Back after a brief hiatus from the iRacing platform, the INDYCAR iRacing Series is a fan-favourite series in a fan-favourite car that is always set to impress. Running on the same weekends as the real-world NTT IndyCar Series, usually on the same track and in similar conditions to the real-world, this series helps fans to get even closer to the action.
The Car
One of the stars of the INDYCAR iRacing Series is, in fact, the car: the Dallara IR18.
Essentially an evolution of the previous-generation Dallara DW12, which we covered in our comprehensive iRacing Car List, the IR18 is a spec chassis with different aerodynamics packages depending on the track. This allows the car to be equally as competitive in the tight and twisty street circuits of Long Beach as it is at over 240 miles-per-hour over the famous Brickyard of Indianapolis.
The most obvious difference between the IR18 and its predecessor is the implementation of the Aeroscreen. Essentially the next evolution after the Halo that you’ll find on other Formula Carers on the iRacing platform such as the Mercedes-AMG W13 E Performance, this was a safety device co-designed with Red Bull Advanced Technologies in order to protect the driver from any debris in the case of a loose wheel or any other loose parts after an accident.
However, much like with any Formula Carer on the platform, if you find the central pillar to be too much of a distraction you can simply turn it off in the Setup menu. Much like in other Formula Carers, there are some elements of the car that you can control over the course of the race to your advantage.
Whilst some of them will be familiar to most sim racers, such as adjusting wing angle at your next stop and the Push-to-Pass system that turns your engine up to 11 for the next few seconds, there are two others that might not be as familiar: the Weight Jacker and Anti-Roll Bars.
The Weight Jacker is something that gives a driver the cutting edge on the ovals. What it does is make the car slightly more or less asymmetrical depending on the track conditions. But, before you think that this sounds completely counterintuitive, there is some method to the perceived madness.
It’s installed on the right-rear damper, and when you increase the weight jacker it raises the right-rear corner of the car slightly. That helps with tyre wear as a stint goes on, and makes the car more consistent through the corners. It can also make the car slightly faster when used correctly, due to the fact that the weight jacker adjusts the ride height of the car.
The ARBs do a very similar thing, but symmetrically. By increasing or decreasing the front or rear Anti-Roll Bars, a driver is attempting to adjust the handling of the car to suit them better by inducing or removing understeer or oversteer.
The main difference between changing the ARBs and the Weight Jackers is that, whilst they both are designed to make the car run better over the course of a run, the Weight Jackers are designed to primarily make the cars faster and on an oval whereas the ARBs are designed to primarily make the car feel better for the driver so that they can go faster as a result.
Race Series Format
Each race in the INDYCAR iRacing Series is designed to mimic the real-world NTT INDYCAR Series as closely as possible. With the only exception being the Indianapolis 500, which runs as its own Special Event the week after the real-race, every race even runs the same distance as its real-world counterpart!
There are some specific rules that apply on road courses and ovals, also reminiscent of the real-world rules. Road courses, on one hand, have the tyre-change rule that means that drivers must run both the Primary and Alternate tyre compounds unless they wish to be disqualified. They also have the Push-to-Pass feature, which doesn’t exist on the ovals.
On the other hand, the specific rules that apply to ovals relate to cautions – otherwise known as safety car periods for European readers. Road races don’t have cautions, as is the norm on iRacing, whereas oval races have the single-file restarts that the real-world NTT INDYCAR Series is famous for.
Much like with the official NASCAR iRacing Series and the Formula A Grand Prix Tour, the INDYCAR iRacing Series also runs at particular timeslots over the course of the week. These are at 01:00 GMT on Thursday, 20:00 GMT on Friday, 18:00 GMT on Saturday, and 02:00 GMT on Sunday. Remember that these times could change during daylight savings, so don’t forget to check beforehand so that you don’t miss out!
What License Is Needed To Race?
The INDYCAR iRacing Series makes the most of the new-for-2024 iRacing License Structure, which you can read more of here. In short, the Licenses were changed so that the Road Licenses were split between Formula Car and Sports Car Licenses, with the Formula Car Licenses covering any Road or Oval racing that features an open-wheel car.
To compete in the INDYCAR iRacing Series, you will need to be rated C-License or better in the Formula Car category. That’s similar to the NASCAR iRacing Series, which requires a C-License or better in the Oval category. However, unlike with the NASCAR iRacing Series, you can build up to the C-License in the Formula Car on both Road courses and Ovals.
- You can read more about how the iRacing license progression tree works in our guide, here.
Series Costing
The biggest question that surrounds most series on iRacing is the cost. Sim racers will usually ask how much it costs to compete in an iRacing series, and there’s a very good reason to this – in order to compete in every race, you’ll inevitably have to open your wallet and pay for some of the circuits that you are going to race on.
The INDYCAR iRacing Series isn’t any different: in addition to the cost of the car, 15 of the 16 races take place on paid circuits – though the double-header at Indianapolis means that you only need to purchase 14 circuits. However, given that some circuits such as Sebring and Road America are very popular in other iRacing series – let alone the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from which the series takes its name – you’re almost certain to get lots of use out of the tracks that feature in this series.
- Do you want your money to go the extra mile on iRacing? Check out our guide on how to get started in the most cost-effective way possible.
What’s So Special?
When it was announced that the INDYCAR iRacing Series would return to the platform in 2024 after a hiatus, fans were absolutely overjoyed. The legal world of licensing took the series away from the platform in 2023, with iRacing not even being allowed to run official livestreams featuring the Dallara IR18 – let alone its own version of the Indy 500! However, changes that took place over the off-season meant that the series could once again return to the iRacing platform in 2024, with fans signing up in their droves after the deal was put together just before the season-opener of the real-world NTT INDYCAR Series.
- If you want to take your INDYCAR race craft to the next step, check out our Never Lift coaching programme.
How To Make A Difference
As it is in the real-world NTT INDYCAR Series, you might find that you’re better at one type of circuit compared to another. That could be as simple as Road courses compared to Ovals, or it could even be that you’re better at the street circuits in places such as Long Beach and Detroit or the shorter ovals such as the World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) or The Milwaukee Mile. However, there are some specific points that will help you in the two main disciplines.
On Road Courses:
- Practice on both types of tyres – the Option compound and the Alternate
- Plan your pitstop appropriately – you have to change compounds at least once!
- Use your Push-to-Pass effectively – you only get a few uses of it in the race!
On Ovals:
- Practice using the Weight Jacker – it will help manage the tyres over a long un
- Learn how the ARBs affect handling – decreasing the front isn’t the same as increasing the rear!
- Practice your pit entry – you don’t want to lose the race because you entered the pits too quickly!
- Remember to download the free Coach Dave Delta app today to access the full range of setups to fight for supremacy whenever you hit the track!
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.
