iRacing

iRacing.com · released 2008 · discussed in 1,161 posts, 2005-2018 · overall tone mixed

Posts per month

Timeline

2006-02-16 The first screenshots of the former Papyrus team's new sim, later named iRacing, were published. thread post
2006-09-19 iRacing.com announced a partnership that added the XV8R SuperSaloon to its car list. post
2006-11-08 iRacing announced Barber Motorsports Park as a track, said its software was in internal testing and began taking beta-tester requests. post post
2006-11-17 iRacing.com and the Skip Barber Racing School announced a strategic alliance. thread post
2006-12-11 iRacing announced partnerships with Speedway Motorsports and ECCI, and its FAQ said the sim was built from NR2003 code. post post
2007-02-10 A group led by iRacing co-founder John Henry bought a 50% stake in Roush Racing. post
2007-03-13 Professional drivers demonstrated the iRacing.com sim at the Speedway Expo in Massachusetts. post
2007-12-09 iRacing.com demonstrated its simulator at the PRI trade show. Tony Gardner was named president and said a launch was planned for spring 2008. post post
2008-01-23 iRacing announced subscription pricing of about $13 a month on a yearly plan, with extra cars and tracks costing $15 to $25. thread post
2008-02-10 The SCCA and iRacing.com announced the iRacing.com Cup and added the SCCA Spec Racer Ford to iRacing. post
2008-06-05 InsideSimRacing published a 16-minute video preview of iRacing. thread post
2008-06-06 iRacing lifted its beta non-disclosure agreement ahead of launch. thread post
2008-06-11 iRacing moved from beta to a controlled roll-out and began accepting paid subscriptions. thread post post
2008-06-25 iRacing began sending invitations to new subscribers. thread
2008-07-13 iRacing banned its first member for disruptive behaviour. thread post
2008-08-26 iRacing opened to the public. post
2008-09-26 iRacing announced the Silverado pickup truck as a new vehicle. post
2008-11-26 Watkins Glen International was added to iRacing. post
2009-03-04 iRacing offered former subscribers three months for $25. post
2009-04-28 iRacing replaced the Advanced Solstice with the Spec Racer Ford as a rookie road car and cut less popular series from its schedule. thread post post
2009-05-17 NASCAR and iRacing announced a NASCAR-sanctioned online racing series starting in early 2010. post
2009-05-22 iRacing announced private leagues for August. post
2009-09-03 iRacing offered a free one-month trial with the Skip Barber at VIR or Late Models at Martinsville. It withdrew the offer a week later after reports of abuse. thread post post
2009-09-28 iRacing released Indianapolis and announced Aussie V8s, Phillip Island, IndyCars and the Corvette. It also launched the World Championship with a $10,000 prize. post post
2009-10-15 iRacing cut its yearly subscription from $149-156 to $99, lowered content prices and introduced participation credits. thread post post
2009-11-04 iRacing released its IndyCar and added hosted races for leagues. post post
2010-01-17 Williams F1 and iRacing announced a virtual AT&T Williams FW31 for iRacing. post
2010-03-05 Zandvoort was released for iRacing. post
2010-04-07 EA's exclusive NASCAR licence ended, and the licence was now shared with Gran Turismo 5 and iRacing. post
2010-06-04 iRacing reported 9,000 active drivers in May 2010. post
2010-06-15 Mid-Ohio was released for iRacing. post
2010-10-29 A new iRacing build added the Mazda MX-5, the Williams FW31, new Solstice tyres and permanent fun servers. post
2011-01-01 Spa was released for iRacing. post
2011-05-18 iRacing delayed its Nationwide car while it waited for a new tyre model. post
2011-05-19 iRacing's servers failed under load during a pre-Indianapolis test race. post
2011-08-01 iRacing released its new tyre model. post
2011-11-24 iRacing offered a one-year membership for $49 as a Black Friday deal. post
2012-01-04 iRacing announced it would add a Cadillac. post
2014-01-27 iRacing announced a RUF all-wheel-drive car alongside the Patriot course at Virginia International Raceway. post

