NASCAR 25’s trackside atmosphere, early gameplay, unveiled

The fourth developer diary for iRacing’s upcoming NASCAR 25 game, the first official NASCAR title in four years, has been released. Alongside the now-typical hyperbole, there are further glimpses of trackside scenes and a combined 14 seconds of the first on-track gameplay.

The latter consists of two brief cockpit-camera shots of a car exiting pitroad onto the main racing oval. In both instances, this work-in-progress build exhibits both choppy frame rates and impressive cabin detail.

Perhaps notably, the video game created by Monster Games under the stewardship of iRacing (and using some of the simulation’s assets) will be the team’s first using Unreal Engine for the graphics.

The visuals, when not in motion, of the car models seen off track look exacting in detail, with the team explaining how it is trying to add a sense of race-day atmosphere to each session.

“One of the good challenges, I think, for us trying to build this product is the sensory overload and putting you in the moment right before you get into the car,” said NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is an Executive Producer on the game.

“Feeling the spectacle of the Daytona 500, the pre-race, all the build-up, bringing all of that in and trying to build the anxiety and nerves in the user.

“[Trying to make the player] realise how critical a moment it is and [so that] they feel that pressure and anxiety to perform and succeed.”

To that extent, one scene shows a packed grandstand, TV cameras, crew members and even fighter jets flying over. In another, one of the Truck Series vehicles is pushed forward to begin a session.

There’s said to be no traditional user interface in a race weekend scenario. Instead, options appear from within the car’s cockpit for players to then select what they do next.

Other details include engine sounds from real-world recordings and the use of two actual NASCAR spotters for the virtual equivalent: TJ Majors and Josh Williams.

NASCAR 25 is slated for a ‘fall’ 2025 release on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. It will include a ‘several season-long’ career mode across four classes.