iRacing’s latest update to NASCAR 25 brought players a new track, an overhaul of another, and new creation options. Here’s everything you need to know.
Wednesday, iRacing Studios dropped one of the biggest updates to its first NASCAR console game, NASCAR 25, in the game’s short lifespan.
While this update didn’t bring any new paint schemes, an update to the game’s online model, or any significant tweaks to gameplay, it did bring players a new venue to race at in Portland International Raceway.
Portland, a staple of the Xfinity Series schedule throughout the past few seasons, was one of a handful of tracks fans noticed were missing from the game at launch. Now, just a few months after that date, PIR is officially in the game for the ARCA Menards and NASCAR Xfinity Series quick race and online modes.
Sticking with the theme of the game’s long list of tracks, Sonoma Raceway received a major overhaul in this update.
Following the game’s October 2025 launch, many fans pointed out how outdated Sonoma felt, and they were right, with the track’s look possibly being from the 2006 to 2008 range, given some aesthetic choices and sponsor billboards like Dodge and Nationwide Insurance.
The updated look features new signage, a refreshed feel, and the addition of some landmarks like the TOYOTA sign at the entrance of turn one and the wall around the turn 11 hairpin.
Though fans were excited about the updates for Sonoma, they feared the tracks, let’s say sandbox, design would limit them to racing on the given circuit. But, to the surprise of many, the track does not block off the dragstrip, the carousel, or the turn one “Jump” as seen below.
This update also brought a highly requested change to the game’s custom car paint booth.
When the game launched in October, fans mostly enjoyed its in-depth paint booth, which featured many creative options for players’ cars, pit boxes, haulers, firesuits, and helmets.
But one area the game severely lacked was numerical options, with one executive citing NASCAR as the reason for the limited numbers for players to choose from.
With this update, all numbers are now unlocked for your custom car in every game mode, with the options ranging from No. 0 to No. 99, and even No. 00 to No. 09.
Overall, this update is fun and has brought a lot of attention back to the game months after its release. Nonetheless, it isn’t without its problems.
First, the addition of Portland is fantastic. The track drives great, looks great, and feels great. But, it is not available for championship or career mode, meaning its existence is more targeted at those, at this point, hoping to find an online lobby, or wanting to play the game alone.
Second is the new numbers. While it’s great to have all these options, the paint booth is still lacking some basic shapes, like stars and other assorted polygons.
Furthermore, the addition of these numbers came at the loss of the fan favorite “Hendrick Motorsports Font,” which was essentially the official HMS font used in the Cup Series. While this is understandable, this trade-off is going to force users to settle for less.
Regardless, the update is a welcome one, and a sign that this game still has life as we enter a new NASCAR season.
What’s Happening? iRacing released the latest NASCAR console game, NASCAR 25, on October 14. However, like many games, NASCAR 25 will…
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