NASCAR fans deserve better. For years, stock car racing enthusiasts have been deprived of a high-quality game based on the sport they love. Previous attempts have yielded poor simulators with clunky physics, underwhelming graphics, and, who can forget, the disastrous NASCAR 21: Ignition. It’s been hard to get excited about stock car racing games until now. But with iRacing entering the scene, the expectations are higher than they’ve ever been.

Known for being a gold standard for racing simulators on the PC, iRacing will be launching its first-ever console game, NASCAR 25, later this year. But despite glowing reviews from plenty of drivers, the fanbase remains divided, with many questioning the timing of the release.

Drivers rave about iRacing’s new game

The hype is real. When several drivers took to social media to share their early reviews about NASCAR 25, fans were wondering if they could dare to raise their hopes. After all, they’ve been disappointed in the past, especially when 704 Games rolled out titles like NASCAR: Heat and NASCAR 21: Ignition, both falling short of expectations. There’s a wave of cautious optimism in the air, as fans are hoping to compete on their favorite tracks in the Cup, Xfinity, Truck, or even the ARCA Menards Series.

It’s the first time ARCA will appear in a NASCAR game, featuring not just in career mode, but also playable in quick races, seasons, and online multiplayer. Early leaks also show the HUD layout, as well as conversations on the team radio, lap timings, and current speed. Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith, who was selected as one of the game testers for feedback, wrote on social media, “Got to play NASCAR 25 from the @iRacing team… It’s the real deal. Feels great, looks great, and I really think it’s gonna get a lot of new people hooked on NASCAR. Kudos to everyone who worked on this.”

He wasn’t the only one. Front Row Motorsports’ Noah Gragson couldn’t help but sing praises about the game as well, writing, “Just played the new @iRacing NASCAR video game. I gotta say, impressed is an understatement! It is a true racing game with good physics. Haven’t played a NASCAR game this good for 10+ years. This game will revive NASCAR console gaming. I’m so hyped! Great work to everyone involved!!” That’s some pretty big praise, especially from a Cup Series driver.

The game is set to release later his year, which is another controversial point that is dividing the fanbase. With the ongoing season at the halfway mark, should the game, which is based on the ongoing campaign, be released towards the end of the year? Or will iRacing potentially postpone the game, rebrand it NASCAR 26, and coincide its release date with next season? As things stand, there is no clear date that has been made public, but rumors suggest a window could be set for late September or early October.

Fans express mixed feelings over NASCAR 25

As expected, NASCAR fans weren’t too far behind in expressing their views about the new game. One stock car racing enthusiast was impressed with the fact that iRacing was taking feedback from drivers, expressing that it would benefit the developers in making improvements. The Reddit user wrote, “Having a bunch of drivers that actually grew up playing the classic NASCAR console games giving input is hopefully going to be huge.” With the anticipation running high, one fan couldn’t help but say, “Would be nice if they gave us a release date,” hoping that the game would be available on consoles sooner rather than later.

However, not everyone was on board with the strategy iRacing was going with. As things stand, 18 races are already over in the Cup Series, and just a few months remain for the 2025 campaign to end. On that note, one fan said, “Maybe they should just delay it until 26 so it can be released with Daytona around the corner.” Perhaps that would create more hype.

However, another Reddit user understood why the game was being made public later this year, especially with the holiday season being around the corner. The stock car racing fan wrote, “Know everyone is a bit confused with the release date but truthfully that October time frame makes sense. They are trying to hit that December Christmas time market plus hitting that short period where there is no races.”

A few days ago, William Byron was seen playing NASCAR 25, and one fan managed to get a glimpse of the gameplay. Daring to raise his expectations, the social media user expressed his desire to watch the official footage of the videogame, and wrote, “There’s a picture they uploaded of Willy B playing what looks like the 600. HUD looks nice, has a minimap and i think pop up choices for talking with your crew. Going to feel like a long wait until August to finally see the gameplay.”