Motorsport news

iRacing has released a major seasonal update marking the start of 2026 Season 4, introducing four new vehicles to the platform. The additions are the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, Caterham Seven Academy, Caterham Seven 420R, and NASCAR Gen 4 Grand National. The two Caterham models are sold as a single package. Three circuits have been comprehensively rebuilt from laser scans: Road America, Mid-Ohio, and Milwaukee Mile. Road America now includes two additional short-course configurations, while Milwaukee Mile gains a road course layout threaded inside its oval banking. The physics engine has undergone substantial revision for the Mazda MX-5 and Sprint Car, with updated tire models, suspension behaviour, aerodynamics, and related parameters. The underlying simulation code now runs multithreaded, reducing CPU load by more than 50 percent during dense traffic and large field sizes. Additional features in the update include expanded AI racing modes, class-specific safety cars for multiclass events, and new on-screen widgets for damage display and pit-stop information.

A new DLC pack for Project Motor Racing has become available, introducing nine V8-powered race cars distributed across three competitive classes. The expansion also adds Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as a playable circuit. The V8 Power Pack represents an expansion of the sim's car roster and track selection, targeting players interested in V8 racing content.

The upcoming Kings of the Ring DLC for RENNSPORT will introduce the KTM X-BOW GT2 alongside the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit and two additional vehicles. The expansion is scheduled for release in September 2026.

iRacing has launched Season 4 of 2026 with a full slate of racing across multiple disciplines from September 15th to 21st. The week marks the start of a new competitive season featuring NASCAR, dirt oval racing, and endurance events alongside newly introduced series and formats. The headline special event is the iRacing Britcar 24 presented by Cosworth, which brings the historic 24-hour endurance race to the virtual platform. Originally established at Silverstone in 2005, the real-world Britcar 24 has featured everything from GT machinery to touring cars and club racers. The iRacing version will run GT3 and GT4 machinery through a full day-night cycle at Silverstone. In the weekly championship series, the NASCAR iRacing Series continues its 36-week campaign at Bristol Motor Speedway (Week 29), with races scheduled across multiple time slots in both fixed and open setup formats. The Dirt 410 Sprint Car Tour reaches Week 30 at Lucas Oil Speedway, while the Dirt Super Late Model Tour contests Week 32 at Knoxville Raceway. Additional oval series include the NASCAR Modified Tour at Concord Speedway and the Super Late Model Tour at Lanier National Speedway. New for 2026 Season 4 is the FIA Cross Car Championship at Rookie level, introducing mixed-surface rallycross racing in the nimble FIA Cross Car. iRacing has also debuted a Track Day series at Summit Point Raceway, featuring multiclass racing with a variety of road cars including Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Mazda MX-5, Caterham 420R, TCR machinery, and the Radical SR8. Open qualifiers run every 30 minutes. Regional GT3 and FIA F4 tours continue with hourly splits across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe regions. Specialty series include Ring Meister at the Nürburgring Nordschleife (this week featuring the Caterham 420R), Draft Master Challenge by SIMAGIC at Talladega, and Rain Master Challenge by Podium1 for wet-weather GT3 racing at Summit Point.

Zbigniew Staniszewski secured his seventh consecutive Polish rallycross championship in the supercars class at a combined FIA Central European Zone and Polish national round held at Słomczyn on 13 September 2026. The Olsztyn-based driver recovered from a difficult qualifying session to claim victory in the final, edging out Slovakia's Bruno Beckert in a competitive battle. Staniszewski piloted a Ford Fiesta R5 throughout the event, a power disadvantage against rivals running engines exceeding 500 horsepower. After a strong opening qualification win, his strategy faltered in subsequent heats, culminating in a fourth-place finish in the fourth qualifying race. However, a decisive start in the final proved decisive. Staniszewski gained the upper hand within 50 metres and controlled the opening corner, maintaining his lead through to the chequered flag with a time of 4:39.227, ahead of Beckert's 4:48.731. In the FIA CEZ supercars standings, Staniszewski leads with 136 points, followed by Czech driver Ales Fucik on 76 points and Austrian Gerald Eder on 44 points. Within the Polish championship, Staniszewski's tally of 77 points puts him well clear of Beckert (51 points) and his brother Norbert Beckert (48 points). Staniszewski will contest the next round of the Central European Zone championship in Nyírád, Hungary, the following weekend, where 18 supercars are expected to compete.

