Motorsport news

Assetto Corsa Rally has received a new update in the form of version 0.6, bringing incremental refinements alongside fresh content for the rally simulation. The build introduces three new vehicles to the roster, expanding the range of machinery available to drivers tackling the game's stages. Among the headline additions is a dedicated photo mode, allowing players to capture and compose shots from within the simulation. The update also enables support for custom liveries, giving the community greater scope to personalise their cars with bespoke paint schemes and designs. While the core improvements are described as modest, the combination of new cars, photography tools and livery customisation options provides meaningful value for active players. The update continues the ongoing development cycle for the title, which remains in early access.

The Italian Hillclimb Championship (Supersalita) will reach its conclusion at the 71st Coppa Nissena, held from 11–13 September in Sicily. Organised by the Automobile Club Caltanissetta, the event will serve as the season finale and carry full championship points, with the title fight expected to go down to the wire. The championship contenders will converge on the Nissena course for what promises to be a high-stakes showdown. Among the drivers competing for final positions is "The Doctor," who will be aiming to consolidate a third-place finish in the national hillclimb series standings.

505 Games and Supernova Games Studios, working with KUNOS Simulazioni, have released Update 0.6 for Assetto Corsa Rally. The patch introduces three historically significant rally machines to the game's roster: the 1980 Audi Quattro Gr.4, the 1999 Peugeot 206 WRC, and the 2018 Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. Each vehicle arrives with 18 new events distributed across three event groups. The Audi Quattro Gr.4 represents the early Group 4 specification that revolutionised rallying through four-wheel-drive technology, featuring a turbocharged five-cylinder engine and mechanically locked centre differential. The Peugeot 206 WRC is the raw, early iteration of the car that would dominate the early 2000s World Rally Championship, while the Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 reflects the 2018 customer racing specification, engineered through over 10,000 kilometres of testing. Beyond the new cars, Update 0.6 brings several quality-of-life features. A comprehensive photo mode allows players to capture and freeze action from races, replays, the service park and main menu. Private lobbies enable customisable online sessions with full control over stage selection, vehicle choice, weather and event parameters. Custom livery support marks the first step towards broader modding, permitting players to edit stickers, colours, paint properties and gloss using standard image editing software, with a detailed guide provided in the game folders. Assetto Corsa Rally is currently available at a 20 per cent discount on Steam for a limited period.

The 53rd edition of Cronoscalata della Castellana will take place in Orvieto from 25 to 27 September, serving as a qualifying round for both the northern and southern divisions of the Italian Hillclimb Championship. Organised by the Castellana Association, the event has become a defining fixture for the Umbrian city and a symbol of the region's motorsport heritage. The 2025 running coincides with celebrations marking six decades since the hillclimb's inaugural running.

Assetto Corsa Rally will arrive in Early Access with a roster of ten vehicles, with developer Kunos Simulazioni planning to expand the lineup to over 30 cars by the time of the full game release. The rally simulation, part of the Assetto Corsa franchise, continues to build its feature set ahead of its broader availability. Further details on the specific vehicles included in the Early Access build and the timeline for additional car additions have not yet been disclosed.

Kunos Simulazioni and Supernova Games Studios have announced version 0.6 for Assetto Corsa Rally, a substantial update introducing three legendary rally machines to the simulator. The new vehicles are the Audi Quattro Gr. 4 (1980), Peugeot 206 WRC (1999), and Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 (2018). Beyond the car roster, the update brings a built-in photo mode, private online lobbies for multiplayer racing, and support for custom liveries. The livery system marks the first phase of a planned modding framework, though no timeline for full mod support has been announced. The editor and multiplayer systems receive significant improvements across the board. Physics simulation receives a major overhaul. Developers have implemented a tyre temperature model, reworked gravel surfaces on the Welsh and Greek stages, retuned tyre characteristics, wheel slip vibration, and suspension dynamics. These changes will require an online rating reset. The update also includes 18 new single-player events, revised engine audio, UI refinements, co-driver system fixes, and removal of the 60 fps frame-rate cap during replay playback.

The Tandalò Hillclimb on Gravel, held in Buddusò in Sardinia, will celebrate its tenth edition from 19–22 November 2026. The event has established itself as a fixture on the European hillclimb calendar, drawing competitors and spectators to the unpaved mountain course in the heart of the island. Organisers Tandalò Motorsport have announced a refreshed programme for the milestone event, though full details of the 2026 running remain to be confirmed.

