iRacing | IndyCar 2020 Aeroscreen Update Available

[Paul Jeffrey]

I admit I missed this one initially - iRacing have recently updated the Dallara DW12 to 2020 specification - including the Red Bull Technologies designed 'Aeroscreen'.

Following on from the trend first pioneered by Formula One racing, should the new 2020 season of the NTT IndyCar Series have started as planned earlier this season at St. Pete, a new kind of driver cockpit protection would have made its competitive debut. Unlike the F1 Halo, the aeroscreen design adopted by IndyCar provides a full cockpit shield around the vulnerable helmet area, in a design similar in look to that found on modern fighter jets.

Created with the express intention of providing a level of protection to exposed drivers from contact with derbies and other cars, the IndyCar Aeroscreen is a new mandatory requirement from the start of this year (whenever that looks likely to be).

With iRacing holding the official licence to represent the current IndyCar model within their simulation, the studio have recently updated the car to feature this new device, giving virtual drivers the opportunity to sample what it feels like to be enclosed in the United States quickest open wheel racecar.

Check out the new trailer for the model below:

The new update is available now for iRacers who already own the current Dallara IndyCar.

Alongside the new aeroscreens comes an update to night lighting at the Texas Motor Speedway location, adding a nice visual effect to the circuit that brings it in line with the modern configuration of this 1.44 mile oval.


iRacing is a PC exclusive racing simulation, available now.

Got questions about the sim? Check out the RaceDepartment iRacing sub forum and let our community help you out!

 

[Peter Kerényi]

I never said anything about aesthetics. I don't care about aesthetics. I even like NASCAR cars...and i wish F1 gets those fancy low profile tires and TURBO WHEELS. There i said it again. I want F1 with TURBO WHEELS. And headlights! Oh yes i want F1 with fancy LED headlights. Should make racing in rain and fog much safer as well. Also, winning celebrations...flashing headlights=awesome.

My criticism is all about the function, which as it is t's pretty much...none. It doesn't protect the driver from oncoming objects, it doesn't protect from side impacts either. The raised sides of the cockpit provide all the side impact protection the driver needs.

Allow me to remind you that Senna didn't die from a side impact but from a suspension strut penetrating his helmet, which by the way came from the side. Halo would have been useless. Countless other incidents where objects come flying towards the driver, not from dead center but from the sides, but Massa's and Senna's accidents are textbook cases on what kind of protection the drivers really need.

In Bianchi's case it would have been equally useless because he hit the tractor from such an angle and with such force that the halo would have probably been destroyed. It would have to be much thicker to withstand such an impact, hence why the halo testing results on this accident were "neutral".

Senna - That is a completely different case
Massa - Yes, the halo could have made it even worse potentially
Bianchi - Even if the halo was destroyed, it could have absorbed a lot of energy that was otherwise absorbed by his helmet. Not sure if it would have saved him, but still better than nothing.

The halo already probably saved lives or at least was ready to save lives if the cars would have moved a little bit differently. There was an FIA presentation when the halo was introduced, where they analysed different fatal and dangerous accidents and the potential effect of the halo. Yes, they said it wouldn't have helped Massa, and a few others. But in the majority of the cases it would have helped.

I also agree with you that an additional screen would provide higher safety from small debris. However, the halo as it is at the moment is also far from useless. Maybe they eventually go that route as well. But life ain't black and white.

 

[D_Moriarty]

Whether aeroscreen is the devil incarnate or not, these produced exceptional racing last week. Probably the best esports event I have seen in this strange new world; close racing, professional commentary and other extras (anthem, before-the-race prayer etc) added up to a complete package, even though I'm was not so much into indycar:

 

[BrunoBæ]

@D_Moriarty
I dont know if it looks different inside the cockpit for the actual drivers but taken from the video inside cockpit shoots then there is practically no vertical movement.
It looks completely dead and artificial.
As I remember iRacing then all these tiny "hectical" vertical(up/down) movements was a strong point of the sim - and something I missed in almost every other sims.

Question: Does the dead inside cockpit shoots show how the drivers actually see it - or is it some odd setting only displayed in the replays?

 

[Kurupt CDN]

It's the replay cockpit cam, seems to be far more stable than the actual in cockpit view.
From the 2 cockpit views I saw they looked to be using the overhead and I believe the left roll cage or over shoulder view...can't remember the correct name but it's off center.

 

[D_Moriarty]

@D_Moriarty
I dont know if it looks different inside the cockpit for the actual drivers but taken from the video inside cockpit shoots then there is practically no vertical movement.
It looks completely dead and artificial.
As I remember iRacing then all these tiny "hectical" vertical(up/down) movements was a strong point of the sim - and something I missed in almost every other sims.

Question: Does the dead inside cockpit shoots show how the drivers actually see it - or is it some odd setting only displayed in the replays?

Based on this onboard from Newgarden himself (getting into a bit of a mess here), the cockpit cam is less sterile, though the whole thing definitely looks more convincing from external cams. I personally can't tell, unfortunately iR is way beyond my budget.

 

[gixeron]

@D_Moriarty
I dont know if it looks different inside the cockpit for the actual drivers but taken from the video inside cockpit shoots then there is practically no vertical movement.
It looks completely dead and artificial.
As I remember iRacing then all these tiny "hectical" vertical(up/down) movements was a strong point of the sim - and something I missed in almost every other sims.

Question: Does the dead inside cockpit shoots show how the drivers actually see it - or is it some odd setting only displayed in the replays?

Possibly doesn't show on the replay for some reason. When driving all the movements like drivers head, car bouncing, horizon lock, work as you remember them. They can also be tuned to how much you want each effect to move in the .ini file, so its possible they have maybe locked them for personal preference.

 

[BrunoBæ]

To repeat myself then I was pretty disappointed when I saw this.
First because I did remember the actual "ramblings" in the cockpit completely different from my membership years - but secondly because if this E-sport thing should have the tiniest chance to spread then the "involvement-factor"/immersion when you watch it should be way better than this completely dead display.

CatsAreTheWorstDogs: I mean when we se RL display from inside the cockpit be it openwheeler or tintops then everything is "rambling and rumbling".

EDIT: I just watched the latest video above (Newgarden ) and eventhough it is slightly better (a bit more bounching) then it is still a lot more "damped" and smoothed out than RL.
I still consider this artificial damping a bummer if you want normal people to get involved in watching this E-thing.

EDIT2: If Im allowed to add something further then the "install lap" + start of the race in the video in post #42 seen from the outside looks both RL-ish and hehe quite unusual for a SIM race. Because all the drivers does behave themselves and give others just enough space so everybody get through both 1st and 2nd corner without chaos.
Its only Rossi(?) who exiting the esses loose his head and drive as a normal sim racer