one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

parts

4 mechanics, as iRacing does them

core · 3

progression & goals

Career ladder

Licenses progress Rookie, D, C, B, A, with Pro for esports qualifiers; promotion depends on a per-discipline Safety Rating computed from incident points and corners per incident.

control & automation

Embodied skill control

Races are against human drivers on the publisher's servers, so results depend on the driver's braking, throttle, and line precision.

physics & materials

Vehicle dynamics

A new tire model replaced the one in the NASCAR Racing 2003 Season code iRacing was built from, and cars and tracks are LIDAR-scanned.

supporting · 1

risk & failure

Wear and breakdown

Cars take damage and tires wear over a race, which pit stops address.

core loop

join a scheduled official race -> qualify and race on laser-scanned tracks -> incidents and results update Safety Rating and iRating -> license promotion opens higher series -> buy cars and tracks for the next season

design notes

iRacing grew from Papyrus's NASCAR Racing 2003 Season code with a new tire model and LIDAR-scanned cars and tracks. Its distinctive layer is the competitive structure: a no-fault Safety Rating from incident points per corner gates license classes (Rookie, D, C, B, A, with Pro reserved for esports), an Elo-style iRating sorts drivers into sessions and divisions, and 13-week seasons rotate tracks weekly. Skill rating and matchmaking have no mechanic in the taxonomy (proposed as skill-rating-matchmaking).

appears in

the paper, 2 sections · 1 chapter · 1 episode
paper

5. The structure of the design space

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

Appendix A. Game catalog

linked in this section of the paper

paper
catalog

The catalog

listed with its year, developer, subgenre, and number of mechanics

book
ch 4

Chapter 4. Families

linked from the text

book
ep 3

Families across genres

on screen at 3:15 odd couples

episode

sources

1
Wikipedia contributors (2026). iRacing. Wikipedia

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-gfcatalog