Join hundreds of racers just like you! We love to help answer questions and race together.

How to Do Manual Starts in Iracing

how to do manual starts in iracing — simple steps for iRacing beginners and those new to iRacing. Practice drill and one key iRacing tip to start races cleaner.

If staring at the grid makes your palms sweat, you’re not alone. Manual starts feel technical at first, but with one calm explanation and a little practice you’ll stop stalling, wheel-spin less, and get off the line confidently.

Quick answer

how to do manual starts in iracing

A manual start in iRacing means you control clutch, throttle and sometimes gear selection during the race start. Use the clutch to hold the car, find the bite point, and release smoothly while adding throttle to avoid stalls or excessive wheelspin.

Why this matters for beginners Manual starts are one of those small skills that make a big difference. iRacing beginners who master starts:

Lose fewer positions in the first corner
Avoid costly stall/safety-car incidents
Build confidence in racecraft

People get confused because real-life starts use feel and drills; in sim racing you replace that feel with a wheel, pedal setup, and practice. Understanding how iRacing works with clutch, throttle, and revs removes that mystery.

Simple step-by-step guide

Simple Step-by-Step Guide

Set up: In the car, ensure your clutch, throttle, and (if used) clutch bite point are calibrated in control settings.
Hold the launch: Press the clutch fully and apply a little throttle to reach a stable launch RPM (this varies by car; look at the rev limiter or the pack’s common target).
Find the bite: Slowly lift the clutch to the point the engine starts pulling the car (the bite). Hold it there briefly so the car wants to move but won’t surge.
Release and feed throttle: Smoothly release the clutch while progressively adding throttle. Aim to match the clutch release speed to throttle increase so you neither stall nor spin.
Adjust: If you spin, back the throttle. If you bog or stall, raise launch RPM a bit next time or release clutch more gently.

Common mistakes

Common Mistakes (and quick fixes)

Rushing the clutch release: Fix — slow down the release; smooth > fast.
Too much launch RPM: Fix — reduce throttle slightly to avoid wheelspin.
Ignoring gear choice: Fix — verify correct first-gear selection; some cars need a blip shifting into a higher gear immediately after start.

Quick pro tips

Quick Pro Tips

Watch RPMs, not your speedometer — RPM gives you direct launch feedback.
Use neutral starts or practice sessions to test settings without race pressure.
Warm tires and brakes before the start sequence for better traction.
If you’re new to iRacing, map a quick in-sim “clutch” toggle to check settings between attempts.
Ask questions in community channels — iRacing Discord servers and beginner forums are great for car-specific advice.

FAQs

Q: Do all series in iRacing use manual starts?
A: No — some rookie or spec series use rolling starts or automatic clutch. Check session rules.

Q: Can I use a controller instead of pedals?
A: Yes, but pedals give much finer control for manual starts. Controller triggers are harder to modulate.

Q: How do I practice starts safely?
A: Use solo practice sessions, enable practice starts, or join a private server to repeat launches without traffic.

Q: What if I keep stalling?
A: Lower your launch RPM, release the clutch more slowly, and practice the bite point in free practice.

Final thought Manual starts are a small, learnable skill. Spend 15 minutes in practice focusing on bite and throttle matching, and you’ll notice cleaner race launches. Next session: pick one car, do ten starts in a row, and aim for fewer stalls than the run before — that measurable progress builds real confidence.