iRacing Guide: The Best Oval Cars To Buy in 2025

When getting started in oval racing in iRacing, it can be tricky to decide which path to tread as you gain experience and progress through each license level. There are a wide variety of series and vehicles available through the service, each of which offers a different skill set to get the most from. 

So to start the new year Coach Dave Academy decided to put together a list of the best cars to buy, in order, to secure the best oval racing experience in iRacing across all license levels. Every vehicle has the same $11.95 purchase price, though depending on the series you enter, the number of tracks you’ll need to buy will vary.  

ARCA Menards Chevrolet

First up is the venerable ARCA Menards Series Chevrolet, which has its own fixture at D Class level. Featuring a beastly 650 bhp 358 ci V8, the ARCA machine is essentially a NASCAR Cup car from a decade or so ago. This means that alongside being immensely powerful, it’s also pretty heavy. 

This means that learning how to not overdrive the car will be key to ensuring you can carry momentum through corners. You’ll also need to be cautious of tire wear, as the bumper power level and weight can be a real tire eater. 

The racing is also great fun, especially later in the race when tire wear begins to take effect and you have the chance to really get stuck in. It’s also a good way of getting used to high power early in your oval career. 

• Only one series runs the vehicle, where you’ll get to race on a combination of short tracks, medium ovals and road courses
• ARCA Menards Series runs a fixed setup, with races taking around 20 mins   

Late Model Stock

The Late Model Stock car features a potent 350 ci small-block V8 that puts out 500 hp, a good way down on the ARCA. As a result, it generally feels a lot less wild to drive, so it’s good for those who perhaps don’t want to deal with an ultra-high-powered stock car early on.   

As the series runs primarily on short tracks, it won’t suit those who want to gain experience on intermediate and superspeedway courses. Drivers looking for close racing and love short-ovals are in luck though, as you’ll learn plenty about close battling with the Late Model.  

Nailing corner exits and carrying momentum is key, as this will be your primary form of attack and defense during a race.  

• Late Model can be used in two different series, a fixed one at D level and an open setup contest at C Level
• Fixed D races last for around 15 minutes, Open C ones last for around 25 minutes 

SK Modified/NASCAR Tour Modified

While the Late Model can provide you with critical tin-top experience, the SK Modified is a bit more specialized. Featuring a tube-frame chassis and a 358 ci V8, the SK only produces 385 hp. Combined with its lightweight, the SK Modified is one of the most agile and engaging oval vehicles available. 

Like the Late Model, the SK Modifieds run predominantly on short oval courses. This means the racing remains cut-and-thrust, though isn’t the best for learning about series higher up the license list. The delayed throttle response and relatively low power make the SK Modified easy to get off the corners, while its lightness and wide tires mean falloff is very little.

Trail braking is a key skill to develop to excel in this series, and Coach Dave Academy’s Never Lift guide can help if you need help to hone your technique. 

• There are Open and Fixed setup SK Modified fixtures, which both run at D-Level
• Both run for around 15 minutes

NASCAR Trucks

Unless you’re keen to purely focus on short-track racing, reaching the NASCAR tricolore of series is a common goal when getting involved in oval competition. The Truck Series is the first rung of this ladder.  

Probably the closest in terms of driving dynamics to the NASCAR Cup vehicle, the trio of trucks available produce a decent amount of downforce for what they are. As a result, they represent a good opportunity to practice carrying momentum through the fast corners that populate intermediate ovals that are popular in NASCAR. They possess 6.2-liter V8s that send 625 hp to the rear wheels. 

You’ll also be able to practice getting a feel for the car in dirty air, which will become more pronounced when you finally reach the Cup Series. Each of the three body styles available will need to be purchased separately. 

• There are Open and Fixed setup NASCAR Truck encounters, which both run at C-Level
• Open runs for around 40 minutes, Fixed lasts around 20 minutes

NASCAR Xfinity

The Xfinity car is arguably the most fun to drive of the three NASCAR-sanctioned machines, primarily due to the thrilling combination of a lack of downforce, heavyweight, and a 650 hp V8. This means that it slides around naturally, with the commanding power making the situation slippier still.  

Experience in driving the ARCA Menards car will help before stepping into the Xfinity’s virtual cockpit. As the races the Xfinity car is eligible for are longer, tire wear is also more of a problem. Xfinity races have cautions enabled too, which brings pit strategy into the mix. 

It can be awfully easy to burn out either the front or rear right tire if you’re not careful, further adding to the exciting challenge of taming the car. 

• NASCAR Xfinity car can be used in Open and Fixed fixtures, both need a B-License to participate 
• Open races run for between 45-50 minutes, Fixed contested over 25-30 minutes

NASCAR Next Gen Cup Cars

Most drivers who get involved in oval racing will likely want to reach the pinnacle someday. The NASCAR Next Gen Cup car possesses the most downforce of any of the traditional stock cars on the game, while its 5.9-liter V8 kicks out 670 hp on normal tracks and 510 hp on superspeedways.  

The Next Gen offers a unique challenge when compared to the other cars on this list, as its balance falls the way of understeer. Overheating the front tire is thus a very real issue, though you don’t want to exceed the rear slip threshold either. The Next Gen is very difficult to save once it steps out, making finding the perfect in-between of under and oversteer critical for lap time. 

Once you get the hang of it though, there’s nothing quite like battling for top positions in the very same vehicles your real-life heroes wade into battle with every week. 

• Open and Fixed contests available, both of which run at A-Level
• Open runs for between 80-90 minutes, Fixed fought over 40-50 minutes

Honorable Mention: 1987 NASCAR Legends Cars

For those big on oval racing history, the 1987 NASCARs used in the NASCAR Legends Series may be of interest. Consisting of a set of four cars campaigned by Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, and Pontiac in the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, these are heavy and cumbersome beasts that take some taming. 

Due to the old-fashioned suspension and tire technology, and you can brakes to the equation too, especially for road courses, the set of 1987 vehicles aren’t what you call agile. For experienced racers looking to channel their inner Dale Earnhardt though, it’s difficult to beat the beasts from yesteryear.

To Conclude

While other routes are possible in iRacing, for those looking to try a bit of everything, Coach Dave Academy feels these options give the best range of variety for aspiring oval drivers.

Putting some research into the tracks run on each series schedule is also important, as a particular fixture may cost you less money in tracks to run over a full season. Over time you should be able to collect enough to fill each out without having to spend too much, giving you free reign at whatever discipline takes your fancy.  

After all, when all the cars outlined here are collected, you’ll have access to over 20 different oval series on the service when the free Mini Stock, Street Stock and Legends Ford machines are counted. The world will quite literally be your oyster.