Key threads

iRacing and Skip Barber Racing School announce alliance 2006-11-17 · 54 posts
Tim Wheatley of iRacing posted the announcement of a strategic alliance with the Skip Barber Racing School, with a video comparing the real and simulated Lime Rock. Some found the graphics underwhelming, and Wheatley explained the tiny video hid the detail and that oval and other forms of racing would follow. Debate centred on the value of laser-scanned track accuracy and on iRacing's likely subscription pricing and league support.
Andrew MacPherson weighs whether to subscribe to iRacing 2008-07-10 · 141 posts
After receiving an invitation, Andrew MacPherson asked for help resisting iRacing despite disliking its pricing and rookie cars. Uwe Schürkamp regretted his six-month subscription, Alan Bernardo found it too structured, and Tony Rickard argued its strength was organised, skill-matched pickup racing for drivers without leagues. The long thread covered value for money, owning versus renting software, safety rating penalties for going off track, and whether automated fault assignment is possible.
iRacing subscription pricing announced and debated 2008-01-23 · 124 posts
Posters discussed iRacing's newly announced pricing of about $13 a month on a yearly plan, with extra cars and tracks costing $15 to $25. iRacing's Tim Wheatley answered questions, saying the base content would cover a first season and that launch was planned for spring. Opinions split between those who found the price reasonable compared to other hobbies and sceptics like Backspace who attacked the cost and the $20 trial, leading to insults; the later posts drifted into GPL tyre grip and sensing speed in sims.
iRacing NDA lifted: beta tester calls it addictive 2008-06-06 · 101 posts
After the iRacing beta NDA was lifted, a tester called it 'crack in a box' and the most addictive thing since NROS. Larry praised the closed, mod-free, real-name, centrally ranked system, while others objected to the subscription price and the departure from the open mod and league culture of rFactor. The long thread veered between thoughtful comparisons, including Tony Rickard on GPL and rFactor history, and crude insults from pseudonymous posters.
How long will iRacing last as a subscription service? 2008-08-12 · 68 posts
Jeff Reid guessed iRacing would survive about three years as a subscription service, and Andrew MacPherson agreed it might not last long in its current form. Uwe Schürkam cited the 10tacle collapse cutting off GTR2 online play as a warning about relying on one company, while Larry and others defended the yearly plan and the cost of laser scanning. Posters compared subscriber needs to MMOs like EVE Online and speculated iRacing might gain the NASCAR licence; iRacing's Tim Wheatley commented on software licensing.
InsideSimRacing video preview of iRacing 2008-06-05 · 67 posts
Tony Rickard linked a 16-minute InsideSimRacing video explaining how iRacing would work. Andrew MacPherson and Schooner doubted the business model, pricing and lack of offline or league options, while beta testers Larry and Uwe Schürkamp said field sizes depended on skill-level splits and that yellow flags and pit stops were not yet implemented. An anonymous poster's questions about grid sizes sparked accusations that he was David G Fisher, and abuse followed.
Frustration over iRacing's lack of progress news 2007-08-03 · 64 posts
Pat Dotson asked whether iRacing was doing anything besides real-world racing. Tim Wheatley denied it was simply NR2003 and defended long development times and the focus on marketing to real racers, but exchanges with Schooner turned sour and Wheatley said he would stop posting clarifications. Others debated whether real racers or sim racers would be the core market and worried about pricing.
First Racing (iRacing) screenshots and Papyrus physics debate 2006-02-16 · 61 posts
The first screenshots of the former Papyrus team's new sim drew mixed reactions, with some calling the graphics dated and others praising Papyrus's natural art style. Discussion covered its planned subscription model and resentment over the company's legal treatment of modders. A debate followed on whether GPL and NR2003 physics had been accurate, citing Dave Kaemmer's later admission about GPL grip and Dale Earnhardt Jr's view of NR2003.
iRacing cuts prices and changes subscription model 2009-10-15 · 34 posts
Posters discussed iRacing's price cuts, with the yearly subscription falling from $156 to $99 and cheaper content, plus participation credits for racing eight weeks a season. Tony Rickard explained the details and said hosted racing was coming. Andrew MacPherson argued iRacing needed a relaxed tier and questioned spending on pro series marketing, which led to arguments with Schooner and others.
iRacing begins controlled roll-out to subscribers 2008-06-11 · 20 posts
Larry reported the iRacing site going down for conversion from beta, and Uwe Schürkamp said he had bought a six-month subscription despite earlier saying he would not. Larry described a controlled roll-out with a sign-up deadline, while Ken MacKay and others noted missing features such as pit stops and said the product was effectively still unfinished. Posters agreed iRacing staff were receptive to feedback, while James Promme declared sim racing dead.
iRacing free trial auto-renewal complaint 2009-03-12 · 97 posts
A poster complained that iRacing charged his card after a free trial because auto-renewal was on by default. Tim Wheatley of iRacing said the renewal terms were clearly stated in the welcome email, and posters split between blaming the customer and calling opt-out billing sneaky. The thread also covered credit card verification, real names and the Solstice, and was revived years later with excerpts of iRacing customer service messages.
Will iRacing ever make a PC sim? Plus Crammond debate 2005-09-08 · 92 posts
A poster noticed that iRacing's revamped website seemed to target commercial simulators and asked whether Dave Kaemmer's company would still release a PC sim. Jason Moyer was confident it would lead the field, while others noted that the competition was now stronger. The thread turned into a long argument about whether Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix series were real sims and about force feedback.
Andrew MacPherson's iRacing race report and passing etiquette 2008-08-22 · 59 posts
