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How Do I Use Ghost Car in Iracing

Learn how do i use ghost car in iRacing: quick steps to enable and view your ghost in Hot Laps/Time Trial, plus fixes so you can practice faster. Fix it fast.

If you want to know how do i use ghost car in iRacing, the quick answer is: use Hot Laps or Time Trial, record a clean baseline lap, then enable the ghost/compare feature to overlay that lap while you drive. This article shows what the ghost is and gives simple steps to get it working now.

how do i use ghost car in iracing (Quick Answer)

The ghost car is a translucent replay of a lap you or the session recorded. To use it: pick Hot Laps or Time Trial, complete a reference lap, open the session’s compare/replay controls and select your best lap as the ghost. Then drive and follow the ghost’s line and delta.

What’s Really Going On

A ghost car is not a live opponent. It’s a playback overlay of a recorded lap used for practice and comparison. iRacing shows ghosts in single‑car practice modes (Hot Laps / Time Trial) or in replays. You won’t get a collision‑enabled ghost in a live race. If you can’t see a ghost, most of the time it’s because you’re in the wrong session type or the compare/replay ghost isn’t selected.

Step-by-Step Fix

Choose the right session — enter Hot Laps or Time Trial. Ghosts are intended for these modes.
Drive one clean, full lap and complete it so the lap time is recorded. That becomes your baseline.
Open the session/replay controls (the in‑sim session or replay panel). Look for “Compare”, “Ghost”, or “Show Ghost” and pick the lap you just set.
Toggle the ghost on. The ghost appears as a semi‑transparent car you can follow; the delta shows if you are ahead or behind.
If you want to compare against another lap, select that lap in the same compare menu or load the replay and use the compare tool.
If the ghost still won’t show, leave the session and rejoin the Hot Laps/Time Trial or restart iRacing (see troubleshooting below).

Extra Tips / Checklist

Ghosts are per driver and per session — your best lap only appears for you unless you load another lap in a replay.
You cannot use ghost cars to collide with others — they’re just visual reference.
If you want precise corner references, use the delta bar and brake/throttle indicators together with the ghost.
Ghosts sometimes disappear if you hide HUD elements; check your display settings if the car is missing.
Use the replay compare tool to capture a specific lap as a ghost if you want to compare different sessions.

FAQs

Q: Why can’t I see a ghost during a race?
A: Races use live cars, not ghost overlays. Ghosts are for Hot Laps, Time Trials, or replays only.

Q: My ghost shows the wrong lap. How do I change it?
A: Open the session/replay compare menu and select the lap you want as the ghost. If necessary, load the run in replay and use “Compare Against” to pick a lap.

Q: Ghost car won’t appear after selecting it — what then?
A: Rejoin the session or restart iRacing. Also check that HUD elements aren’t hidden and that you’re in a mode that supports ghosts.

Q: Can I race against someone else’s ghost?
A: You can load their lap in a replay for comparison, but you can’t collide with their ghost in a live session.

Short Wrap-Up

Ghost cars are a simple, powerful way to practice: pick Hot Laps/Time Trial, record a clean lap, then enable the ghost via the compare/replay controls. If it doesn’t show, double‑check session type, replay selection, and HUD settings — then try rejoining the session.