IRacing

iRacing primarily focuses on creating an environment in game that will mimic real-life driving as closely as possible, including the use of LIDAR-scanned cars and tracks. In most circumstances, players are confined to a cockpit-only view when driving. iRacing offers a day-night-cycle, offering more dynamic racing due to temperature variation and limited sight at night. As of 2024, iRacing also added a realistic dynamic weather model, simulating rain and fog with its respective effects on the track's surface and temperature.

Racing wheels and gamepads are supported, as are adaptive controllers and other auxiliary input devices. iRacing also supports the use of VR headsets. Support for computer-controlled opponents was added in late 2019. Initially limited to a small selection of tracks and cars, the developer has gradually added support for more of the game's content.

iRacing began to be developed in 2004, when Dave Kaemmer, co-founder of the Papyrus Design Group, partnered with John W. Henry to create FIRST.net LLC, which then acquired the code to NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. Kaemmer then worked this source code into what would become iRacing, released four years later in 2008. iRacing retains the multi-body physics system of NR2003, as well as some of the track presentation and multi-user packet code, but everything else has been changed, or is completely new, like the tire model and graphics engine. The service receives regular updates between 12-week competition seasons.

Over a two-month period in December 2021 and January 2022, iRacing.com acquired a pair of racing game companies, Orontes Games and Monster Games; the former developed the Orontes game engine used in its 2020 off-road racing game Drag, while the latter has created multiple racing games including NASCAR Heat. The two remained independent from their new parent, though iRacing's development team absorbed assets like Orontes' lead developers Christian Folkers and Thorsten Folkers and Monster's co-founder and owner Richard Garcia.

iRacing was launched to the public on August 26, 2008. By July 2009 more than 16,000 individuals had subscribed to the service. The company said there were 50,000 members as of December 2013. By April of 2020, iRacing.com president and CFO Anthony Gardner claimed the service had over 160,000 active subscribers.

iRacing has received favorable reviews from automobile, racing and gaming magazines as well as websites dedicated to racing simulators. The service has also been criticized for not yet including features often found on other racing simulators, such more advanced visual damage modeling. Rain was added to the sim for Season 2 2024, while not all series and cars offer wet racing as of early 2025 the list of series that do offer rain is extensive. PC Gamer stated that the game was "not one that will be to everyone's taste", while GameStar back in 2009 concluded "The graphics give the impression of an unfinished beta, but at least the atmosphere between the players is always friendly."