Almost exactly a year ago, I played NASCAR 25 on PS5. It didn’t become my favorite racing game, but I found it interesting enough to keep an eye on how the series would develop under iRacing. Now, I’ve had the chance to see what has changed with NASCAR 26 on PC.

As was the case last year, the game features all four NASCAR National Series across Career, Quick Race, Championship, and Multiplayer modes. The major addition this year is The Chase, which lets you jump straight into the final ten races of the season. The selection of modes is satisfying, and there’s no shortage of drivers, cars, or tracks either. Several new circuits have been added, including the street course in St. Petersburg, Chicagoland Speedway, and Qualcomm Circuit in San Diego. The Craftsman Truck Series also welcomes a new Dodge Ram truck.

When in doubt, follow the guy ahead.

The series may not be a hardcore simulation, but there’s no denying that the developers have built a solid physics model. NASCAR 26 introduces several improvements in this area, including changes to its laser scanned tracks. Their surfaces now evolve dynamically as cars race across them, with rubber gradually building up along the racing line and affecting grip and handling on subsequent laps. It might sound like a minor detail, but in a discipline where races can be decided by fractions of a second, even subtle changes can make a noticeable difference.

Driving with a direct drive wheel is particularly enjoyable. You can feel the subtle changes in both the track surface and the car’s behavior, making the experience considerably more immersive. I also really appreciate the game’s excellent wheel support. I didn’t have to waste time assigning buttons or tweaking force feedback settings; everything worked remarkably well from the start. I simply plugged in the wheel, and the game handled the rest.

Deploy the smoke screen!

NASCAR 26 offers plenty of difficulty options, so both newcomers and experienced sim racers should be able to find a suitable challenge. It’s worth spending a few minutes adjusting the assists and AI behavior before jumping in properly. Getting these settings right can make a significant difference, preventing races from becoming boring because your opponents are too easy to beat, or frustrating because the AI is unnecessarily unforgiving.

Visually, the game has also received a few improvements over its predecessor. The track lighting system has been updated, while a new smoke particle system makes those celebratory post race spins look considerably more spectacular. Motion blur has also been added, although I’m not entirely convinced anyone was desperately asking for that particular feature.

Fancy gloves.

NASCAR 26 certainly isn’t ugly, but I’ve honestly seen better looking racing games. Even with the graphics settings cranked all the way up, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. The car models themselves look good, and the way the lighting reflects across their bodywork can be quite impressive. The problem seems to be the shadows, or rather, the lack of them. As a result, rival cars can look slightly unnatural as they race across the asphalt, almost as if they’re hovering just above the track rather than actually making contact with it.

I was also somewhat disappointed by the quality of the replays. The camera regularly switches between different angles, but whenever it moves in for a close up, it can clip straight through rival cars, exposing some rather unattractive textures inside the vehicles. Here’s an example:

This is not what I want to see in the game.

I hope the replay quality gets improved soon. On the bright side, the game appears to run more smoothly at launch than last year’s installment. This may partly come down to the platform, of course: I experienced noticeable framerate drops while playing NASCAR 25 on PS5, whereas I haven’t encountered any similar issues with NASCAR 26 on PC.

The developers have certainly delivered when it comes to sound. The cars sound suitably authentic, while the soundtrack is packed with energetic rock tracks, exactly what you’d expect from an exciting racing game. And… oh, sweet Alabama, thank you for putting THIS track on the main menu!

And that’s it. Finito.

The main appeal of NASCAR is just how exciting and spectacular its races can be, and for the second year in a row, iRacing has successfully translated those strengths of the real world sport into a video game. NASCAR 26 runs well on PC, and the racing itself can be incredibly satisfying, whether you’re a newcomer or an experienced player looking for a greater challenge.

The bigger question is whether its changes and additions will be enough to satisfy those who already played the previous installment. A new mode, a handful of new tracks, improved physics, and upgraded, if somewhat underwhelming, visuals are essentially the biggest additions this sequel brings to the table. Is that enough to justify another trip around the track? You decide.

NASCAR 26 is available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Reviewed on PC.

A copy of NASCAR 26 was provided by the publisher.