iRacing’s NASCAR 26: Everything We Know (So Far)
What’s Happening? Last year, iRacing Studios delivered the first multi-platform NASCAR console game since 2021. But just as fast as NASCAR…
iRacing will announce the cover athlete for its next NASCAR console game, NASCAR 26, this week. The only question is, which driver is the best fit to represent the sport?
Picking a cover athlete for a NASCAR game is no different than any other sports game.
Last year, for the “cover” athlete (given that the game was exclusively digital), iRacing did not go with the reigning Cup Series Champion, the winningest active driver, or the Most Popular Driver Award winner; they went with a bit of an in-house option.
Throughout the lead-up to his time with Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron gained a reputation for building up his racing career through iRacing.
After a slow start to his career, followed by double-digit wins and two Daytona 500 victories in the 2020s, Byron ascended to the level of a star. He was chosen as the first cover driver for iRacing’s new line of NASCAR console games.
Of course, he wasn’t alone, as Byron was joined by one Toyota driver, Christopher Bell, and one Ford driver, Ryan Blaney.
This means there is a chance the cover athlete will not be alone, and could likely feature two smaller drivers on either side representing the other two manufacturers.
What’s Happening? Last year, iRacing Studios delivered the first multi-platform NASCAR console game since 2021. But just as fast as NASCAR…
There might be no other place to start this discussion than Kyle Larson. Not only is he the reigning Cup Series Champion, a real competitor for most popular driver, but he also has not yet held the “Cover Athlete” honor in his NASCAR career.
Granted, that was because there was only one multi-platform release since his career renaissance with Hendrick Motorsports, which began with his signing ahead of the 2021 season.
Nonetheless, just because you’re the champion of the sport doesn’t mean that you should be on the cover.
In fact, a better option from the Chevrolet Camp would be Carson Hocevar.
Hocevar has, in the past year, propelled himself from a Truck Series fan favorite to a driver who is extending his popularity beyond the sport itself. After all, his reported merch sales really do all the work for him.
So why put the Hurricane on the cover, or, at the very least, offer the Gold Edition up as the Hurricane Edition?
Denny Hamlin has done a lot in his NASCAR career; still, there is one thing he has yet to do: sit as the primary cover driver for a NASCAR console game cover.
Yes, he did appear on the cover of NASCAR Rivals for the Switch, but for all his accomplishments, and there are plenty, what’s keeping Denny off the cover?
But, NASCAR fans may want to hold their horses and let Denny grace the cover of NASCAR 27 (if he does actually call it a career after next season).
Kyle Busch’s passing this season from an abrupt illness was a tragic and heartbreaking moment for the NASCAR community. When tributes to Busch began hitting NASCAR social media, among those was the suggestion that Busch should be on the cover of NASCAR 26.
While there may be a tribute to Busch, similar to that of Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR Thunder 2002 (the first EA Sports NASCAR Console game to come out after the Intimidator’s death), some fans have suggested that it may not be appropriate to use his likeness for the game this close to his passing.
While Denny Hamlin is on a winning streak of his own right now, if any driver has taken the highlight reel by storm in 2026, it’s Tyler Reddick, who scored two unlikely wins at Daytona and Atlanta, followed by a dominant win at Circuit of the Americas, to open the season.
From there, the No. 45 team has kept rolling, carrying a stern points lead, five wins, ten top fives, and 12 top tens into this weekend’s race. If the team at iRacing wants to keep up the trend of celebrating a top driver from the first half of the season, Reddick might be their guy.
Better yet, let’s try to get Michael Jordan on the cover, too.
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