It seems like a logical feature, but finally, iRacing has added the ability to purchase new cars and tracks from within… well, iRacing.
Previously, within the subscription-based simulation platform, if you selected a race and didn’t own the necessary content, you would be re-directed to your web browser. From there, on the member site, you could purchase new content, before switching back to the service.
Now, there’s a native shopping cart that allows multiple items to be added. Once it’s time to complete the transaction, it’s done in the cart area within iRacing.
There’s one caveat, being PayPal purchases must still be processed through the old method of the website, for now. There’s also currently a bug with purchasing content via Steam, which has been temporarily disabled.
Alongside the new cart is a new wallet system, replacing the now-defunct ‘recharge’ button. It incorporates a revised method of handing out gift credits and redeeming gift cards.
Away from purchasing more content, there’s now a dedicated spectate sessions page within the ‘go racing’ area of the application, crash logs are now automatically sent to iRacing and the off-track rolling resistance parameters have once again been tweaked, this time for vehicles without ABS.
The still-fresh Ferrari 296 GT3 continues its evolution, with further damage model updates, as does the Super Formula SF23, which added a Honda-engined version in Patch 2. This time, changes to the launch control and overtake systems have been implemented.
iRacing 2023 Season 3 Patch 4 is now live and the service is back online at the time of publication. The full changelog is below courtesy of iRacing.
iRacing 2023 Season 3 Patch 4 changelog
iRacing
Cart
A new fully featured shopping Cart for making purchases has been fully integrated into iRacing!
– – There is no longer a need to be redirected to the iRacing Membersite when you click on items to purchase. Items may be added to your Cart and purchased directly within the iRacing application.
Cars and Tracks may be added to the Cart from anywhere within iRacing. Anywhere you see a Cart button, you can add that content directly to your Cart for purchase now or later.
You can access your Cart at any time with the Cart button in the header bar at the top-right. The button also displays a number indicating how many items are currently in your Cart.
– – Details about items in your Cart are provided, including: SKU#, Description, List Price, and Your Price. The Cart also informs you of the Estimated VAT/Sales Tax that will be applied to your order, and how many iRacing Credits would be applied to your order.
When making a purchase in the Cart, you may select your method of payment including iRacing Credits and iRacing Dollars, Credit Card on file, a different Credit Card, or Venmo.
– – PayPal is not currently available for purchases directly within the iRacing application, but it remains an option via the Classic Membersite Cart functionality.
– – You may select to use iRacing Credits for content purchases directly in the Cart.
Upon completing an order with the Cart, a confirmation screen is shown in iRacing, and a confirmation email is sent to your account email on file for reference.
Wallet
A new Add Funds button has replaced the previously available Recharge button.
– – This new button utilizes the new Cart feature, and allows you to complete the transaction for purchasing additional iRacing Dollars right inside the application.
A new Send Gift button has been added to the Wallet.
– – This new button utilizes the new Cart feature, and allows you to purchase iRacing Dollars for other users right inside the application. You can select from your Friends and Followed users, as well as anyone via a Search ability. You can enter any amount and optionally add a friendly message to your gift.
A new Promo Codes & Gift Cards section has been added to the Wallet.
– – This new section allows users to check promotional and gift card codes, as well as redeem them right inside the application.
All three of these new features are also available within the My Account > Overview > Account Balance section.
Spectate Sessions Page
A new page within Go Racing is now available, Spectate Sessions!
– – This page displays all actively running Sessions which allow you to join as a Spectator.
– – The Spectate Session Page is divided into three tabs which limit which type of Sessions are displayed at any one time:
– – – – Official Sessions
– – – – Hosted Sessions
– – – – League Sessions
– – Selecting each tab (Official, Hosted, or League) showcases the list of Sessions of that type for which you may join as a Spectator.
The Spectate Sessions Page includes a variety of methods a user can search, sort, and filter the Sessions which they might wish to spectate.
– – Search Bar – Users can input any text string that may be related to a Session for which they would like to browse, such as Series name, car, or track.
– – Sort – The displayed results can be reorganized based on several criteria. If there are many results, this page is paginated, so Sorting can come in handy.
– – Filters – Criteria that can be applied to further limit the displayed results. These filter criteria include reference to the number or drivers or if specific drivers relative to the user are included (such as Friends), the type of Session (such as Race, or Quality), and the License Class Level.
– – Favorite – Only Favorite Series are displayed.
A helpful “About Spectating” information link is also available on the Spectate Sessions Page with some unique information about how Spectating works.
Automatic Crash Reporter
A new system has been implemented which automatically copies crash dump files and log files whenever a user generates them and adds them to a database iRacing can access for analysis.
