The licensing will give racers the ability to simulate as many different eras of competition as possible. Where possible, ISI will continue to work to license additional machinery.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Located in Speedway, Ind., and opened in 1909, this 2.5-mile rectangular oval is the home of the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and also includes an infield road course used by sports cars and motorcycles.

Dallara DW12
After winning the right to produce the next-generation Indy car in 2010, Dallara set about designing a capable replacement for its older Indy car. This car, initially named the IR12, was later renamed to DW12 in honor of the primary test driver, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon. The car features a number of features intended to encourage safer racing and has been the sole chassis used in IZOD IndyCar Series competition since the beginning of the 2012 season.

Reynard 95i
Driven by Jacques Villeneuve to victory at Indianapolis and a CART championship in 1995, the Reynard 95i was capable of incredible speeds. The shape and speed of the car in both oval and road course configuration represent an era of racing still loved by many fans.

March 86C
March Engineering dominated the Indy 500 in the mid-1980s, with the 86C filling most of the field for 1986. This iconic car took Bobby Rahal to victory in 1986 and Al Unser to his fourth Indy victory in 1987.

The 1987 Indy 500 victory was quite a feat. Unser drove a year-old 86C which had started the month as a show car in a hotel in Pennsylvania, to his historic victory.

Eagle Mk4
Bobby Unser and Dan Gurney finished one-two in the 1968 Indianapolis 500 using the Mk4. An evolution of Gurney’s Formula One beauties, this car is a perfect example of the pre-wing era at Indianapolis.

Cooper T54
Often forgotten, the Cooper T54 is the car that started the rear-engine revolution at Indianapolis. The car, driven by F1 ace Jack Brabham in 1961, was the first rear-engine car to really impress, managing to finish in ninth place despite significant teething problems.

Watson Roadster
A.J. Watson’s cars dominated the late 1950s and early 1960s, refining the ideas of the time to produce the ultimate front-engine roadster. The 1960 example drove to a one-two finish in the hands of Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward after a classic duel.

Current production status of the IMS facility, which should be released after Silverstone Circuit later this year.

Current vehicles available include:
Formula Renault 3.5
Renault Megane Trophy II
Renault Clio 197

The extension allows us to keep these files available for download on our Web site, and gives further options for cars to add to the product in the future.

The new system is very simple. In the image below, Purchase is where you get the Product Key, and Activate is where you use it.

Purchase (buy Key), Activate (use Key) options.

Notes:
- The free trial system remains intact. Try before you buy.
- New purchases of rFactor can use the new system immediately by downloading 1255c.
- Old purchases of rFactor can be transferred easily using this form and your Purchase Order Number.
- All 1255 versions are compatible with each other online.
- There is no need to update your installation from 1255 to 1255c, unless you need to freshly reactivate.

Developments so far (read build notes for more information):
1/10 – Released Test Build 49.
1/10 – Released Formula Renault 3.5 car.
1/10 – Released Renault Megane Trophy car.
1/10 – Released Historic EVE and Spark F1, F2 and F3 cars.
1/10 – Released Mills Metropark track.
1/10 – Released Malaysia track.
1/10 – Released Portugal track.
1/10 – Released Historic 1966 Belgium track.
1/10 – Released Historic 1966 Monaco track.
2/17 – Released Test Build 60 – Read Build notes.
3/16 – Released Test Build 68 (see 69).
3/16 – Released Nissan 370z car.
3/16 – Released Nissan GTR car.
3/17 – Released Test Build 69 – Read Build notes.
5/24 – Released Test Build 85 – Read Build notes.
5/24 – Released ISI Formula Masters car.
6/14 – Released Test Build 90 – Read Build notes.
6/14 – Released Historic 1966 Brabham-Repco BT20 car.
6/14 – Released Historic 1966 Brianza track.
7/12 – Released Renault Clio Cup car.

Initially estimated to take a minimum of six months, the testing period will obviously require more time, but the hardest part is already behind us. If you are not currently helping us, you may pre-purchase rFactor2 – thereby gaining early access during the testing – by following instructions in our forums. We do not currently offer a free demo.

