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Does Iracing Have Day Night Cycles

Does iRacing have day night cycles? This guide for iRacing drivers answers that, explains why lighting may stay static, and shows fast fixes to enable night.

If you’re asking “does iracing have day night cycles”, short answer: yes — iRacing supports day/night lighting and changing sun angles. You’re in the right place to fix why your session looks the same all the time and get proper sunset/night running.

Quick Answer — does iracing have day night cycles

Yes. iRacing has dynamic time-of-day and lighting so sessions can run into sunset and night. Whether you see it depends on the session settings (start time and duration), the track’s lighting, and the server or event rules.

What’s really going on

iRacing’s renderer includes sun position, sky, and track lighting. But you won’t automatically get a daylight-to-night transition every time. Two things determine what you see:

Session start time: If the session begins at midday and is short, there’s no sunset to see.
Track lighting and settings: Some tracks have full floodlights; others don’t. Many official races use fixed times, so spectators always see the same lighting.

So if your session never goes dark, it’s not a bug — it’s usually the event/settings chosen by the server host or series organizer.

Step-by-step fix (get night lighting working)

Check the track: pick a venue that supports night/floodlights (e.g., tracks that host real-world night races). If it has no lights, night will be dark or unrealistic.
Create or edit a hosted session: go to Create → Hosted Session (or server settings on the website). Find the “Start Time” or “Time of Day” setting.
Pick a start time near sunset: choose a start time before sunset (example: 18:00) so the session will pass through sunset.
Increase session length: set practice/qualifying/race duration long enough for the sun to move (30+ minutes for visible change; 1+ hour for full transition).
Make sure the host didn’t lock time: if you join an existing server, the event host may have locked a fixed time — ask them to change it or create your own.
Verify graphics and drivers: if lighting looks wrong, update GPU drivers and ensure iRacing’s graphics presets aren’t forcing simplified lighting (use Medium/High). Restart iRacing after changes.

Extra tips / checklist

If you want consistent night racing, choose tracks known for night events (and set start time fully after sunset).
For endurance sessions, stagger start time so the night portion matches the real-world schedule.
Replays will show the correct time-of-day from the session, so use them to confirm lighting changes.
If lighting still looks off, clear shader cache or verify game files via the iRacing launcher.
Remember: official series use fixed times — you can’t change those unless you host your own session.

FAQs

Q: Will every track get bright floodlights at night?
A: No. Only tracks with installed lighting will have realistic floodlights. Others will be very dark at night.

Q: I set a sunset start but nothing changed — why?
A: Check session length and whether the host locked the start time. Also confirm the track supports night lighting.

Q: Can I force day/night in official series?
A: No. Official events use the organizer’s settings. Create a hosted session to customize time-of-day.

Q: Does weather affect the day/night cycle?
A: Weather changes sky and visibility, but the sun still moves based on your chosen start time. Bad weather may hide sunset colors.

Wrap-up

iRacing does support day/night cycles, but you only see them if the session time and track lighting allow it. If your races look static, set a sunset start time, lengthen the session, and confirm the track has lights — that should fix it fast. Try a short hosted night test and confirm with a replay before your next big session.