NASCAR fans have had it rough in recent years on the video game front, but there is hope on the horizon. After the fall of Motorsport Games and its subsequent relinquishment of the license, iRacing picked it up, and a new game is finally on the horizon.
While we're still in the dark over exactly when it'll launch beyond Fall 2025, and nobody has really seen anything of what to expect, iRacing has published an interesting, and important update on the series we'll be playing.
"iRacing is pleased to confirm that NASCAR 25, the first standalone NASCAR console title produced by iRacing, will feature four series upon its release later this year. For the first time in NASCAR video game history, the ARCA Menards Series joins NASCAR’s three national tours as part of a robust journey through the career path of the sport’s top drivers."
While it's the introduction of an entry series, this is huge for NASCAR fans, players of the game, and above all, the drivers in the ARCA Menards series. Everyone here wants to earn their stripes, get noticed, and ultimately, break into one of the major NASCAR series. That ARCA Menards is now getting shown off in video game form is utterly fantastic to see.
Previous NASCAR games have featured dirt races, but this will be the first time that the top four stock car series will all be present in the same officially licensed game, and the first time ARCA Menards has ever been in a console game.
As you would expect, all four series will be a prominent part of the game's career mode, but will also be available outside of this in quick play, seasons, and online multiplayer.
I'm probably not alone in my anticipation for NASCAR 25. NASCAR 21 Ignition was the last Motorsport Games title with the license, and it was, to be fair, horrible. NASCAR Heat which came before it had its issues, but was largely very enjoyable. Other than iRacing, or now, Forza Motorsport, it's slim pickings for digital NASCAR racing, so this one can't come soon enough. If anyone can make it an absolute winner, it's the geniuses at iRacing.