Andrew MacPherson wrote a long account of a race that partly changed his mind about iRacing. Others discussed how slower cars should behave when being lapped, with Larry and Asgeir Nesoen arguing that passes should be made on the inside and the slower driver should hold their line. Side topics included PC cooling, and a critic of the post's length was met with support for Andrew's writing and a burst of insults.
Byron Forbes on iRacing, and the 'iPonzi' accusations 2009-09-28 · 51 posts
Byron Forbes described joining iRacing on a three-month deal and called it the best sim available despite some issues. A poster calling it 'iPonzi' argued its physics were no better than older sims and that pro series winners were just exploiting it, while others defended its accuracy, the iRacing World Championship and the VW TDI Cup prize. Posts also covered auto-renewal billing complaints and Dale Earnhardt Jr's sim racing.
iRacing's stance on private leagues and its value for training 2009-05-20 · 45 posts
Niles Anders criticised Eric Alexander's interview remarks that private leagues would let drivers hide from iRacing's official structure. Tony Rickard said private leagues planned for later in 2009 would require the right licence class. The debate shifted to whether iRacing is useful training for real drivers, with Racer developer Ruud van Gaal saying simulator braking points at Zandvoort scaled well to real life.
Hardware needed for iRacing, and is it a sport? 2008-10-12 · 44 posts
Returning simmer Dirt asked whether modest hardware could run iRacing, and replies said a dual-core CPU and mid-range graphics card would do, as anything that ran NR2003 well would cope. Older posters shared why they still sim race, and Mario Petrinovic and Ronald Stoehr argued over whether iRacing's laser-scanned tracks and sanctioning body made it more than a game. Dirt later joined using an Xbox 360 wheel and reported a smooth install.
iRacing news on laser-scanned tracks 2005-12-02 · 38 posts
Chad Rogers linked iRacing's news about accurately scanned tracks using point-cloud technology. Some remained bitter over iRacing's legal action against modders, while others debated whether more accurate tracks would add realism given missing motion cues. The thread drifted into Papyrus versus newer sims, brake modelling, and the naming of the World Series.
Excitement over rFactor 2 tyre physics video 2011-03-26 · 36 posts
Andrew MacPherson shared an rFactor 2 video and ISI developer Q&A, noting triple-screen support and a commitment to strong AI. William Bradshaw, developer of the NSS stock car mod, discussed rFactor stock car mods and found iRacing's NASCAR car twitchy, and others traded insults about rFactor stock car mods. Later Mario Petrinovic and Tony Rickard debated how important force feedback is compared with visual and inner-ear cues.
iRacing website relaunch and joystick versus wheel speed 2008-06-10 · 34 posts
Tony Rickard noted the updated iRacing.com website, and former TEN racers reconnected. Tim Wheatley confirmed iRacing would be manual-shift only, and posters wondered whether it could detect joystick users. That led to recollections of Wolfgang Woeger and other fast GPL joystick drivers and explanations of how pedals allowed left-foot braking tricks.
Andrew MacPherson buys more iRacing content and loves the trucks 2009-05-07 · 32 posts
Andrew MacPherson humorously recounted buying more iRacing content, finding the Formula Mazda disappointing but the trucks at Daytona exhilarating. Ed Medlin and Tony Rickard shared setup tips and enthusiasm for superspeedway pack racing. Others discussed iRacing's discount and referral offers, which included a contest for a real Skip Barber drive.
iRacing Week 13 fun races and the private league debate 2009-04-24 · 32 posts
Andrew MacPherson was tempted to buy content for iRacing's Week 13 fun races and asked for perspective. Niles Anders argued that iRacing's licence structure deterred experienced rFactor league racers, while Plowboy insisted everyone must work their way up. Posters welcomed the Spec Racer Ford replacing the Advanced Solstice as a rookie car.
Trying dual and triple monitor setups for sim racing 2008-08-28 · 31 posts
Andrew MacPherson described trying dual-screen spanning on his Nvidia card and being converted to wide multi-monitor views. Others discussed Matrox TripleHead2Go, large LCD TVs and the SoftTH utility, and Tim Wheatley got a cheap three-screen setup working using his TV output. Andrew later found eyestrain on the TripleHead, which Tony Rickard suggested might be helped by vsync and refresh rate settings.
Is force feedback in sims good enough yet? 2008-06-10 · 31 posts
Joseph asked whether force feedback had improved after being disappointed by an older Logitech wheel. Most recommended the G25 with Race 07 or iRacing, and Tony Rickard posted a detailed iRacing beta review. Mario Petrinovic argued FFB latency makes it less realistic than a non-FFB wheel, while Pat Dotson and others countered that a spring-loaded wheel is unrealistic and modern FFB has negligible lag.
iRacing website update with tracks and physics details 2006-07-20 · 30 posts
Byron Forbes linked an update to the iRacing website. Some yawned at a press release without a product, while Dave Henrie and Jason Moyer were excited by laser-scanned American road courses and details of tyre and aero models. A side debate covered whether amateurs could realistically drive modern F1 cars in a sim.
First iRacing invitations sent; early impressions and incident points 2008-06-25 · 30 posts
Larry reported that iRacing invitations were going out, and early subscribers shared their first impressions. Critics mocked the lack of pit stops, while others noted the current series do not use them in real life. Discussion focused on the incident point and safety rating system, with Tony Rickard explaining that minor offs and contacts were like notes from the stewards and would not harm a licence if overall driving was clean.
Andrew MacPherson's month in iRacing: diary and debate 2008-08-27 · 30 posts
Andrew MacPherson wrote a Big Brother-style diary of his first iRacing month, complaining about the Solstice rookie car and paying for extra content while praising the Skip Barber car. Pat Dotson disagreed about the Solstice, and old RAS regulars like Goy Larsen reappeared, joking about reviving the old RASCAR crowd. Remco Moedt cancelled his subscription after finding no one to race, and posters debated web forums versus Usenet.
