Customer Reviews

iRacing 1-Year New-Member Subscription

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're looking to have a great experience with online racing, and you want to know what a track truly looks like from the cockpit, then this is for you. Many would say it's pricey, but you really do get what you pay for.

Anyone who has been involved in online gaming knows that there are a few things that can ruin the whole experience. In online racing you have those that come in, wreck everyone, laugh, and leave. Well, with the iRacing (FIRST) sanctioning body, this problem has been removed. People here are friendly, respectful (for the most part), and the staff take their role of creating a "professional" environment seriously.

As for the graphics, you won't find much better. Although this is a bit of a subjective topic, there is probably a unanimous agreement that the tracks are spot-on accurate. The signage, bumps, curbs, and marks have been laser scanned and digitized to create the most realistic experience out there. These are not created in someone's home office based on info off the web. These look and feel realistic!

The physics of the cars are incredible; however, they're not exactly like driving a real car. We're never going to be able to feel the g-forces or true feedback from a brake pedal, so there is a bit of unrealisticness (is that a word) here. However, you will have a tough time ever playing one of your boxed up simulators again after this. Their press reports say that their cars' physics are perfect, but I've never seen that statement from a pro driver...it only is said through their press releases. Still, you won't be disappointed.

The competition is where you're going to truly start seeing the major difference between this and other sims. This is not a CD that comes to you in the mail, you install it, and that's what you run offline with. Everything is run via a web-based console which fires up a program on your machine. You can run all the solo practice sessions, or solo time trials that you want, but you must be connected to the web. If you want to run a qualifying or race session, you will be on track with other real-life people. There are no computer AI cars. You will grow to absolutely love this!

Don't worry about not knowing which server to connect to anymore. These servers are ALL run from iRacing's service. You simply say you want to race, and when the race begins, you are grouped with others at your ability (iRating) level. Sometimes you will be the leader of the pack, and others you will be pushing hard to keep up. Every session is a learning experience.

The only reason I couldn't give this 5 stars, as bad as I wanted to, was because of this final (and sometimes the best) quality. This product is constantly under development. It is constantly being improved. Major enhancements come every 3 months at the end of each full season. Minor enhancements come at fairly regular intervals. Tracks are constantly being added, and tweaks to the competition are always under consideration.

Because of this, sometimes the product feels unfinished; it is, and always will be. This, at times, can become frustrating when you see a problem and there are so many solutions proposed in the forums, but new problems sometimes are created. However, the staff is there! The forums have not been left behind by the creators. If you type a post, they will read it, and often respond.

Your voice matters here! You're buying more than a game. You're buying an experience unlike any other online game you've been a part of. If you're a racing fan, you owe it to yourself to at least give this a try!

I've been on iRacing since the BETA and it only keeps getting better. iRacing has the best physics, the most accurate tracks, and a growing community. iRacing continues to add to it's arsenal of vehicles and tracks that are available to purchase.

If I have one warning to anyone out there, it's that if you are a console gamer and think you can just jump on and smash your way through it, this is NOT what iRacing is about. You won't be able to just sign up and start driving the NASCAR COT (Car of Tomorrow) and other higher series vehicles. You have to earn it. However, if you are willing to learn the system, the rules of the community and sporting code, and willing to put the time into practicing to learn the actual handling characteristics of the various vehicles - then iRacing can be a place for everyone from the novice to the advanced sim racer as long as they have the right mindset. I encourage everyone to at least give it a try!

Also note that you aren't going to just pay your membership and be done. You'll have to pay for new content as it's released and as you want to race it. Once you pay for it, you won't have to pay for it again - you own the right to use it. You don't "have" to purchase everything, only that which you want to compete on and in. Some complain about the cost, but I think it's very reasonable considering the service and product.

If I have a complaint about iRacing, it probably falls within the scheduling of races for certain series. Although I understand why they do it, I just don't agree that it is the solution to the problem they are trying to solve. That aside, I think iRacing does a great job managing the service and are fairly open about the development process.

Pros:
- Very accurate cars
- The best accuracy of tracks
- Very good sound and feedback system
- "The System" - series / points / incidents system / licenses / stats
- Great "Eye Candy"
- Excellent controller setup. Best Force Feedback implementation yet.
- Good people and community - For the most part! ;)


Cons:
- Lack of races in select series. Schedule manipulations.
- Race lengths are too long in higher licensed vehicles. There should be "sprint" and "normal" length races.
- Damage modeling is still being developed.
- More emphasis and recognition for people who like to compete in the lower licensed vehicles
- No umbrella girls (Hey.. it's MY review!)

I would like to say that I joined Iracing about a year ago and for myself, this IS the best simulation of racing I have been a part of in a 6 years of sim racing. Laser scanned cars and tracks, competition and racing REAL racers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. is great. You can even see every race Dale Jr has ever raced and when he raced it.

What really makes me continue my journey with Iracing is the constant improvement and that they actually care and listen to their customers. This is already the best sim to date, but it will remain that way by bringing out new cars and tracks plus always improving the service in any positive way that is possible. Anyone looking for a true sim racing experience, its just a no brainer to give Iracing a shot. You will not be disappointed.

The one year option is the cheapest option. Along with a 1 year option, you receive 60 dollars in Iracing credit to use towards the purchase of cars and tracks that you may purchase to add to the default inventory that you get when you sign up.

iRacing is by far the best and most accurate racing simulation I have ever tried. The best part has to be the laser scanned tracks. The tracks are accurate to within 1mm of the real world track. Every bump, dip, crack, building, wall, etc is modeled. Bumpy tracks like Daytona and Atlanta are extremely fun to race on. The track and car feels very alive compared to past racing sims.

The other thing that is so much better than other sims is the organized competition within iRacing. There are many series to choose from. There is an iRating which determines your skill level and a Safety Rating which determines how safe you are on the track. These 2 things have to be one of the most important features of iRacing. Races are split into groups depending on your iRating. This way you are always grouped with people of a similar skill level. The Safety Rating also helps to make people drive within their limits and not cause an abundance of crashes. Both the iRating and Safety Rating work very well.

There are also a ton of stats available through iRacing which can be filtered and sorted for race results, series standings, qualifying results, driver ratings, time trials, etc.

The updating process through iRacing is also the most painless I've ever seen in a racing sim. If updates are available the website will notify you and you are taken to a page that lists all the available updates. Select the updates you want to install, click OK, bang--updated. Its that simple. Updates come very often too.. its not like other sims where the developers release a patch or two and their done. iRacing is constantly releasing updates to their simulation software and adding new web enhancements every few weeks.

I would have gave iRacing 5 stars but there are a few things that I think still need improved upon. I will list them in the cons below.

Pros:
- Extremely accurate cars and tracks
- Engine sounds are very good
- Every race counts toward series championship standings
- Graphics are very detailed, car and track textures are absolutely stunning
- Love all of the stats available
- Safety Rating and iRating are one of the best additions to a modern racing sim to date

Cons:
- Race lengths in higher level series are a little too long. Some races can last almost 90 minutes.
- Limited scheduling for upper level series. This may go away in the future as more and more people move up.
- Body damage modeling is not very accurate at all. The body crumples up much too easy, like tin foil. No aero-effects on body damage right now either.

+1 Dustin McGrew's post.

Racing against competitors from all over the world with similar driving skills, at tracks all over the country (soon to be tracks from all over the world) Without a doubt the best racing simulation ever. Great fun!

A good internet connection and a PC with fairly stout graphics capability are highly recommended.

Perhaps the closest any normal 'joe' can get to driving a real race car. If you like simulators and driving games, for less than 20 bucks a month, this is a no brainer. There is nothing else like it in the world.