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How Do I Turn on Ghost Car in Iracing

How do I turn on ghost car in iRacing? This guide for iRacing drivers gives clear, fast steps to enable the ghost car, fix visibility, and practice lap comparisons now!


If you’re asking “how do i turn on ghost car in iracing”, the short answer is: you usually can’t toggle a ghost in live multiplayer — use Time Trial/Hot Lap or a private test session and iRacing will show a ghost of your best lap. You’re in the right place to fix this now.

how do i turn on ghost car in iracing (Quick Answer)

In iRacing the ghost car feature is available in Time Trial/Hot Lap and local replays, not in normal online races. To get a ghost: start a Time Trial or private test, set a reference lap, then race — your best lap will appear as a semi-transparent ghost for comparison.

What’s Really Going On

Ghost cars are a visual reference of a lap (usually your best or a chosen lap). iRacing disables ghosting in live multiplayer to prevent interference with other drivers. In solo modes (Time Trial/Hot Lap) and in replays the engine can display a non-colliding ghost so you can compare lines and braking points without risk.

If you don’t see a ghost it’s usually because you’re in an official session, you haven’t set a reference lap yet, or the session type doesn’t support ghosts.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Open iRacing and choose the car and track you want.
  2. Create or join a Time Trial / Hot Lap session or a private Test (not an official online race).
  3. Start the session and complete one full flying lap to create a reference time.
  4. Do another lap; the reference lap should appear as a semi-transparent ghost to show your relative position.
  5. Use the replay controls after a run if you want to compare other laps — replays often let you toggle on/off a ghost or load a specific lap to compare.
  6. If no ghost appears, exit to the session menu and confirm you’re in Time Trial/Hot Lap or a private test; restart the session if needed.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • Ghosts are disabled in public races — switch to Time Trial or a private session if you need them.
  • Make sure you completed a full flying lap first; there must be a reference lap saved.
  • Use the in-sim replay after a run to compare any two laps visually.
  • If the ghost is hard to see, try changing graphics contrast or reflectivity, or toggle helmet/visor settings — a brighter track shader helps contrast.
  • Still not working? Quit to the iRacing launcher and restart the session. Occasionally a quick client restart fixes UI/ghost bugs.

FAQs

Q: Can I turn on a ghost car in a public iRacing race?
A: No. Ghost cars are not allowed in live multiplayer races to prevent collisions and interference.

Q: How do I compare two laps with a ghost?
A: Record both laps, then use the in-sim replay or Time Trial mode; load the reference lap and.enable the compare/ghost option in the replay controls.

Q: My ghost is invisible or faint — what to do?
A: Check your session type, complete a proper reference lap, and adjust graphics contrast. If needed restart iRacing to clear display glitches.

Q: Is there a keyboard shortcut to toggle ghosts?
A: There’s no universal in-race “ghost toggle” for multiplayer. Replay controls differ; use the replay UI to show/hide comparison ghosts.

Short Wrap-Up

To see a ghost car in iRacing, use Time Trial/Hot Lap or a private test, set a reference lap, and then race — iRacing will show your ghost for lap comparison. If it’s not showing, check session type, complete a full lap, and restart the session or client.