As part of iRacing’s inaugural 4 Hours of Charlotte Benefiting the National MS Society, iRacing executives have announced numerous new content and features that will debut on the sim in the coming months. Here’s a quick refresher in case you missed any of the news:
#RainConfirmed
Work-in-Progress photo of rain from Executive Producer @greghi11‘s interview during today’s broadcast!https://t.co/7T4f5XJukQ pic.twitter.com/gLlS6XM9NG
— iRacing.com (@iRacing) July 31, 2021
iRacing executive producer Greg Hill appeared on Saturday’s 4 Hours of Charlotte stream to confirm the development of a rain model. Hill also briefly showcased current progress on the model, confirming that the model should be fully functioning and undergoing testing for public release by the end of the year.
Mount Washington Auto Road
Last year we decided to try something outside of our comfort zone: create the Mt. Washington Hillclimb in @iRacing. Although it was Spring at the time, Winter conditions at the mountain had persisted. GM Toby Reichert sent us a pic of the Auto Road. Our visit would have to wait.. pic.twitter.com/ypmS1vClca
— Greg Hill (@greghi11) July 31, 2021
In a unique challenge unlike any other content iRacing has released before, the Mount Washington Auto Road will make its debut as an early access release in time for this month’s Mount Washington Hillclimb. Located in New Hampshire, the famed mountain hosts the event once every three years, with this year’s edition having been postponed from 2020. Action sports icon Travis Pastrana will be taking part in this year’s race in hopes of bettering his course record set in 2017.
Hungaroring
Soon YOU will be able to “take it easy into turn 1” just like the #HungarianGP! pic.twitter.com/WgeEerhS9t
— iRacing.com (@iRacing) August 1, 2021
The next European road course to make its debut on iRacing will be the Hungaroring, host of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The track broke ground in 1985 and hosted its first event the next year, and has been part of the calendar of numerous major championships ever since. The 2.722-mile Grand Prix layout features 14 turns and is built in a valley, where fans can see most of the track at any given time. The Hungaroring saw uncharacteristic rain and a chaotic first corner in Sunday’s race, but crowned a popular first-time winner in Esteban Ocon.
Hickory Motor Speedway
September pic.twitter.com/IE1bOuwuWH
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) August 2, 2021
As confirmed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Sunday night, iRacing’s latest foray into classic stock car racing venues will see the release of the .363-mile Hickory Motor Speedway in September. The “World’s Most Famous Short Track” opened as a half-mile dirt oval in 1951, going through three reconfigurations before settling into its current form in 1970. A NASCAR Cup Series venue until 1971, it was a key part in the early history of the Xfinity Series, hosting six races in 1982 and remaining on the schedule through 1998. It remains a popular venue for late model touring series and weekly racing events.
