Late Tuesday night, iRacing released a patch that updated driver ratings in NASCAR 25. Several drivers took massive hits, while others soared almost 10 spots from their original position. So, which drivers won and lost after the October 21 update?
While past NASCAR console games have featured some form of rating system to keep top names at the front of the field, this usually operated in the background.
For NASCAR 25, iRacing made driver ratings a key function, utilizing in-depth driver data from Racing Insights, likely combined with base statistics, to establish independent ratings for drivers on Speedways, Superspeedways, Intermediate, Short Intermediate, Concrete, and Road Courses.
However, most important of all was the overrating. In all four Series, one driver received a 100 overall, with William Byron in the Cup Series, Connor Zilisch in the Xfinity Series, Corey Heim in the Truck Series, and Brenden Queen in the ARCA Menards Series taking home the honor.
The overall rating also sets a ranking for each Series. Following Tuesday night’s update, NASCAR 25 adjusted drivers’ overall ratings in all series except the NASCAR Xfinity Series, thereby updating their rankings in the game.
Several drivers found themselves shooting up the overall rankings, while others fell. In fact, most of those who fell didn’t even take a hit to their overall rating; rather, those moving up the rankings pushed these drivers down one, two, and even up to five spots.
In the ARCA Menards Series, 31 drivers shifted positions, with most dropping just one position, due to the highest climber of this update.
Alex Clubb, Amber Balcaen, and Michael Maples share the honor of most spots dropped, with each driver only dropping two spots from their original in-game ranking, both due to fellow drivers passing them in overall rating.,
The first driver to climb in the rankings is ARCA Menards Series East Champion Isaac Kitzmiller, who ascended five spots, going from 16th to 11th, due to an increase from 72 overall to 79 overall.
But, Kitzmiller was far off from veteran Will Kimmel, whose overall rating rose from 58 to 76, thus propelling him up the ARCA ranking 27 spots, going from the 41st highest rated ARCA driver to 14th.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series saw 32 drivers change their rankings, with 17 drivers moving up in position and 15 dropping down.
Former Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes dropped five spots from 11th to 16th, though his overall rating dropped just two points, from 83 to 81. His plumet is thanks to rising drivers like Gio Ruggiero, Kaden Honeycutt, and Connor Mosack.
Drivers Who Lost Their Spot:
The driver who jumped the most spots was Rhodes ThorSport teammate Jake Garcia, who rose from a 76 overall, 21st best, to an 82 overall, 14th best.
Drivers Who Climbed in the Rankings:
Another drive who rose was Rajah Caruth, with fans complaining about his 79 overall rating, which left him 19th overall. However, in this update, Rajah jumps to 17th, with an overall rating of 81, which is likely still not enough for a driver who is very much in the running for the championship.
The NASCAR Cup Series ratings saw five drivers drop one spot, including Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, and Zane Smith. Busch was the only one of these drivers to see a decrease in their overall rating; however, the two-time Cup Series Champion dropped from an 84 overall to an 83 overall.
Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon also dropped two spots, although this did not affect their overall rating. The driver who dropped the most was Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry, who dropped four spots, although his overall rating also remained unchanged.
Drivers Who Lost Their Spot:
The drivers who jumped spots included Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe, who each moved up one spot, John Hunter Nemechek, who moved up two spots, going from a 76 overall to a 79 overall, and Michael McDowell, who rose from a 77 Overall to an 82 overall, climbing three spots in the rankings.
Drivers Who Climbed in the Rankings:
The largest jump came from Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, who went from a 72 overall to an 82 overall, skyrocketing from the 29th-best Cup Series driver to the 23rd-best Cup Series driver in NASCAR 25.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Join the conversation on socials
