iRacing has already published the Development Update for the 2026 Season 2. In this traditional document, which previews everything currently being worked on in the simulator for the near future, we get to know what new content is arriving next week, while also reading the platform managers’ conclusions regarding what has happened so far at an official level.
In addition to the usual self-congratulatory references to the results of recent “Special Events” and their success—namely the 24 Hours of Daytona, which according to iRacing data had a total of 104 splits and more than 6,000 registered teams—the latest Development Update also highlights the significant attention currently being given to the protest system. According to iRacing, an average of 1,000 protests per day are being reviewed, making this the area that demands the most effort from the simulator’s staff. The goal is to continuously improve the system so that the user experience keeps getting better. In this article, we will focus only on the new content being introduced in the simulator with the new season, leaving other aspects that are already well known on the platform for separate articles.
St. Petersburg Grand Prix Comes to iRacing
With this year’s Season 2, another street circuit arrives in iRacing: the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. The “St. Pete” track had long been requested by the community and is therefore very welcome. Extremely technical and featuring an uneven surface, it combines urban sections with purpose-built racing segments and even part of an airport runway.
Its challenging layout has attracted several real-world competitions, serving for example as a venue for the IndyCar Series. This year, it is also part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Mazda MX-5 Cup calendars.
Several New Cars
This season, in addition to several new cars arriving in the simulator, there has been significant attention given to various categories or classes.
One of the season’s additions is the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which will represent the American manufacturer in the NASCAR Cup Series. Featuring a fully redesigned carbon fiber chassis, it reflects inspiration from the original road-going version.
However, this won’t be the biggest highlight of the season when it comes to new cars in the NASCAR universe. The spotlight in this area goes to the NASCAR RAM Truck.
This car, which is still awaiting final approval, brings the entire grid in line with reality. It represents a historic milestone in both real and virtual form, as for the first time in 14 years, NASCAR will feature four manufacturers.
Gen2 Arrives in the TCR Class
One of the classes that has recently received increased attention from the iRacing development team is TCR. With Season 2, new physics arrive for these cars, along with a roadmap for future expansions.roadmap‘ de futuras expansões.
Debuting in Season 2, the Audi RS3 LMS Gen2 arrives as a new addition to the simulator. This model, a key car in the TCR era, will be introduced as a brand-new vehicle, while the previous version (Gen1) will become Legacy content. As such, users who own the previous version will need to purchase the new Audi, with credits being offered based on the purchase date within the last calendar year.
