rFactor 2’s Q2 drop has included some spectacular content, with one particular highlight being the Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) Infiniti Q50 and Toyota GR Corolla from the British Touring Car Championship. Here at SimGrid, we can’t get enough of this tin-top goodness and neither can our communities – here are some upcoming series that they are running in rFactor 2!

What’s in the Q2 Drop?

With the Q2 update for rFactor 2, we get the addition of British Touring Car Championship content as well as the introduction of the classic American circuit of Laguna Seca to the service and a variety of housekeeping updates. You can read more about the release by Studio 397 here, but here are the main talking points from the release:

• New content! As well as opening the books of rF2’s BTCC content with the Infiniti Q50 and Toyota GR Corolla, the update also adds the circuits of Brands Hatch, Donington Park, and Laguna Seca to the service in their laser-scanned glory. You won’t find as up-to-date versions of these tracks in any other title, and adding the BTCC to their collection of content is a massive win for fans of the series who have waited since the days of TOCA Race Driver in 2002 to have their favourite tin-top series be represented again in all of its glory.

• Sound and Graphics updates. As well as the addition of more sparks and particles to add that extra layer of immersion into the game, perhaps the most noticeable update to the sim is the audio overhaul that it has undergone in this update. The sounds from the cars and the track surface carry more presence to them, making them feel less tinny as well as making you feel more and more like you’re in the driving seat.

• Handling updates. As well as the addition of downshift protection to the title, starting with the new BTCC cars from the moment of launch, 397 have changed the way in which brakes and the engine cool over the course of an event. What this means is an end to the famous upshift-downshift exploits of rF2’s history as the sim establishes itself more and more as a contender to the likes of iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione.

• Wet-weather updates. Perhaps the greatest feather in rF2’s cap is the comprehensive weather system, which already boasted immense depth in how and when rain fell in an event. Not only has this been bolstered in this newest update, with the changes in grip and dry and wet lines becoming more realistic, but the AI have also been overhauled to make them behave with more realism as they make tyre gambles and also vie for the grippiest parts of the circuit.

• Competition System updates. With the launch of Season 3 of the Competition System, rFactor 2 adds even more to its variety of online racing. From a new Touring Car Challenge to the Race of the Season being Indycars at Laguna Seca, as well as the ongoing Formula E: Accelerate series, there’s a bit of something for everyone in the newest roster of rF2 online racing.

There’s no better time to get into Studio 397’s title than the present. From the start of something new with the rest of the BTCC’s 2021 and 2022 rosters joining the title in the coming months to the fan-favourites of GT3s, Prototypes, and Indycars, it’s got more than enough content on offer to keep you coming back for more.

And here at SimGrid, we’ve got some places you can get racing these fantastic cars!

OTL BTCC Championship

Our friends at On The Limit are running a Friday-night championship featuring the Touring Cars at the rostrum of British circuits that rFactor 2 has on offer. Starting with an evaluation race as Silverstone GP on May 27th, the series visits the shortened layouts of Silverstone as well as the brand-new Donington Park and Brands Hatch before a traditional finale around Brands Hatch GP on July 1st. To keep with BTCC tradition, each round features 3 races with each set to 18 minutes in length.

To register for the series you must first follow OTL’s host page on SimGrid and join their Discord server to keep in the loop about any updates as well as seeing their wide array of series in F1 2021 and Assetto Corsa Competizione, both on PC and on console.

Mrgit’s BTCC Transatlantic Trophy

Mrgit was inspired by classic motorcycle races of the ‘70s and ‘80s when he came up with this excellent idea for a series. Whilst visiting the British contingent of tracks, with Brands Hatch GP also featuring as his tin-topped finale, the Transatlantic Trophy will also visit 3 American tracks in the form of Atlanta Motorsports Park, Sebring, and VIRginia International Raceway. Starting May 24th and running on Tuesday evenings, each event has a 15-minute Free Practice session followed by 15 minutes of Qualifying and a meaty 30-minute race.

To find out more, check out Mrgit’s hosts section on SimGrid or join in on the Discord goodness for a variety of content in Assetto Corsa Competizione as well as rFactor 2.

More rF2 at SimGrid

Here at SimGrid, we host events in a variety of titles including rFactor 2. Be sure to check out our events page for the title to keep an eye out for more and more events coming up in the game, as well as the wide array of other games that we host on our site.

If you’d like to hear more from us at SimGrid about rFactor 2 as well as all things sim racing, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter from our friends over at Coach Dave Academy. Until then, we’ll catch you around the next lap!