Playground Games has rolled out the British Automotive update for Forza Horizon 6, introducing a permanent Drift Attack mode at Shimanoyama Circuit. Players can now drive directly from the open world to the circuit and initiate drift runs through a designated start gate at any time. The objective is to accumulate the highest score possible over a single lap, with unlimited attempts. The mode centres on Clipping Zones—designated track sections that award bonus points when navigated while drifting. Success therefore depends not only on drift angle and smoke generation, but also on line precision through these scoring areas. The British Automotive series runs from 10 September through 8 October. Standard rewards include access to British vehicles: the 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed, 2019 Ginetta G40 Junior, Vauxhall Astra VXR, and others. Players with the paid Car Pass receive additional vehicles: McLaren W1, Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, Renault Sport Spider, and Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe.

CarX Technologies has unveiled CarX Rally, a new rally simulator set to enter early access on Steam in the coming months. No specific launch date has been confirmed yet. The developer describes the project as a realistic rally simulation built on a proprietary physics engine. The studio promises detailed modelling of multiple surface types—dirt, asphalt, and gravel—alongside accurate traction simulation, sliding dynamics, pace notes, and weather effects that influence vehicle handling. A trailer released by the studio showcases gravel and asphalt stages, a damage system, and several unlicensed vehicles styled after the Lancia Delta Integrale, BMW E30 M3, and VW Polo R WRC. A built-in stage editor will allow players to create custom rally stages and environments, with community sharing functionality integrated into the game. The simulator will support steering wheels, sequential shifters, and triple-monitor configurations.

iRacing has released its first content patch ahead of the 2026 Season 4 launch, introducing a substantial roster of new vehicles and overhauled circuits. The update adds the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, two variants of the Caterham, the Gen 4 Grand National, alongside revised versions of the MX-5 and Sprint Car. Three major circuits have been completely rebuilt: Road America, Mid-Ohio, and Milwaukee Mile now feature updated layouts and environments. Summit Point and Road Atlanta have received visual refreshes. For IMSA racing, developers have implemented multi-pace car starts, enabling more authentic safety car restart procedures. The user interface gains a new Pit Summary tool displaying detailed pit stop analytics, a vehicle damage tracking widget, and a redesigned multi-driver team registration system. On the technical side, the physics engine has been upgraded with multithreading support and improved object interaction modelling. While a dedicated career mode has not yet launched for the season, AI racing has been significantly expanded. The new vehicles and a selection of classic models are now available for AI-driven events, with support added for 19 track configurations.

iRacing has released its 2026 Season 4 build, introducing four new vehicles and three re-scanned circuit layouts alongside a range of interface and quality-of-life improvements. The new car roster includes the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, making its debut in the simulator with rain capability enabled from launch. Two Caterham models—the 420R and Academy—arrive as a paired release, also rain-ready. A Gen 4 Grand National stock car rounds out the new machinery, offering early-2000s oval racing nostalgia. On the track side, Road America has been fully rescanned and rebuilt, now offering four total configurations including two new Short layouts. Milwaukee Mile gains an infield road course layout alongside its oval, while all five Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course configurations have received updated scans and rebuilds. Existing vehicles—the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup and paved Sprint Car—have undergone major physics and visual overhauls. Summit Point Raceway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta have also received cosmetic updates. The new build introduces expanded pit summary and car damage widgets, a reference car UI for time trial and test drive modes, minimal and pinned UI options, and an improved fuel calculator. Multi-class pace car starts are now available at more than 50 track layouts. Backend improvements include multi-threaded physics updates, expanded car rule sets, and full UTF-8 character support. All four new cars and every configuration of the three rescanned tracks are immediately available for AI racing, alongside several additional classic vehicles and track variants.

iRacing and World of Outlaws have confirmed the return of the iRacing World of Outlaws Pro Series for the 2026–27 season, with $25,000 in prize money available to top competitors. The series will operate under a traditional qualifying model, split into two separate championships for 410 Sprint Cars and Super Late Models, each featuring five races across premier dirt oval venues during the winter months. Qualifying events begin Monday, September 21. The Sprint Car Qualifying Series runs on Mondays at 8PM ET from September 21 to October 19, featuring 30-lap races at each track. The Late Model Qualifying Series follows on Thursdays at 8PM ET from October 22 to November 19, with 40-lap features. All iRacers holding a Class A Dirt Oval license are eligible to enter the qualifying rounds, which will determine the championship rosters. The 410 Sprint Car Championship takes place from November 16 to December 14, visiting Volusia Speedway Park, Huset's Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway, Eldora Speedway, and Knoxville Raceway, with 35-lap races at each stop. The Super Late Model Championship runs from January 4 to February 1, with events at Federated Auto Parts at I-55, Cedar Lake Speedway, Eldora Speedway, Fairbury Speedway, and The Dirt Track at Charlotte, featuring races of 50 to 100 laps depending on venue. All races will be streamed live on Monday nights at 8PM ET across iRacing's social media channels and DIRTVision.