Next Level Racing has introduced the GTLite Air, a new entry-level foldable sim racing cockpit designed for users seeking compact storage without sacrificing core functionality. The rig is priced from $149 and supports direct-drive wheel systems, addressing a gap in the budget-conscious segment of the sim racing hardware market. The cockpit features adjustable GT-style seating and a collapsible frame, allowing users to store or transport the rig when not in use. The design targets sim racers who operate in space-constrained environments or prefer flexibility in their setup configuration.

Cosimo Laghezza has secured the 2026 Italian Super Hillclimb Championship, with the title decided at the 71st Coppa Nissena in Caltanissetta. The finale took place on the 5.450-kilometre hillclimb course that runs from Ponte Capodarso to Villaggio Santa, organised by Automobile Club Caltanissetta. The fast and well-established Sicilian venue provided the stage for the championship decider, bringing the Super Salita season to a close.

Samuele Cassibba concluded his Italian Supersalita (hillclimb) championship campaign with a strong result, taking third place overall at the 71st Coppa Nissena near Comiso in Sicily. The final round of the national series saw the Scuderia Ateneo driver pilot his Nova Proto NP 01 V8 over the technical and flowing SS122 course between Capodarso. Cassibba's podium finish capped off a competitive season in Italy's premier hillclimb championship, with the Ragusa-based competitor securing a top-three result in the series' seventh and concluding event.

Rennsport has officially confirmed the KTM as the first vehicle in its upcoming Kings of the Ring downloadable content pack. The Austrian manufacturer will be among three new cars arriving in the next content update for the sim racing title.

The 85th round of Prime Drift Open will conclude the 2026 season at Autodrom Słomczyn from October 2–4, with championship titles and final standings still to be decided across multiple classes. The Polish drifting series, now in its 18th year, has established itself as one of Europe's longest-running drift competitions and a launching pad for drivers who have gone on to compete at the highest international levels. In the Masters class, Łukasz Pijar leads with 292 points in his BMW E46 Touring, holding a 30-point advantage over Mateusz Suski (Toyota Supra MK5, 262 points) and Fabian Hała (BMW E46, 232 points). The PRO category presents an even tighter battle: Rafał Biej (BMW E36) sits atop the standings with 242 points, but Kordian Trela-Muchewicz (Nissan S15A) trails by only 26 points. The PROAM class is the most competitive, with Adam Jung (BMW 1) leading on 57 points—just eight ahead of a three-way tie between Borys Piotrowski, Nikodem Pałasz, and Paweł Nawara, each with 49 points. Slomczyn, a 1,200-metre circuit with a history dating to 1994, offers spectators natural earthen banking and grandstand seating that provide excellent sightlines across most of the track. The venue has hosted previous Prime Drift Open finals and is known for its technical layout and demanding conditions. The event will feature a Petrolheads.Unite zone showcasing vehicles and drivers from multiple motorsport disciplines, including hill climb competitor Maciej Serafin with his Pikes Peak machine, Polish Hill Climb Championship leader Bartłomiej Madziara in a Lamborghini Huracán ST Evo2, rally drivers Michał Skrzypczyk (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) and Krzysztof Czechak (Subaru Impreza GT), 2024 Polish Autocross Champion Oskar Maciejewski, and flat-track racer Kuba Święch in a Mini Cooper. Ticket prices are 40 PLN (Friday), 60 PLN (Saturday), 80 PLN (Sunday), and 120 PLN for a two-day pass (Saturday–Sunday). Live coverage will be available on YouTube.

SCS Software has outlined the mechanics of courier jobs within the forthcoming Road Trip mode for American Truck Simulator. The developer provided specifics on how players will engage with delivery contracts as part of the new gameplay feature, though full details of the system remain to be disclosed in subsequent announcements.

The Master of Champions Cup (MOCC) season reaches its penultimate round with the Richard Burns 2001 Rally, where the championship battle could be decided before the final event. After six rounds, Novak Sedej of Slovenia leads the standings on 175 points, followed by Jurek Bogdanowicz on 155 points and Michał Walkowski on 147 points. With only two rounds remaining, the margins are tight enough that a single mistake could prove costly in the fight for the title. The rally itself presents a demanding challenge: competitors will face 15 special stages totalling approximately 130 kilometres across mixed surfaces, combining gravel and asphalt sections. Variable grip and difficult conditions will demand both raw pace and careful vehicle setup. The final stage, stretching over 18 kilometres, is expected to be the decisive moment where the championship battle may be settled. Sedej will attempt to defend his lead, while Bogdanowicz—fresh from a recent victory—looks to mount another attack on the top spot. Walkowski, meanwhile, remains within striking distance and could yet emerge as a contender. The winner of the Richard Burns 2001 Rally will also secure a professional co-drive with Miko Marczyk, the 2025 European Rally Champion, as the event's top prize.