rFactor 2 | SC2018x Stock Cars Released

Paul Jeffrey · Mar 23, 2021

Studio 397 have tonight released a free new car set for rFactor 2, adding the second tier SC2018x Stock Cars to the simulation via the Steam Workshop.

At 650hp, the SC2018x represents the second level of American Stock Car content within rFactor 2, slotting in as a supporting series to the previously released Stock Car 2018 and earlier Stock Car 2015 machines already available within the simulation.

rFactor 2 | SC2018x Steam Workshop: Click Here

Although the new car utilizes the same 3D model as their more powerful cousin (model updates are expected at some point in the future), the cars do look visually different from the Stock Car 2018 machines thanks to a set of new liveries that, as in stock car racing, also incorporate the front light and grill arrangement - effectively giving both models within the pack an entirely new style front end from the main series cars.

The SC2018x Stock Cars also have newly developed audio and aerodynamics compared to the top tier car, details of which can all be found in the release notes below:

SC2018x Update Notes:

New: 650 HP Engine
New: More left side weight
New: Templates created to give a different visual with the noses of the cars.
New: All new paint schemes.
New: Updated sounds (Inside and outside remixed).
New: Dirty Aero update, balanced the downforce to react more in a more realistic way.
Fixed: Smoothing issues on car bodies.
Fixed: Aero in dirty air, increasing stability and reducing ‘loose’ car behaviour.
Updated: Superspeedway draft package update.
Updated: Default road course setup.

Original Source: Studio 397.

rFactor 2 is available now, exclusive to PC.

For the latest news, or to find out answers to your most ponded questions, head over to the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment, start up a thread and get involved with the community today!

Vasilis Katerinakis · Mar 26, 2021

Is nobody going to talk about how all of the pictures S397 took of the cars are at Le Mans, even if they have an official recently updated Indiapolis track?

=Fieldzy= · Mar 26, 2021

Turn down tyre volume in sound settings fixed it for me.

KiritoSan88 · Mar 27, 2021

Matt Percival said:
Actually, Motorsport Games owns the NASCAR license. And guess who just bought Studio 397. Don't be surprised if there's a lot more NASCAR related content in the future.

Motorsports games and 397 are actually doing a New NASCAR game for this year ironically, Nascar Heat franchise is now DEAD. The new game will have better simulation i've heard and possibility of Switch release on top of pc, and other consoles.

Caleb Lee · Mar 29, 2021

The amount of people not realizing that these are Stock Cars as in NASCAR and not as in Brazillian Stock Cars (which is a much smaller series) is.... shocking.

MetalMania · Apr 3, 2021

Don't know if anyone will even see this as it's "old news" now, but yes - for anyone still confused about what these cars are these are like the "F2" division of NASCAR, one level below the top "Cup" cars. A little less power, maybe a weight difference (I don't know all the real world differences anymore), the races are usually shorter. The current title sponsor of this division is "Xfinity", a cable TV provider, so it's called the "NASCAR Xfinity Series", I presume that's why S397 calls them "SC2018x".

I like the cars themselves. Now I'm going to rant.

I ran 7 short "test races" on oval tracks included standard in RF2. All but Indianapolis are old legacy ISI, even Indy is also but has gotten a recent update from S397. I know "3PA" tracks are technically mods, but since they are included with RF2 I consider them "stock content". Given RF2's wild variation in AI speeds per track, I just left them at 100% - I'm looking for how these cars with AI race right now, not their overall speed. I left my car with default setups. I'll try them on some road courses some time, I wanted to run the ovals since that's what these cars primarily do.

Here are my notes:

Apple Valley (Fontana/California/Auto Club Speedway): AI are useless, they drift high up to the wall in each set of turns and then dive abruptly down across the track to the apron - destroying you if you happen to be passing underneath them. Also, replays are in perpetual slow motion. Unusable.

Alabama Superspeedway (Talladega): OK, car is tricky in the draft (slipstream for those of you outside the U.S.). Had a decent race except for a weird slowing of the field on lap 1 allowing me to pass 15 cars in turn 4.

Brookdale (Darlington) - Decent. Watch the exit of turn 2 (as ovals go, this track is trickier than you think especially as tires wear, it will bite you). AI not spectacular but they didn't seem to do anything stupid and raced for position. I'd give this a try with a longer race.

Indianapolis - Unusable, AI repeatedly hit the wall in all corners lap after lap and keep going, which is probably better than pitting or retiring because I'd be the only car left running after 2 laps. When they clout the wall after turns 1 and 3 they also tend to abruptly turn hard into a lower line and will wreck you if you happen to be there.

Jacksonville (essentially Daytona) - Car seems to have a massive aero-push (understeer) when drafting behind another car. Strange it didn't seem this bad at Alabama which is similar. In practice I ran out of fuel and while coasting into the pits an AI obliterated me and *I* got an unsportsmanlike driving warning. Race notes = "Car doesn't draft for s***, still fall behind even when I'm right behind the car ahead's bumper. If I'm leading a drafting line I'm as slow as if I was by myself. AI split into two groups but didn't appear to change any positions - they stuck together in a perfect conga line, even into the pits, for the entire race." Maybe some of this I just need a better setup, but it's strange how different it was from Alabama - there drafting seemed to work like I'd expect but here it didn't. If you're leading a draft line you should still pick up some speed, and being directly behind a car you should be able to at least more or less stay with them (or speed up) and not just hopelessly fall back. The AI didn't seem to be racing each other, just lining up and riding.

Mountain Peak (Charlotte Motor Speedway) - with AI at 100% I was still 1.5 seconds slower than the slowest car in a 30 car field, way different than all the other tracks so far but whatever. I suppose they seemed at least "OK" here as far as behavior but OMG this track is insanely bumpy. I don't know how bad it is in real life but it seems to be excessive here.

Palm Springs (Homestead Miami Speedway) - FINALLY this was really good - the kind of RF2 race with AI that makes you tense and your hands ache after you peel them off the steering wheel. Had to run different lines as the tires wore down, AI raced hard and didn't do anything stupid (that I saw), traded positions multiple times in the closing laps. THIS is what I want all of them to be like.

I haven't tried Joesville (Martinsville) or the ones that are based on Richmond and Kansas yet (I can't remember what they're called in RF2 at the moment). I seem to recall I hated the one like Kansas in the past and I've never been a fan of tight short tracks like Martinsville, but Richmond is cool so I'll have to give that one a try.

Anyway, in summary out of 7 only one seemed to run really well, a couple were "decent", and the rest degraded from maybe OK-ish to unusable. I REALLY wanted Apple Valley and Indianapolis to be good and they were the worst. I know all of these tracks are basically old, but if they're included as part of the standard RF2 install, and I'm running standard/stock RF2 cars, I expect them to work together. I can't really say from this that they do - not in all cases anyway. AI being too slow or fast can be adjusted, but when they can't even make their way around the track (with just FOUR TURNS, ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTION), that's really aggravating. These are good cars, please fix the tracks (I assume it's the tracks that are the issue) so they can work properly on them.