Active iRacing numbers and its business model in 2010 2010-03-27 · 29 posts
Rcgldr asked how many players iRacing had after its price cuts. Andrew MacPherson estimated more than 20,000 had tried it, with about 16,000 oval and 15,500 road participants, and noted Dave Kaemmer had said they were surprised how small the hardcore market was. Posters debated whether a standalone boxed version, open forums, translations or a NASCAR licence deal would help.
Sim racers spend on hardware but balk at software prices 2006-08-26 · 29 posts
Tony Rickard observed that sim racers spend heavily on hardware but are reluctant to pay for software. The discussion moved on to whether iRacing would just reuse NR2003 and GPL multiplayer code, and whether Papyrus's netcode still beat rFactor's. Opinions differed, with several praising the rFactor F1 1979 mod and GT Legends' physics.
iRacing's safety rating and the fear of incidents 2008-08-24 · 28 posts
DavErb suggested that iRacing's safety rating had introduced a healthy sense of fear into virtual racing. Some liked the pressure while Andrew MacPherson did not want to feel afraid while relaxing. Asgeir Nesoen argued fault could be assigned automatically, but iRacing's Tim Wheatley said only a human can judge fault and that players would game any automatic system; the thread also debated EULAs and whether users truly own software.
First driver banned from iRacing 2008-07-13 · 26 posts
A poster reported that Brian Zerkle had become the first person banned from iRacing for disruptive behaviour. The discussion became an argument about whether iRacing's real-name policy endangered members' safety, with several posters mocking the privacy concerns. Others complained about browser compatibility with the iRacing site.
Good points of iRacing and the F1 1967 rFactor mod 2009-07-18 · 26 posts
Jeff Reid acknowledged that iRacing's safety rating made rookie drivers courteous and that a shared setup helped him meet the rookie lap standard. The thread moved to iRacing's new Lotus F1 car, which Andrew MacPherson described as a hybrid between the Mazda and Skip Barber. Uwe Schürkamp then recommended the F1 1967 Classic mod for rFactor, which several found brought back GPL memories despite accusations that its author used others' work without credit.
Andrew MacPherson's iRacing Solstice crash video 2008-10-31 · 25 posts
Andrew MacPherson shared a comic music video of him destroying the Pontiac Solstice in iRacing testing, which posters found very funny. He also reported forum threads about an iRacing Christian group and complaints about wrecks in truck racing. Talk of an upcoming Corvette led to banter about American cars.
iRacing offers free one-month trials aimed at GPL and NR2003 fans 2009-09-03 · 23 posts
Tony Rickard announced a free iRacing month offering the Skip Barber at VIR or Late Models at Martinsville, aimed at GPL and NR2003 fans. Jeff Reid doubted GPL fans would like the Skip Barber, while Tony called it the closest thing to GPL2. Peter had trouble getting his cards accepted, and the offer was reportedly withdrawn after abuse such as joke sign-up names.
How many active iRacing members are there in 2009? 2009-05-23 · 22 posts
Jeff Reid asked whether iRacing's active membership had passed about 6,000. Tourainer said official figures were 6,000 in December 2008 and 8,000 in March 2009, likely boosted by half-price offers and a NASCAR announcement, while Jeff argued the discounts showed the pricing model under strain. Others debated whether iRacing was too restrictive and expensive compared with rFactor leagues, with one subscriber noting he paid about $8 a month after credits.
iRacing 'for grown men and women' sparks name-calling 2008-09-26 · 62 posts
Mario Petrinovic praised iRacing as a mature simulation, and critics called it elitist and overpriced. Adamo Contadino argued that the real-name requirement was a security risk, which led to a long flame war with several posters. Tony Rickard noted that iRacing members had a diverse range of opinions.
iRacing's Watkins Glen and the Radical, plus pricing gripes 2008-12-03 · 48 posts
Larry praised iRacing's laser-scanned Watkins Glen and racing the Radical there, though GaryR noted the track was scanned before a repave. Andrew MacPherson questioned whether iRacing could afford to keep tracks current, and Uwe Schürkamp observed RAS discussion of iRacing had dropped off. Requests for pay-per-race pricing and renewed objections to real names led to another round of insults.
FFB, latency and field of view on a new PC 2012-04-05 · 41 posts
Mario Petrinovic posted many updates on force feedback, latency and field of view settings after getting a new PC. FolkGT shared settings recommended by the Project CARS developers and discussed differences between sims. GaryR attacked the thread as the death of the newsgroup, leading to insults with FolkGT, while others noted the lack of discussion of new sims like Assetto Corsa and rFactor 2.
iRacing on BBC News and the truck racing debate 2008-09-25 · 39 posts
Rob P linked a BBC News technology story about iRacing. Andrew MacPherson's jokes about pickup truck racing sparked a debate over NASCAR trucks and American culture; Tony Rickard said trucks were essential to iRacing's US audience. Tim Wheatley explained how safety rating works in long races, before the thread degenerated into anti-American and anti-European insults.
Requests for iRacing invites and arguments over real names 2008-06-30 · 35 posts
Howard Fergerson asked for a spare iRacing invite, and Tony Rickard said the next wave of invites would go to those registered on the website. A sceptic called the invitation system a marketing ploy, and the thread turned into an insult-filled argument over whether iRacing's real-name requirement was a privacy risk.
Mario Petrinovic hunts for balanced FFB settings 2012-01-05 · 31 posts
Mario Petrinovic announced he had found how to balance force feedback slack, then kept revising his settings for the Logitech profiler's sensitivity and centering spring. Tony Rickard and FolkGT explained that 50% sensitivity is linear rather than reduced. GaryR mocked the endless self-replies, and others noted he was at least keeping the group alive.

