iRacing releases new content, features, bug fixes and performance updates every season, with Season 2 of 2023 being no different. As usual, most of the excitement centres around tracks and cars, but this season delivers this sparingly.
New cars and tracks
Jerez, the venue of the infamous Villeneuve/Schumacher crash back in 1997, joins iRacing this season, rendered in perfect laser-scanned detail. The track is suitable for all forms of road racing. Still, it should be fantastic for lower category series due to its twisty layout with wide corners that encourages multiple racing lines, making overtaking quite interesting.
iRacing also released the Renault Clio R.S. V, the Late Model Stock oval racer and the Ray FF1600 Formula Ford open-wheeler. Of the three new cars, we're really excited about the Formula Ford. Just like the other cars, the FF1600 will be raced in a single-make series, but this car will be free, have enjoyable handling and rely on mechanical grip and driver skill over downforce and power.
Formula Ford has been the breeding ground for up-and-coming racing drivers for decades, and we're sure this car will be popular on iRacing amongst drivers of all skill levels.
New ABS
One update that's not seen as a big feature but should make a big difference in the way GT3 cars are driven on iRacing is the improved ABS system. Previously, stamping on the brakes would force a lockup. The system would then unlock the offending wheel/s and lock up again, rinse and repeat. This killed the tyres and made ABS pointless.
However, the updated system should make ABS an actual driver aide and help you find more confidence under heavy braking without worrying about lockups and unusually high tyre wear.
Final thoughts
This season's update isn't particularly exciting, with only four new pieces of content and a better ABS system to get excited about. They did, however, add the usual car setup updates, additional cars and tracks that support AI racing, as well as more cars that feature the new damage model. For the complete Season 2 release notes, visit the iRacing Forums.
We wrote previously about upcoming content and features planned for iRacing, and one tremendous feature that we're waiting for is rain. It's planned for release sometime this year, so we see this update as a tiny appetiser that will hopefully prepare us for the main course, wet weather in iRacing.
