Much like the famed “Madden Ratings” from the Madden NFL franchise, NASCAR 25, the first NASCAR console game produced by iRacing, rolled out its own set of driver ratings ahead of its launch. Gold Edition players acquired early access at midnight on Friday, October 10, while the standard edition will hit shelves on October 14 for Xbox Series X and S, and the PlayStation 5 platform.
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Among more than 170 real-world NASCAR and ARCA drivers, only three earned a perfect 100 overall rating. William Byron topped the NASCAR Cup Series chart, while Connor Zilisch led the Xfinity Series, and Corey Heim grabbed the same honor in the Truck Series.
Given the #24 HMS driver’s regular-season championship this year and back-to-back Championship 4 appearances, the rating, while debatable, hardly feels misplaced.
Developers calculated each driver’s overall number based on their combined skill set across various track types. The rating is given based on consistency, speed, and adaptability, essentially determining who can walk the walk on any surface and any type of track.
Byron scored a 98 on superspeedways, 94 on speedways, and a flawless 100 on intermediates. He earned a 97 on short intermediates, 90 on concrete tracks, and 88 on road courses, rounding out his skill profile.
Denny Hamlin followed closely behind with a 99 overall, recording a perfect 100 on speedways and concrete, while Kyle Larson matched that 99 overall mark for third place. Still, not everyone was singing praises. Fans quickly took to social media to express their grievances, calling the ratings unrealistic and biased toward Byron.
One fan scoffed, “Yeah let’s give a guy who has never won a championship a 100 overall!” Another wrote, “I know he is the cover driver and has a great relationship with iRacing but really? The only drivers the should have that rating would be legend drivers.”
A third chimed in, “I don’t think any driver should be a 100, but even if their were one, it would need to be like a 1998 Jeff Gordon. Not 2025 Byron.” Yet another added with sarcasm, “Y’all think William Byron is best NASCAR driver in the Cup Series. He’s not even the best driver at Hendrick.”
From the sim to the superspeedways, his skills are elite.@WilliamByron stands alone in the Cup Series with a 100 OVR rating in @NASCAR25Game. pic.twitter.com/Lg0YOcvqXs
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 9, 2025
Drawing parallels to Formula 1’s gaming series, one fan noted, “Even in F1 the best drivers on it have like low 90s I don’t think anyone should have a 100.”
Despite the backlash, early access Gold Edition players largely gave positive reviews. Players praised the visual overhaul, the noticeable leap from the glitch-prone NASCAR 21: Ignition, and the improved AI that allows side-by-side battles and competitive racing throughout the field.
