

  • Sensekhmet

    Montoya:

    Ouch, thanks

    “Usually” being the key word here.

  • kabronyproductions

    lotus f1 1979 IMO the best sim car/formula produced to date. You can argue iracings price range but if you criticized their content you are clueless nothing on the market compares. Their commitment to their product is shown every 3 months with amazing updates/ upgrades.

  • Klaas Jan

    simracer64:

    not sure what I’m meant to be looking at, looks pretty average to me to be honest

    Ahem…

    http://hostingbytes.us/images/2/6324711.jpg

    http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1493/jump.png

  • mbeast

    I was extremely sceptical before I gave it a go, but I really wouldn’t knock it until you’ve tried it. As many have said not one particular thing sets it apart (or justifies its cost) compared to other sims, but it is much more than the sum of its parts.

    The way that (most of) the cars handle, combined with the FFB, combined with the tracks and their surfaces make it incredibly immersive. It’s very easy to find a competitive race too without first corner idiots.

    I have subscribed for 3 months using the promo code PR-INDY (3 months for $25 and $10 of credit which could go towards a certain lotus) and will almost certainly be renewing despite the cost. It’s that good.

  • schuubars

    I needed a year to finally try IRacing out, a bit later bought a one year subscription, und now i have to say, if IR keeps it’s commitment to the Simulation up, i will definitive buy a second year.

    And yes the Lotus is fun to drive.

  • carbonfibre

    Well I’ll just say this, the more iRacing news and updates I see and read about, the more I just say, “wow, I can’t wait for rFactor 2”.

    You see, I need you iRacing devs the set the bar as high as you possibly can so ISI knows what they need to do to break that level and I’m routing for you!

    Competition is fantastic for the consumer, I suggest a new approach for iRacing bashers, let them have their glory because something always knocks the high horse down eventually. 😉

  • GeraArg

    The setup of the Lotus is realistic? The differences were noticed in the downloarce with a proper tuning on the suspension?
    😀

  • http://www.bsimracing.com BSR-WiX

    dont we all love posting…. 🙂 in a minute honey …… sombody is wrong on the internet …

  • Zenitchik

    The lotus is scary!
    Had a go at Glen and it is just amazing how this car can turn. But if you screw up a bit, you’ll be heading strait into the wall!
    After long time in the solstice at Lime Rock, it was just unbelievable, the speed that you can drive through the last turn.

    The car looks and sounds great!

    P.S. VirutalR TROLL award goes to…………………UncleChuckle :happyevil:

  • Teutonic Speedracer

    Background: GT1-GT4 on PS2. Then I picked up GTR2 for my laptop (underpowered) and had it for a few years (rarely ever tried it due to lack of wheels/pedals). Been tracking a 500hp/2800 lb 2001 Camaro Racecar at track days ~80 days with BMWs, Ferraris, Corvettes, Lotuses, etc.

    Started slowing down on that for multiple reasons (marriage, house, costs, burnout). Some of my track buddies play once a week on RFactor with all kinds of mods that you have to download, move around, etc. I picked up an Obutto, Fanatec GT3RS CSP (waited 6+ months) I spec’d out a budget PC, built it, installed GTR2 and RFactor with intentions of racing with them.

    I tried both of those games briefly then did the 1 month Radical Trial with iRacing. Wow, did I like the interface, the tracks, the cars, and the racing and competiveness. Having a program to keep track of the files, the stats, the downloads, etc. is awesome. The tracks are very realistic (having personally driven Limerock, Summit Point Trio, Watkins Glen, VIR). I did the one year for $156 got $60 in credits (bought 6 cars/tracks with the 20% discount) and am set to race Legends, Solstice, Radical, Skip Barber, and Star Mazda! That is more than enough to keep me occupied for a long time. I’ve done (2) four week seasons now in the Solstice which is very fun and next week I plan to start the Skip Barber 12 week season. The first time I was in the lead in a race I was shaking from the anxiety to win!

    Now I’m hooked and contemplating selling the real racecar. Figure the real one was $400-700/Day depending on the track (location/tire wear/hotel costs). So for $160 subscription and maybe another $100 in content….that is a steal. I’ve had enough fun online, and starting to know some of the people on iRacing that I haven’t even attempted to race some of my real track buddies on rFactor yet.

    For all those complaining about the cost, like others have said, no-one is forcing you to play or sign up for iRacing. If you don’t want to pay, then don’t complain, and just play the non-subscription games. They are fine too. Everybody can choose what they want to spend on and not everybody has the same incomes, hobbies, etc. I raced a Camaro, but didn’t complain that I didn’t have the F430 Scuderia or the 911GT3 like others on the track. They could afford them, I can’t. I choose not to have a landline phone b/c I don’t see the need to pay the monthly. I have DirecTV and pay for HD/DVR, but choose not to pay for HBO/Showtime, etc. Some people have $30k simulator some don’t.

