iRacing’s 2025 Season 3 brings new vehicles, tracks and long-awaited improvements to the GT3 tyre model. Highlights include the Ferrari 296 Challenge, Gen 4 NASCAR Cup cars and the Bend circuit in Australia. Let’s dive into the details.
Ferrari 296 Challenge
The Ferrari 296 Challenge car joins iRacing in the next season. The 296 Challenge is designed exclusively for the Ferrari Challenge, a one-make racing series for Ferrari clients.
The car uses a 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged engine with 700 hp power output. Compared to the Ferrari 296 GT3, the Challenge car is heavier and has less downforce but more power. It should be a few seconds slower on most tracks than the 296 GT3.
The 296 Challenge replaces the 296 GT3 in the D-class Ferrari Challenge series. Here are a few hints to adapt to the new car if you switch from the 296 GT3:
- You must lift more in medium and high-speed corners than in the GT3 car because you get less downforce. For example, Eau Rouge/Raidillon at Spa is flat-out in the 296 GT3, but the 296 Challenge should require a significant lift to negotiate the corner.
- You have to be very smooth with the throttle at the early stages of acceleration because sharper acceleration starts at lower speeds than in the GT3.
- At the end of long straights, the 296 Challenge is faster than the GT3, so you should adjust braking points accordingly. Usually, you can aim to brake about 30-40 meters earlier to compensate for overspeed.
Gen 4 NASCAR
The “real” Gen 4 Cup cars will replace boosted ARCA cars in the Gen 4 Cup. In March 2023, iRacing mistakenly added more power and increased the rev limiter to 9700 RPM to the then-ARCA cars. This unintentional update was so popular that it stayed in the sim.
The Gen 4 Cup car project has been completed and will be released in season 3. The release includes two car packages (the 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the 2003 Ford Taurus), each with two car bodies (Stockcar and Speedway Stockcar).
These cars will be raced in the C-class Gen 4 Cup series instead of the current Gen 4 car.
AI Coaching that actually works
Don't get lost in the data, instantly unlock lap time using our new real-time Auto Insights coaching. Elevate your braking, apex, and exit performance in record time.
The Bend Circuit
Season 3 introduces one new track in South Australia – The Bend. The release includes seven racing configurations:
- GT Circuit: 7.77 km with 35 turns. This is the second-longest permanent racing circuit globally after the Nürburgring Nordschleife
- International Circuit: 4.95 km with 18 turns
- East and West Circuits: 3.93 km and 3.41 km respectively
- Minor configurations: the Bend also includes the West PLUS Circuit (3.66 km), Sprint Circuit (2.784 km), Southwest Circuit (1.811 km) and North Circuit (1.341 km)
The track features major elevation changes (85 meters for the GT circuit) and many technical corners inspired by famous circuits. The Bend has hosted Asian Le Mans Series and the Supercars Championship.
GT3 Tyre Model Update
iRacing tyre model on road cars is probably the most criticised feature of the sim after netcode. On the limit, cars drive on a thin line between having a lot of grip and no grip at all.
This update should address the core issues with the tyre model on GT3 cars. The iRacing devs announced:
- Reduced temperature spikes
- More resilience to sliding with better grip recovery
- Improved stiffness (softer vertical, stiffer lateral)
- Tyre wear is more track- and stint-dependent
- Tyres start cooler, taking several laps to peak
- Overhauled chassis behaviour, ride height setups and aero response
Car updates
Several other cars receive updates in season 3:
- Indycar IR 18 will be updated to 2025 spec with reworked tyre model, wet tyres, aero, visuals, setup limits and sounds
- Gen 7 NASCAR Cup Car received the latest tyre model, revised aero and a new CFD-based drafting model for realistic pack racing
- Rain tyres will be added to the Lotus 79 and Super Formula
- The Formula 4 will be reworked with dry and wet tyres
- BMW M4 G82 GT4 will be upgraded to the EVO version
Track updates
Multiple tracks underwent complete rework from new laser scans and surface modelling:
- Iowa Speedway. Newly repaved turns.
- Richmond Raceway. Rebuilt for infrastructure updates.
- Sonoma Raceway. Major visual and physical refresh, new terrain rendering.
- Worldwide Technology Raceway (Oval only). Updated surface reflecting IndyCar and NASCAR events.
- Charlotte Motor Speedway. Includes Roval changes and updated surface.
- North Wilkesboro Speedway. Adds the modern version to complement the existing 1987 layout.
In addition, multiple tracks will get art upgrades without complete rescans:
- Already done: New Hampshire, Bristol, Darlington, Dover, Homestead, Kansas, Las Vegas
- In progress: COTA, Darlington, Daytona, Indy, Lime Rock, Phoenix, Texas
Some of these updates will go live in season 3, and the rest will be postponed until season 4. All upgrades are free for existing owners.
Other updates
Season 3 includes minor updates, including adaptive AI, rain visuals overhaul, VR enhancements and expanded 360 Hz support. See the full list in the iRacing season 3 development update blog.
Coach Dave Academy’s Plan for 2025 Season 3
Our professional drivers and engineers will continue to develop the best setups for popular series in iRacing for the majority of series across Road, Formula and Short Ovals. Our partnerships with Lumen Motorsports to bring TCR setups and Team 53 to bring oval setups remain for Season 3 as well.
As usual, we will provide our weekly lap guides for many series across season 3 on the Coach Dave Academy YouTube Channel, complementing our packages of professional setups and data packs.
Gain seconds in lap time with our incredible iRacing setups that include professionally developed setups and referance laps for every car available in the official weekly racing series that you can find on iRacing.
