Although sim racers around the globe have had access to iRacing’s Classic Membersite for ages, changes are coming soon.
2023 Season 2 will slowly replace the iRacing classic membersite with a new more modern UI.
Ultimately, in just a few more months, vital capabilities of the site could be a thing of the past.
Much of what made the feature so iconic and widely favoured amongst drivers from all corners of the racing industry will soon be shut down.
So for those that were still relying on the classic membersite, it’s probably time for you to get used to “new” iRacing UI.
According to Alex Gustafson, iRacing Associate Producer, “As part of the next quarterly iRacing Season Release in March, 2023, the iRacing Classic Membersite will lose all ability to View Active Sessions, Register for Sessions, Launch the Simulator, Launch Replays, and manage Teams and Leagues,”
“This is a big and necessary step for our development so that we can continue to expand our functionality and offerings via the iRacing UI,” Gustafson concluded.
So essentially the major change is that through members.iracing.com you won’t be able anymore to join races directly through your browser.
Initially established in 2018 as the iRacing BETA UI, this desktop program was modeled after the Membersite that members had been using since 2008.
It kept many of its same capabilities so users were able to jump right back into their usual activity with a few extra bonuses and improvements for good measure.
Subsequently, the UI began to incorporate features that Membersite was not capable of offering, with a few remarkable additions such as an auto viewer for livery designing and all of its accompanying iRacing AI functions.
Although adjusting to the new UI may not be too difficult, sim racers who have stuck with the Classic Membersite will experience a radical cultural shift.
But once again, the Classic Membersite will shut down by 2023 Season 2, so it’s time to take the plunge and get used to the new UI.
Fortunately, iRacing has made sure that its new feature is up to the task and ready for drivers of all skill levels.
What functionality will be removed? (From iRacing in general)
- Going forward, the members.iracing.com website will no longer include features that initiate the iRacing Simulator app in any manner.
- To ensure a secure experience for all members, any page that allows you to alter your Registration status or Join the Simulator will be taken off of the members.iracing.com website.
What options will be removed from iRacing?
Let’s now have a look at the list of options (not functionalities) that will be removed from the iRacing Membersite:
- Join & View Official Races
- Watch / Ghost / Crew / Spot
- Join – View – Create Hosted Races and Tournaments
- Join – View – Create League and Team Sessions
- Browse – Manage – Admin Leagues and Teams
- Time Trial
- Test Panel
- Race Now Panel
- Manage – View My Friends and Studied Drivers
- Join a Friend
- Race Guide and What’s Hot
- Browse – Launch Replays
They’re actually quite a lot. But then again, it’s important to keep in mind that these are only options and some of the features mentioned may still be available on the iRacing UI.
It’s also worth noting that many of these functions can now be accessed directly from within the Simulator webapp itself.
Conclusion
So there you have it, everything you needed to know about the upcoming changes to iRacing’s Classic Membersite in 2023 Season 2.
In a nutshell, the members.iracing.com website will lose most of its functionality by then and features such as “Join and View Official Races”, “Watch / Ghost / Crew / Spot” or “Browse or Launch Replays” will no longer be available.
However, the new UI promises to bring a much better experience overall and provide users with more options than ever before, so there’s definitely something exciting to look forward to!
In any case, it looks like change will eventually come, so make sure you’re ready for it!
