iRacing has released a new video showcasing the upcoming Gen 4 Grand National ahead of its arrival with the 2026 Season 4 update. The lighter and slightly less powerful stock car will join the service with around 600–650 hp, a dedicated official series and free access for existing owners of the current Gen 4 package.
The dedicated video was published on September 7, giving drivers their clearest look yet at the new car before the Season 4 build arrives.
While the footage is new, the Gen 4 Grand National itself was first confirmed in iRacing’s August Development Update on August 28. The car represents the level below the top Cup machinery during the Gen 4 era, before NASCAR’s transition to the Car of Tomorrow.
What is the iRacing Gen 4 Grand National?
Visually, the Grand National shares much of the same aerodynamic body style as the Gen 4 Cup cars, but there are important differences underneath.
The car uses a shorter 105-inch wheelbase and a 358 cubic-inch V8 running a 9:1 compression ratio with a smaller 390 CFM carburetor. iRacing estimates output at approximately 600–650 horsepower.
That makes the Grand National lighter and slightly less powerful than its Cup counterpart, placing greater emphasis on maintaining momentum and using smooth throttle, brake and steering inputs.
According to iRacing, those characteristics should make the car particularly agile while still retaining the raw stock-car behaviour associated with the Gen 4 era.
Free for existing Gen 4 owners
The Gen 4 Grand National will be added to the existing [Legacy] ARCA Menards Chevrolet and Gen 4 Cup package with the Season 4 update.
Existing owners of that package will therefore receive the new Grand National at no additional cost.
The package will also lose its Legacy designation as part of the change, effectively becoming an active content package containing both the Gen 4 Cup and Grand National cars.
That gives current owners an additional car without requiring a separate purchase, while new buyers will gain access to both configurations through the same package.
A new official series is also coming
The Grand National will receive its own official series during 2026 Season 4.
iRacing plans to run the championship in opposite time slots to the existing Gen 4 Cup series, giving drivers the opportunity to race both cars without the schedules directly overlapping.
Both the Cup and Grand National will also receive an updated drafting model, an important change for cars designed around close pack racing and momentum preservation. The Grand National will first be available during Week 13 through the 13th Week Left Turn It Up series once the Season 4 build has been deployed.
For drivers already interested in iRacing’s Gen 4 stock cars, the Grand National adds a noticeably different version of the same era: less power, less weight and a greater focus on carrying speed through each lap.
New drivers can access Gen 4 Grand National and the rest of iRacing’s included base content through an iRacing membership.
See you on the track!
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