Busiest threads

Andrew MacPherson weighs whether to subscribe to iRacing (63 posts about it)
iRacing NDA lifted: beta tester calls it addictive (48 posts about it)
How long will iRacing last as a subscription service? (35 posts about it)
iRacing free trial auto-renewal complaint (31 posts about it)
Hardware needed for iRacing, and is it a sport? (30 posts about it)
Frustration over iRacing's lack of progress news (26 posts about it)
iRacing's stance on private leagues and its value for training (25 posts about it)
iRacing Week 13 fun races and the private league debate (23 posts about it)
iRacing subscription pricing announced and debated (22 posts about it)
Active iRacing numbers and its business model in 2010 (20 posts about it)
iRacing cuts prices and changes subscription model (20 posts about it)
iRacing's Watkins Glen and the Radical, plus pricing gripes (19 posts about it)
First Racing (iRacing) screenshots and Papyrus physics debate (18 posts about it)
iRacing and Skip Barber Racing School announce alliance (17 posts about it)
FFB, latency and field of view on a new PC (15 posts about it)

Sentiment by year

Each post that discussed the sim was rated from −2 (very negative) to +2 (very positive).

Year	Posts	Positive	Negative	Tone
2005	19	7	1	positive (+0.32)
2006	70	26	8	positive (+0.23)
2007	56	17	10	mixed (+0.12)
2008	495	181	92	positive (+0.26)
2009	245	78	83	mixed (-0.07)
2010	75	25	11	positive (+0.35)
2011	82	21	13	mixed (+0.13)
2012	63	6	14	mixed (-0.13)
2013	41	1	17	negative (-0.41)
2014	13	2	4	mixed (-0.15)
2015	1	0	1	very negative (-2.00)
2018	1	0	0	mixed (+0.00)