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How Do Hosted Sessions Work in Iracing

Wondering how hosted sessions work in iRacing? This direct guide for iRacing drivers explains joining, hosting, costs, and rules so you can set one up fast.

If you’re asking “how do hosted sessions work in iracing,” here’s the short version: they’re custom, unranked races you or others create on iRacing’s servers. They don’t affect iRating (your skill number) or Safety Rating (how clean you drive). You’re in the right place to get this set up fast.

Quick Answer: how do hosted sessions work in iracing

Hosted sessions are private or public lobbies you configure with your choice of cars, tracks, and rules. Any member can host for a small per-hour server fee. Anyone who owns the chosen content can join. Results are recorded, but they do not change iRating or Safety Rating.

What’s Really Going On

Hosted sessions sit outside the official series. Think of them as your sandbox: you control car list, track, length, weather, tire and fuel rules, cautions, fast repairs, fixed or open setups, heat races, and team options. Most league races and practice nights run as hosted.

Key points:

  • You must own the car and track to join.
  • Hosts pay a small hourly fee; check the Hosted tab for current pricing before confirming.
  • Sessions can be open to all or password-protected.
  • If many drivers register, iRacing may create extra splits automatically.
  • Great for testing iRacing setup and iRacing settings without risking SR/iRating.

Step-by-Step Fix

If your confusion is “how do I actually use this,” do one of these:

To join a hosted session:

  1. Go to iRacing UI > Find Sessions > Hosted.
  2. Filter by car/track or friends/leagues. Check you own the content.
  3. If it’s locked, get the password from the host.
  4. Click Register/Join. Download any missing updates, then hit Go Race when it opens.

To host your own session:

  1. iRacing UI > Create a Session > Hosted.
  2. Pick cars and track you own. Choose fixed or open setups.
  3. Set durations: Practice, Qualifying (lone or open), Warmup, Race. Pick standing or rolling start.
  4. Rules: incident limit, fast repairs, cautions (oval/road), tire sets, fuel, team racing, heat format if needed.
  5. Access: public or password, max drivers, allow spectators. Review the cost/time.
  6. Create session. Share the session link or password with your group.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • Content check: Everyone must own the car and track. Post that list up front.
  • Save a template: Reuse the same settings for weekly league nights.
  • Fixed vs open: Fixed setup keeps the field even; open is better for testing.
  • Incident limit and fast repairs: Set these clearly to avoid mid-race surprises.
  • Schedule wisely: Start practice 10–15 minutes early so people can load in.
  • Passwords: Use one for your group; change it after public events to prevent random joins.
  • Results and replays: You’ll get a results page; save replays for reviews.
  • Voice/text: Remind drivers which comms you’ll use (in-sim voice or Discord).

FAQs

  • Do hosted sessions affect iRating or Safety Rating? No. Hosted is unranked. Your SR and iRating don’t change.

  • Do I need to own the car and track to join? Yes. If you don’t own both, you can’t enter that session.

  • How much do hosted sessions cost? There’s a small per-hour server fee billed to the host. Check the Hosted tab at checkout for the current rate.

  • Can I run leagues or team events in hosted? Yes. Use team racing, heat races, and passwords. Save a template to make weekly events easy.

Short Wrap-Up

Hosted sessions are the flexible, low-risk way to practice, race with friends, or run a league—no impact on SR or iRating. Set your rules, share the password, and get on track. Try a fixed-setup practice first to get everyone in cleanly, then build from there.