The FIA Formula Two Championship is pleased to announce a new partnership with Image Space Incorporated (ISI), makers of leading racing simulator rFactor, which will see its entire 2012 grid featured in the brand new rFactor2.

rFactor2 is the forthcoming sequel to the award winning computer racing simulation which has become the standard for a simulated racing experience. Developed by ISI, who also produced the Formula 1TM titles for EA Games, the company has more than 20 years’ experience in the market, developing racing software used by both amateurs and professional racing teams.

Due for release later in the year, all of this season’s upgraded JPH1B F2 cars – featuring new Yokohama tyres and carbon brakes – will appear on the new version, with each one recreated with meticulous detail. Every aspect of the Williams designed car, from handling characteristics through to the pitch of its 500bhp 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, have been captured, aided by Formula Two’s Chief Engineer James Goodfield.

“We’ve spent many hours working with ISI to ensure we recreate the highly sophisticated and new-spec F2 car with the utmost accuracy, right down to the physics and the engine note,” said Goodfield. “We’re very pleased with the results and feel confident it will provide professional racing drivers, as well as amateurs, with a simulation as close to the real thing as possible.”

He added: “Having all of this year’s cars and their liveries featured will also provide increased exposure to our drivers and their sponsors thanks to the global following of rFactor.”

Luciano Bacheta is currently leading the championship.

Timothy Wheatley, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Licensing at rFactor, commented: “We are extremely happy to work with the FIA Formula Two Championship and MotorSport Vision to bring the Williams JPH1B Formula Two car to rFactor2.

“It is exciting to know that budding race car drivers and members of the general public alike, will be able to train and have fun with this car using our software.

“rFactor2 is a major advancement in home simulation technology, as for the first time drivers are tested by a changing environment. Drivers will cope with different levels of track grip, changing light, a full wet-dry weather system and an ultra-realistic tyre model.”

rFactor2 is schedule to be released later in the year with further details available here. For more information on the Formula Two series visit formulatwo.com

Grand Prix racing in the 1960′s was a mixture of bravery that bordered on recklessness and, contrary to what many may say, innovative design and technology, far from primitive, which led Formula One to where it is today.

It was an era when the human eye, instead of a computer and a wind tunnel, designed a beautiful car. It was an era where spectators and drivers were only protected by bales of hay, which were often more likely to attribute to a fire than to save you in an impact.

Risks were taken and lives were lost, but the romance of the era still remains been the target of software developers, TV documentaries, and Hollywood movies. Many, including those of us at ISI, consider this space in time to be a golden age in the history of motorsport.

The first in-game/sim screenshot of rFactor 2 released to the public was of a road lined with trees, a house on the right and a truck parked in its driveway. This, barely recognizable to us as the same track now, was the first indication that ISI were trying to do something different.

We have licensed content from the modern era of motorsport for multiple types of racing, but also have licensing deals for real content from the first four decades of Formula One (some in the initial release, some to come later). We’ve done this because this is what we love and this is what we want to bring to the racing game/sim community. We want you to be challenged by our software, to be challenged rain or shine, day or night, old or new, and what better track to challenge you than the streets of Monte-Carlo?

We hope those of you who will want to participate in the open modders beta testing period are almost ready…

Waters is quoted as using rFactor (along with a community-made version of Bathurst, we assume) to train for the event.

Although it’s going to be a tough challenge for him this weekend, we wish him all the best.

One of the features we put the most time into was allowing players to make their own HDR profiles so that they can adjust for a look that appeals to them.

There are a few other effects to add, but the only one which is probably going to make it into the cockpit view is Bloom, which is likely to take a lot less time to refine than HDR has, but will have a large impact.

Talking of cockpit views, let’s take a quick look at what just HDR does to change your outlook from the cockpit:

HDR (right) can make a big difference to the lighting both inside and outside the car.

And when the sun does start to set, those turns with overhanging trees can finally be just as dark as they are in real life, while areas where the sun is able to penetrate you’ll get a beautiful orange glow. The car body also seems to benefit from HDR quite a lot as the rounded edges become much more noticeable and defined:

A low-level sun really provides a great difference in light across the track and car.

You can view many more work-in-progress screenshots of the HDR in action by visiting the screenshots page.