NASCAR 26, the review of iRacing's new simulator

NASCAR 26: how to drive an American race car

Engine and oval circuit lovers, we have just the thing for you! Adjust your suspensions and get ready to read the NASCAR 26 review! After iRacing acquired the NASCAR license in 2023, the production of themed video games resumed, starting with NASCAR 25 and now doubled with NASCAR 26. The development team has extensive experience in driving simulators, as seen with their namesake iRacing, a title that boasts a decidedly high level of simulation. NASCAR 26 is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5, utilizing a cross-play system for online challenges, and I wanted to test the Sony console edition to understand its potential.

We are looking at a simulator that tries to offer a gaming experience adaptable to every type of gamer, with many options that can make it both accessible and extremely challenging. The modes are quite classic, and it starts with a somewhat sparse multiplayer, available only online (no split screen). Everything is based on creating lobbies that lead to a single race where, naturally, you can manage various options as you please. The choice is a bit limited, so you can only open a room, set up a race, and run it, that's it. Up to 40 players can participate, in a situation that mirrors crowded NASCAR races, but all this choice exposes each race to a very high possibility of accidents and, unfortunately, the penalty system is not particularly precise.

NASCAR 26: modes and gameplay

Naturally, you can play alone, and here too, the choices are quite basic. There are four car categories: starting with the simpler ones that participate in the Menards Series, moving on to the very unique Craftsman Truck Series pick-ups, then up to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series with its slightly less current cars than those in the Cup Series, the premier championship where the powerful and unruly Next Gen cars compete, suitable only for truly experienced and capable drivers. In addition to quick races and championships, there's a mode to learn how to best drive these particular cars, useful for getting familiar with the basics and more specific driving techniques. There's the classic career mode, where you start by founding a small team entered in the Menards Series and try to climb to the top of NASCAR, in a mix of fairly classic elements: race weekends, purchasing parts and facilities, hiring staff, sponsors, and so on. Interactions are quite limited, with NASCAR 26's career proving to be quite basic. Finally, I'd like to mention The Chase, a mode that throws the player into the final rush of the Cup Series. It starts from the championship playoffs, which are the last ten races, with the goal of competing for the title.

Naturally, in the face of a rather basic and traditional gameplay offering, what most interests racing game enthusiasts is NASCAR 26's driving model. Although we are not facing pure iRacing simulation, by disabling the various driving aids, there are some pleasant surprises. The cars are "heavy" and convey the sensation of dominating the approximately 1.5 tons of a NASCAR race car. You need to pay close attention to modulating brakes and throttle and learn to manage the rear of the car, with the rear end ready to betray the driver at the first mistake. Sensitivity is required, and this is combined with the many adjustments we can make. Naturally, being predominantly oval circuits, tires and suspensions have different needs, and here the possibility of selecting simple pre-set settings helps us, but we can also tweak many adjustments, to the delight of those who want to control every minute element. Drafting is of enormous importance, especially in situations where the straights are longer, and tire wear must be taken into great consideration. All in all, the driving model leans towards simulation and is satisfying.

NASCAR 26: graphics and audio

Damage is present, but it left me a bit disappointed, often being inconsistent with the hits I took and gave on the track. Similarly, the artificial intelligence only partially convinced me, with opponents more than once exhibiting illogical behavior, leading to avoidable accidents. Still speaking of AI, we can manage the difficulty of the races by deciding the qualities of our opponents, and I assure you that the challenge level can become truly high. It's always important to remember that races in this fascinating discipline are a mix of driving skill, speed, and strategy: being the most performant doesn't mean winning, and you have to learn to move within the pack and know how to exploit the opportunities offered by the classic car "trains" that can transform an outsider into the one who will cross the finish line first. One thing is certain: those who embrace the philosophy of NASCAR 26 will find gameplay capable of entertaining them. I should note that adaptive triggers can be activated from the options, although the function is quite mild.

From a technical standpoint, however, not everything runs perfectly. The graphical rendering is only decent and fails to reach the level of more renowned driving titles. Furthermore, the graphics engine struggles to maintain fluidity, especially in more crowded situations, where frame drops are visible, just as if we focus on the edges of the tracks, these seem to move with even more visible stutters. Generally, the situation is good and does not compromise the experience, but a trained eye immediately notices the problem. The audio compartment is good, with an exceptional soundtrack including the immortal "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd which, with a few notes, immediately transports us to classic U.S.A. atmospheres. Official championship voices and good audio effects, engines first and foremost, do the rest, completing an interesting package for all fans. NASCAR 26 is entirely in English, but given how far this world is from our sporting habits, it was unthinkable to expect an Italian localization.

NASCAR 26 is a good title, where a satisfying, but not entirely perfect, driving model manages to compensate for some structural limitations mainly due to a questionable artificial intelligence, somewhat too standard content, and an improvable frame rate. It remains a must-have for NASCAR enthusiasts, after a period in which titles dedicated to it were inadequate or entirely absent. If you've always dreamed of driving one of these race cars and love to tinker with various settings, iRacing Studios has developed just what you need.