– – We hope this system will catch unreported issues we can address and enable us to see trends for issues in real-time. This system is only in place for crash events from within the Simulator application at the present time.
An Opt-Out option is available for the Automatic Crash Reporter tool.
– – This option can be found in the Account Settings page.
– – Opting Out prevents automatic sending of crash reports to iRacing. iRacing will not automatically collect crash report data from you.
– – The default for users is Opt-In.
Downloader
The options for selecting which content to Update/Download have been consolidated into a dropdown menu, and a new option “Select Owned” has been added.
– – The new Select Owned option includes all Required Updates, as well as all content you own, and is now the default selection mode.
Series
The Drive Now dropdown now offers a Track Info option which displays the Track Info page for the chosen week.
Leagues
Nicknames and Car #’s are now visible in the League Roster by league members and not just league admins.
Fixed an issue where if you stayed on the League Sessions page while a session launched, the session would disappear from the screen until the page was refreshed.
Spotter
Fixed an issue where spotters in Race Sessions were being presented with a “Forfeit” button when they wished to exit or stop spotting for the session.
Help
The “Get Support” option has been relabeled to: “Support & Live Chat” and is now a blue color for improved visibility.
– – The function of this button remains the same in that it opens a browser to the iRacing Support page where FAQs and Live Chat are available.
Simulation
AI Racing
Fixed an issue where AI rosters with 11 or more car types did not correctly grid cars by relative speed.
Tires
Rolling drag parameters for tires without ABS on off-track surfaces have been updated.
Spotter
All explicitly triggered spotter messages, such as damage report, will now always play when triggered even if the spotter has been temporarily silenced.
The off-track Spotter messages for the car immediately in front or behind of the player for position have been updated for improved accuracy.
The “That car is a lap down” spotter message will now only play for cars that are in the same class as the player.
Fixed an issue where the Spotter was miscalculating your Strength of Field competition while gridding.
Nearly 160 of the original iRacing Aussie Spotter calls have been re-recorded and improved!
Spotter – Foreign Language
A new “SPCC_MID_ZERO” optional spotter call has been added that lets spotter translators call out zeros in a number.
– – As an example, the number 1001 would be called as “SPCC_N1000 + SPCC_MID_ZERO + SPCC_N1”. This only triggers on zeros above the first digit and below the last digit, and if two zeros are next to each other it will only call zero once.
Graphics
Fixed an issue where smoke was not appearing in VR with SPS enabled while using Low particle detail.
Telemetry
The units for “AirPressure” have been changed from “inHg” to “Pa” to better match other telemetry values.
Cars
<Car Class> NASCAR Legends – 1987 Cars
iRacing setups have been updated.
Acura ARX-06 GTP
The new official HRC paint scheme has been added.
BMW M4 GT4
Fixed an issue where parts of the cockpit model could appear to seep onto the windshield banner at distant camera views.
Dallara IR18
iRacing setups have been updated.
Ferrari 296 GT3
For the New Damage Model, fixed an issue that prevented the rear wing from being repaired when the rear panel was also broken.
Modified – SK / NASCAR Whelen Tour Modified
(Modified – SK) – iRacing setups fuel level have been updated.
NASCAR Legends Pontiac Grand Prix – 1987
For the New Damage Model, updated the nose shapes of the car.
Super Formula SF23
The Launch Control system may now be triggered in Sessions using Fixed Setups.
The Overtake System variables have been added to live telemetry output (they are shown as P2P).
Front Wing and Rear Wing spotter messages have been added to the new damage repair bindings.
Fixed a variety of issues with the Overtake System, including:
– – Fixed an issue with incorrect timing at Fuji International Speedway – Grand Prix and Twin Ring Motegi – Grand Prix.
– – Fixed an issue where the Overtake System could be locked-out after reconnected to a Session.
– – Fixed an issue where the Overtake System timer was not getting reset correctly when Cautions occurred.
Fixed an issue where the color of the pit box tent was not correctly referencing the car paint pattern.
Tracks
Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Italian PA announcements and commentary have been added at this track.
Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Portuguese PA announcements and commentary have been added at this track.
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Italian PA announcements and commentary have been added at this track.
Charlotte Motor Speedway
A tirestack collision shape has been tightened to prevent ghost-contacts.
Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya
Spanish PA announcements and commentary have been added at this track.
Circuit de Lédenon
French PA announcements and commentary have been added at this track.
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
French PA announcements and commentary have been added at this track.
Kern County Raceway Park
(Legends) – Fixed an issue with fence collision.
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