iRacing’s Incredible Driver Swap Feature Will Change Sim Racing Forever

It’s official: iRacing is far more than a game. It’s a simulation software for serious racing enthusiasts. The iRacing company was created in 2004 by Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and Papyrus Racing Games co-founder David Kaemmer. The two men had a vision of changing online sports by making a high-tech PC simulator so that racers worldwide could compete in real-time. A decade later, they are still enticing gamers and racers with a solid product and frequent updates. Its latest content release includes the Driver Swap feature that will put endurance racing teams to the test.

President of iRacing.com Tony Gardner says, “Driver Swap brings a whole new dimension to racing games. It’s the first time anything like this has been available to sim racers who can finally work together in real-time in a variety of roles as teammates.” Roles like race spotter, co-driver, team manager and crew chief can be shared among teammates who can change positions throughout the race. Check out some of the new features it brings in the video below:

To get into iRacing, you need to purchase a monthly subscription. You’re not forced into an annual contract, and you can choose to subscribe for only one month or as long as two years at a time.

With the subscription you are instantly given seven cars, 10 tracks and access to all the corresponding events. Another 32 cars and 60 tracks can be purchased separately. Some critics don’t like this system, saying that it is a gimmick to squeeze the most money out of players, but I like the pricing structure because I can choose to pay only for what I need. When I first got involved with iRacing, I only bought a three-month subscription because I didn’t know what to expect. I eventually decided to buy a track on which I race occasionally in real life, so it was beneficial to me. I didn’t need to waste money on a bunch of tracks I don’t like or will never use.

In all there are over 40 available cars including Nascar, Open Wheel, Prototype and Sports Cars. There are also over 70 tracks, hundreds of private leagues and over 40 official series hosted by iRacing. In the newest release, more content was added with the Holden VF Commodore V8 Supercar, a Ford GT GT3, the Gateway Motorsports Park and support for the Oculus Rift DK2.

The iRacing makers want you to experience the precision handling and physics, and they don’t worry too much about the not-so-important things like putting details into the crowds of fans or the distant background. This might be a deal breaker for some, but for more than 50,000 committed members of the iRacing community, it’s all about the simulation.

We know some of you are iRacing fans, and we want to know: who’s down for a 24-hour race?