Keen on moving on from the powerful-but-light Modifieds but not feeling the vibe of the full-on NASCAR stock cars just yet? The Super Late Model may just be the machine for you.
The Super Late Model is the cream of the crop when it comes to short-track oval racers, featuring nearly as much power as a NASCAR Tour Modified car but with a large amount of downforce. This translates into a car that can carry much more corner speed, and therefore generate faster lap times, than any other short-track vehicle on the service.
This guide will tell you all you need to know about how to get started and be competitive in the iRacing Super Late Model Series.
The Car
Featuring a straight rail chassis, one of the most unusual aspects of the Super Late Model is its offset weight distribution. As these cars only ever need to turn left, having the weight offset allows the car to take left hookers more effectively by making it more balanced than if it had a normal bias, like most race cars.
The Super Late Model features a similar 358 ci V8 engine to the SK and NASCAR Tour Modified vehicles, though it produces around 550 hp in this instance. This puts it around 50 or so hp down on the Tour Modified, but around 200 clear of the SK. It also weighs a little more than the Modified cars at 2,800 lbs, putting it around 200 lbs heavier.
It has adjustable rear suspension, and an elaborate downforce setup, which is produced via the machines floor. The resulting downforce allows it to achieve greater corner speeds than even a Gen 6 NASCAR Cup car, which helps result in faster lap times than the Modifieds on the short tracks it frequents. It’s essentially a cross between the Modified and NASCAR Xfinity Series cars.
Need Setups For The Series?
Get your professional setups for the Super Late Models today, along with every other setup Coach Dave Academy offers as part of the Delta subscription.
Thanks to our partnership with Team 53, we bring you setups for 3 popular short oval series every week to include:
- Advanced Legends Series
- Super Late Models Series
- Cars Late Model Stocks
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.
Race Series Format
The Super Late Model Series is a solo-driver fixture, with two different championships available to test your mettle. Both at the C-Class level, the Super Late Model Fixed series prevents any major setup changes and runs to a slightly shorter distance than the Open version, which allows full reign to change the setting to the driver’s preference. Both events have Full Course Yellow and Lucky Dog rules enabled.
Realistic weather is turned on, so the track conditions will replicate the ones seen in real life. Rain will not affect proceedings, as in real life, Super Late Models don’t venture out when things get slippery.
A small tab allows you to view the forecast before you enter, so you’ll know what to expect before you hit the circuit.
- Races run for around 20 minutes in Fixed, and around 25 minutes on Open series
- Both have a five-minute qualifying test that affords two flying laps to set the grid
- Cautions and Lucky Dog are enabled
- Each event is set to a realistic weather forecast
What License Is Needed To Race
The pair of Super Late Model Series fixtures require every driver to possess a C-Class oval racing license to take part.
To reach this level, the best way is to campaign either the Street Stock or Ford Legends rookie series to get yourself a D-Class oval license. From there, running clean races in either the SK Modified, Cars Late Model Stock or ARCA Menards series at D-Level will eventually land you a C-License, which will allow you to take the grid in Super Late Models.
- Want to sharpen up your technique before tackling Super Late Models? Why not pick up some fresh tips and revitalize your style by having a read of Coach Dave Academy’s extensive Never Lift guide?
Series Costing
The Super Late Model Series calendar is made up pretty much exclusively of short tracks less than half a mile in length, meaning a fair few come under iRacing’s free roster of venues. NASCAR Cup track New Hampshire also appears on the schedule though, alongside several of the services paid tracks.
Seven of the 12 rounds of the 2024 Season 2 fixture come under premium content, which adds up to just over $83. You’ll also need to add the Super Late Model car to your virtual collection, which will bump up the total to around $95. Tack on the usual 20% tax, and you’ll be looking at a total of $115 to complete the full season.
If you only want to do enough to qualify for iRacing’s participation credits scheme, a total of three tracks need to be purchased to complete the eight races needed to get it.
What’s So Special?
The Super Late Model series is good for those who want to still compete predominantly on short tracks, but are looking for a vehicle that produces its lap time purely through corner speed. While running similar lap times to the NASCAR Tour Modified, the two achieve them in different ways.
The lighter and more powerful Modified tends to make its time on corner exits and straights, while the Super Late Model makes up time by using its downforce to great effect in the bends. Due to having less grunt than the Modified, the Super Late is less prone to spinning the rears on corner exit, though it can still be tricky if not used to it.
As corner speed is so important in this series, maximizing it can easily be the difference between winning and losing. If you get held up behind a slower lapped car at the wrong moment, there’ll be little you can do to hold off an un-balked racer behind.
- If you want to practice your racecraft at the forefront of any race you enter, why not bolt on a setup tirelessly worked on by Coach Dave Academy’s expert engineers.
Smoothness Will Allow You To Race Competitively To The Chequered Flag
As is the case with most of the oval vehicles available on iRacing, being able to save your tires by driving smoothly throughout the race is critical to success. If you drive too hard in the early and middle stages of the encounter, you’ll find yourself with little front and rear grip.
A lack of front grip, especially on the front right, will mean you struggle to carry decent corner speed, forcing you to either carry way less speed than is optimal or wait an age to get back on the throttle. Sub-optimal rear grip means you won’t be able to get on the throttle as aggressively, allowing rivals that have saved their rears better to literally drive past you on corner exit.
- Trail braking into corners will help take pressure off the front right, meaning it will hang on better in the closing stages
- Treating the throttle pedal like it has an egg under it will prevent you using up too much life from the rear tires early on, allowing you to become the hunter rather than the hunted on the run to the finish
- Moving brake bias to the rear will help reduce energy on the front tire on turn-in, extra rotation also means you’ll be able to get on the power and out of the corner quicker
- Timing runs is critical, as any loss of momentum with a high-aero vehicle will leave you vulnerable to the chasing pack
The Super Late Model series is great for those who want to focus on racing purely on short tracks, with the vehicle built specifically to excel on these particular layouts. The added downforce compared to Modifieds feels amazing in the bends, though ensuring you nail each corner adds more pressure due to the loss of momentum that can occur should you get it wrong.
There’s only one way to ensure you stay clear of this, so fire up the sim rig and get on track!
- Also, 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!
