iRacing recently provided an update on Season 2 2025. Fans have lauded the simulator platform for its in-depth and realistic visuals in the past. The developers have gone further and made them a lot better, introducing graphical updates and a new lighting system, generating long discussions among NASCAR fans and sim racers alike.
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The new updates have changed the way the racing environment reacts to sunlight. Tracks used to have a lifeless feel to them earlier due to the flat lighting system. But now, the sun has been made into a light source that drastically changes the racer’s experience. Which is to say, the reflections of the sun are realistically bright.
However, not everyone is a fan of this update. Some have expressed opinions on social media that the light appears too washed out at certain points and that it makes it harder to race.
One fan started a thread on X by writing, “Awesome lighting update guys it looks nice but is it really necessary having the Resurrection of Jesus off turn 4 at Homestead in all 3 series this week??”
We all wanted the sim to be as real as possible
— Rubexcube (Emo nite & Nascar stan) (@rubexcube_) March 20, 2025
They added footage of a car going through Homestead-Miami, with the windshield being flooded by excessive sunlight. Others proposed simple explanations and solutions. One said, “The cheat code is to turn off hdr But honestly it should look like this. Thats what it looks like irl.”
Another joked, “Time for the tinted visor update.” Turning off HDR might just make things worse. The bright colors would appear too washed out and make for a less appealing experience. One fan had a rather interesting solution. They said, “Yes. Get some sunglasses. Real-life drivers deal with it all the time.” Talk about realism.
A major wildfire is happening in the Miami-Dade area currently. The city has already confirmed that it would not impact the NASCAR weekend. But one fan couldn’t refrain from drawing lines between the disaster and the lighting update. They wrote, “It’s the wildfires in Homestead rn. Very realistic!”
On another front, three new cars have been introduced for this season. They’re the ARCA Chevrolet SS, the ARCA Ford Mustang, and the ARCA Toyota Camry. Portland International Raceway has also been added to the list of tracks. There have been complete overhauls to seven NASCAR tracks, including Homestead-Miami, Bristol, and Darlington.
The debris system will now have mud and gravel, along with a more defined impact of such debris on racers. These are but a few of the upgrades that have been announced. There are plenty of iRacing fans in the NASCAR garage. A review of these improvements can be expected from them in the coming days.
