The Street Stock oval racing series on iRacing has been a fan favourite for many years, with its Rookie fixture holding the hands of many oval newbies as they make their debuts. For over a decade, the Street Stock was identical for every driver in the field.
This article will outline any changes drivers need to be aware of regarding the new bodies, and how it will affect the Street Stock series going forward.
As of Season 3 2024, things are changing for the trusty racer. iRacing has introduced a pair of new bodies for the car, ensuring fields contain more variety than in the past. The original body iRacers have gotten used to is now known as the Panther C1, with the new ones being christened Casino M2 and Eagle T3.
Introduction To The Casino and Eagle Street Stocks
The Street Stock vehicle featured within iRacing is based on the traditional entry-level stock car used across the United States. Street Stocks can vary depending on which series they race in, with basic versions being little more than road cars with the windows removed and a roll cage fitted. More serious variants have significantly upgraded engines and suspension.
The Street Stock available in iRacing is on the more serious end of the spectrum, with its 5.8-liter V8 engine producing a hefty 375 bhp and 360 lb-ft of torque. The whole vehicle is fairly heavy at 3,400 pounds, ensuring it isn’t the most agile of race cars out there.
There are three separate bodies available within iRacing, with the base Panther C1 being included within the basic membership. The service introduced the Casino M2 and Eagle T3 chassis’ for Season 3 2024, though these need to be purchased for $11.95. This price contains both body styles though, so one payment will net you both.
All iRacers can thus enter both series (given those racing in the C Level fixture have purchased the right tracks), with the Panther body, it’s just that you’ll be unable to race the two new bodies unless you buy them first.
In iRacing, the Street Stock is eligible for two different series, a Rookie one as well as a C-Class fixture.
- Rookie-level runs for around 15 mins, while Caution and Lucky Dog rules are disabled
- C Level runs around five minutes longer, but as Cautions and Lucky Dog is enabled, this can vary
- Setup is fixed for both championships
The Basic Car Setup
The Street Stock is designed to be easy to drive for those newer to oval racing, with its heavy weight and manageable power making this possible.
Its lazier feel means drivers have more time to save the car from any loss of control, something assisted by its soft setup. This allows greater feel for the driver, especially over bumps that can be found on some older oval tracks.
- Car can be thrown around a fair amount before it snaps, plenty of feel at low or high speeds
- This lethargic characteristic is handy for newer drivers, though it also rewards those who can be smoother once they get a feel for its behavior
Aerodynamics And Bodywork
The Street Stock produces little to no downforce, which helps keep the car feeling consistent no matter what corners you tackle. Cars with more downforce produce significantly more grip in high-speed corners, but then have less grip in slower bends as their advanced aero setup can no longer produce downforce. This isn’t an issue with the SS, with only its tire and mechanical setup deciding how much grip you’ll have.
While the three different bodies now featured on the Street Stock look fairly different, each does not affect performance. All three use the exact same physics model, so the only difference is in how they look.
- Lack of downforce means grip potential is consistent at all speeds
- All three available bodies do not affect performance
Steering And Cornering
Due to the lack of downforce, all the cornering potential of the Street Stock is taken care of by the mechanical setup and tires. The car will tend to understeer on corner entry due to the heavy V8 being placed at the front, so it can be tough to get it back even if carrying just a little too much speed in.
The base setup is designed to be more forgiving for rookies, though the rear can step out on exit if smooth throttle control isn’t used.
- Lack of downforce means vehicle can slide more at high speed, though softer setup means it communicates this well through the wheel
- Rushing the corner will cause the car to understeer due to safe and soft setup, as well as heavy front weight bias due to large V8
Power Delivery And Braking
Once drivers get a feeling for the Street Stock, getting on the power is relatively straightforward. The rumbling V8 has a smooth, consistent torque curve, though its power can catch those who are a little too lead-footed for their own good. The lack of downforce on the rear can make it easier for the rears to spin up in corners of all speeds, especially when tire wear is higher towards the latter stages of races.
The tires also aren’t the stickiest in the business, so good throttle control will help improve corner exit speed and improve tire wear over the full distance.
The softer nature of the SS helps to give the driver more feeling under braking, making it easier for less experienced racers to not exceed the limit. The brake bias is set further forward by default, so those suffering from front locking or understeer can dial it back somewhat.
- Rear grip can be tricky due to lack of aero, basic tires and meaty power from V8
- Getting smoothly on throttle will help in this area, as will straightening up steering on corner exit before getting on power
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to think of a better machine to learn the basics of oval racing than the venerable Street Stock. Its soft setup gives an excellent driver feel, allowing you to easier understand when they are approaching the limit of grip and have more time to sort things out if things do go too far.
The big V8 engines also give enough power to teach drivers about smooth throttle control, but not enough to fire you into the crowd the moment you glance at the throttle pedal. Having a car easier to control means you can exercise more of your brain power focussing on battling with other cars, and saving the rear tires to make sure you can fight for the top positions approaching the chequered flag.
The lessons gained from running the Street Stocks will help when climbing the oval ladder, especially in NASCAR-sanctioned series such as Xfinity, which are essentially SS cars on steroids.
If you need any track tips or help with adapting your driving style to vehicles with high levels of downforce, check out the Coach Dave Academy YouTube channel which features tutorials and guides from our skilled drivers.