    Just use what you want and stop whining about those you pay for iRacing because they want to. If I was paying and it sucked, do you think I’d continue to subscribe? I see the $13 as completely in reason for the service they provide!

    Good Job iRacing! Keep up the great work!

  • http://www.bsimracing.com BSR-WiX

    Teutonic Speedracer : i agree a full 100%

  • sediol

    Teutonic Speedracer:
    For all those complaining about the cost, like others have said, no-one is forcing you to play or sign up for iRacing.

    Well and no one is forcing you (at least I hope so) to advertise here like you do with your posting (July 31st,2009/02:35). That’s really ridiculous.

  • Ghettorat

    I don’t go post rubbish about xbox racing games in xbox360 threads since i don’t have an xbox and i am not planning to get one either. Hence i don’t feel like i have anything to do in those threads at all.

    Every time there is an iracing thread the same posts from people not in the market for it come and post rubbish about how expensive it is etc etc and that it is not worth it.

    Look. Its not for you. Get over it and waste some time elsewhere.

  • Teutonic Speedracer

    sediol:

    Well and no one is forcing you (at least I hope so) to advertise here like you do with your posting (July 31st,2009/02:35). That’s really ridiculous.

    Nope, no forcing, no advertising, just telling my story and how I like the iRacing game and community. I only started back in May, and am having a blast with this simracing! I don’t think I’m going to buy a PS3 anymore for GT5 whenever that comes out.

  • hoboracer

    I think iRacing is great. Great tracks, great physics, great matchmaker and the pricing is very acceptable for the content you get.

    The only problem is, it’s not for me. 🙁

  • Diswanio

    Save your energy Tim! Not worth it

  • Paul Kelly

    Which will come first: A balanced U.S. Federal budget or an iRacing thread in which people who haven’t even tried the game post about how expensive it is, about how it can’t be that much better than rFactor, yadda, yadda, yadda?

    I’m putting my money on the former. And it’s all just so ridiculous, isn’t it?

    I enjoy reading legitimate beefs about certain interface and/or physics aspects of iRacing. The game is great, but it’s not perfect. That constructive criticism only helps improve the breed. But the endless bleating about “It’s too expensive; it’s not worth it!” comes primarily from those who have never tried it or who have tried it for an hour and quit, only to reaffirm in their mind that their position is superior.

    The whole thing really reeks of an inferiority complex. You don’t see iRacing devotees flooding rFactor posts about how much greater their game of choice is, so why do the GTR 2/rFactor nattering nabobs of negativity feel the need to pollute iRacing threads with their drivel about the cost?

    It’s about as old as grandpa’s buckskin rubber.

  • joseki

    Wow, I just have to say that Lotus is amazing. I am terribly slow and tremulous with it but who cares when it’s that much fun.

  • Cheekychops

    I feel for those of you that just ‘dont get’ iracing.
    Comments on money have totally missed the point.

    iracing is the nearest you are going to get to real world racing full stop. No other software comes close. Its not just about the software either, but the community that use it. Combine the two, and thats what makes it number 1.

    Compared to real life racing, iracing is the bargain of the century……and that is how to justify the expense.

  • BSR-Fonzie

    i have played iRacing for 7 months, and the last tree months i drove 3 times, that’s why i stop my subscription, why did i not drive more?? ………who nowes??
    About the price, i can accept the money they charge, and that you pay for the servers, what i don’t understand is why cant i use my content OFFLINE to do a test run on a track i payed for, now i ended up with a cost of 400 $ for a game, and that leaves me behind 7 months with nothing, that is NOT correct.

  • GeraArg

    Yesterday I played a while in a friend’s house, the Lotus feels like a kickass, awesome 😮 😎
    The trial of 3 months cost $ 25?

    Cheekychops:

    Compared to real life racing, iracing is the bargain of the century……and that is how to justify the expense.

    Compared with reality, iRacing remains a GAME. 😉

  • Paul Kelly

    BSR-Fonzie:
    what i don’t understand is why cant i use my content OFFLINE to do a test run on a track i payed for, now i ended up with a cost of 400 $ for a game, and that leaves me behind 7 months with nothing, that is NOT correct.

    Correct me if this has changed with the new build, but I have TESTED any car on any track I own at any time. Just one car, for testing.

    Yes, you must be online to do that kind of testing, but in this world of predominantly 24/7 Internet connections, iRacing made the right design decision.

    Now, if you’re saying you should keep the content after you don’t renew your subscription, that’s another story and argument entirely. iRacing makes it pretty clear in the Terms of Subscription that you don’t own the content.

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