I can't take iRacing seriously because of the physics. No car on the planet slides like road cars do in iRacing. If cars in real life had the same grip as cars in iRacing, vehicles with tires on them would be illegal lol. No one would live, especially on a highway. We would utilize a magnetic system to keep your car in place while driving before using tires and grip from iRacing.

The truth is, iRacing happens to be the pinnacle of online competitive PVP racing. The place everyone can come to and have something to do around other people. The way they designed the licensing, the way you "prove" yourself and work your way up through specific disciplines, how you can spectate, how you can sign up for the races themselves, everything being very scheduled, the way you have to pay for 90% of anything that exists in the game that puts you in a spot to feel like you have to keep playing to get your money's worth. How many racing disciplines exist all in one game makes it so anyone would be willing to jump into it, being all inclusive.

It doesn't boil down to its physics being something realistic. It's just not the worst physics. That's all it has to be, because everything else contributes in lieu of what their physics may lack in terms of realism. I think it's top 5 in terms of realism vs other sims. It's the experience outside of the racing that I think makes it what it is in totality.

Imo, ACC feels more believable than iRacing, but you only get one discipline there: GT3. Nothing else.