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How to Change Server Region in Iracing

Learn how to change server region in iRacing to lower ping and pick the right hosted server. Fast, step-by-step troubleshooting for iRacing drivers to fix this issue.


If you’re dealing with how to change server region in iRacing, the short answer is: you usually pick the server from the session join or host creation screen — but for official races the server is set by iRacing or the session host. You’re in the right place to fix this quickly.

Quick Answer (how to change server region in iracing)

Open the session or hosted-session page in the iRacing launcher or garage, find the Server/Change Server drop-down next to the Join/Create button, and select the server or region with the lowest ping. If the session is an official race or someone else’s hosted session, you can only change servers by choosing a different instance or asking the host.

What’s Really Going On

iRacing runs many physical and virtual servers worldwide. When you join a session you connect to one server instance. For official series iRacing usually chooses the best server for the race or locks it to a region. For hosted/custom sessions the host chooses the server when creating the session; guests join that chosen server. If you see high ping or the wrong region, either a different server instance exists (you can switch) or the host/series has locked the server (you can’t change it yourself).

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Open the iRacing launcher and log in.
  2. Go to the session you want (Practice, Test, or Hosted tab).
  3. On the session page, look for a “Server” or “Change Server” drop-down near the Join/Create button — click it.
  4. Review the list of available servers/regions and their ping times; pick the server with the lowest ping for your location.
  5. Click Join (or Save/Create if you’re the host). If you don’t see multiple servers, the session is locked to one region.
  6. For hosted sessions: if you’re the host, go to Create Hosted Session → Server/Location and pick the region before you start the session.

If changing server doesn’t appear, disable any VPN first and try again — VPNs can route you through a different region and hide local servers.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • If you can’t change server, ask the host to move the session or create a new instance in your region.
  • Disable VPNs and proxy software; they can force a different region.
  • If you’re in an official series and experience constant high ping, try switching to a different session instance or check iRacing server status.
  • For test sessions, create your own private session and explicitly pick the best server.
  • If weird behavior persists (no server list, wrong country), contact iRacing Support — they can check your account region and network routing.

FAQs

Q: Can I force iRacing to use a specific country server for official races?
A: No. Official race servers are controlled by iRacing; you can only choose a different session instance if available.

Q: Why don’t I see multiple servers to choose from?
A: Either the session is locked to one server, or your network/VPN hides other instances. Disable VPN and relaunch the game.

Q: Will changing server affect my SR or iRating?
A: No. Server region only affects latency and connection; your race results (and thus SR/iRating) depend on your finishing position and race outcome.

Q: I keep joining the wrong regional server. What next?
A: Turn off any VPN, confirm your account region is correct, try a different session instance, or ask the session host to move the server.

Short Wrap-Up

Pick the server from the session join or the hosted-session setup to fix high ping or wrong-region joins. If the server is locked, coordinate with the host or open a new session for your region — and avoid VPNs while racing.