Just like he did for NASCAR 25, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is once again reaching out to NASCAR fans to help shape the soundtrack for iRacing Studio’s upcoming NASCAR console game. The NASCAR Hall of Famer and iRacing Executive Director took to social media this week, asking fans to share their music suggestions for what many are calling NASCAR 26.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Opens the Door for Fans to Influence NASCAR 26
“Hey all the NASCAR 25 fans, starting to compile ideas for the next game’s soundtrack,” Earnhardt wrote on X.
“Last year your input was really helpful. Need to know what songs you’d love to see included. Also (maybe more importantly) what is THE song you’d love to hear when you first load up?”
This marks the second time Earnhardt has turned to the NASCAR community for help building a game’s musical identity.
Back in November 2024, he made a similar request while NASCAR 25 was still in development. What started as a seemingly simple task became a serious effort for the former Daytona 500 champion.
Earnhardt didn’t just collect suggestions and move on. He discussed the project extensively on his podcast, The Dale Jr Download, during the latter half of 2025. The NASCAR Hall of Famer even recruited current Cup Series drivers like Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney to weigh in with their own recommendations.
And the hard work paid off. When NASCAR 25 launched last October, the soundtrack clearly reflected fan input. Songs like Molly Hatchet’s “Flirtin’ With Disaster”, famously used as the central theme for EA Sports’ NASCAR 98, made the cut, along with tracks from many other artists suggested by fans.
The result was a massive soundtrack that resonated with players. Now, with NASCAR 25’s time in the spotlight coming to an end, Earnhardt is back asking for help. Fans have already started flooding his mentions with suggestions.
Once again, “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf is a popular choice. “Flirtin’ With Disaster” is getting called for a return appearance.
Perhaps most interesting is the push for the theme song from NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup, with some fans noting it would be a fitting tribute since NASCAR recently brought back the Chase format as its championship system.
While most people assume the next release will be NASCAR 26, following the typical yearly naming convention, Earnhardt notably didn’t use a specific title in his post. He simply referred to it as “the next game,” leaving room for speculation about what iRacing Studio might have in store.
Details about the upcoming game remain scarce. There’s no official release date yet, though fans are hoping development is running ahead of last year’s schedule. The gap between Earnhardt’s initial soundtrack request in November 2024 and NASCAR 25’s release in October meant fans waited nearly a year for the game’s release.
As suggestions continue to roll in, it’s clear that NASCAR fans have strong opinions about what should pump through their speakers while racing virtual laps. Whether it’s classic rock anthems, country hits, or nostalgic callbacks to NASCAR games of the past, the community is ready to help Earnhardt build another memorable soundtrack.
Fans interested in contributing their suggestions can respond to Earnhardt’s post on X, where he and the iRacing team are actively collecting ideas for the game’s music selection.
