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How to Select Helmet Design in Iracing

Shows how to select helmet design in iRacing for drivers. Clear steps to fix helmet selection issues fast so you can race with your chosen livery and custom skins.

If you need to know how to select helmet design in iRacing, the short answer is: pick a helmet preset or upload a custom helmet skin in the Member Site or Paint Shop, then assign it to your car via the garage. You’re in the right place — below are the exact steps to fix it fast.

Quick Answer — how to select helmet design in iracing

Open the iRacing Member Site (or Paint Shop), choose a helmet preset or upload a .tga/.png helmet file, save it to your helmet folder, then select that helmet in the in-sim Garage under Driver Gear. That’s all — you must restart iRacing or reload the paint to see changes in some cases.

What’s Really Going On

iRacing separates helmet graphics from car liveries. The helmet shown in the sim comes from your user helmet files or the default presets in the Paint Shop, not from the car skin. If your helmet isn’t changing it’s usually because you didn’t save the file to the correct folder, didn’t assign it in the Garage, or the file name doesn’t match iRacing’s required format.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Open the iRacing Member Site (members.iracing.com) and go to the “Paint Shop” or “Downloads” area.
  2. If using a preset: in the Paint Shop choose a helmet preset, click “Save” and download the helmet package to your PC.
  3. For custom helmets: export your helmet file as a 32-bit PNG or TGA that matches iRacing helmet templates (front/back/visor layers).
  4. Place the helmet files in Documents\iRacing\paint\helmets<your iracing ID>\ (create folders if missing). Use the exact filename rules from the Paint Shop or the helmet creator.
  5. Start iRacing, enter a practice session, open the Garage, go to Driver Gear > Helmet, and pick the helmet you saved. Click Save.
  6. If the helmet doesn’t appear: exit the session, clear the cache (Settings > Downloads > Clear Local Cache) and restart iRacing. Re-open the Garage and re-select.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • File type: use .tga or 32-bit .png with an alpha channel for visor transparency.
  • Folder path: Documents\iRacing\paint\helmets<your iracing ID>\ is required for personal helmets.
  • Naming: avoid special characters and spaces in filenames. Use the Paint Shop export to avoid errors.
  • Visibility: some series or replay cameras may show a generic helmet until the server syncs the paint — give it a minute.
  • Backup: keep local copies of custom helmets so re-install is quick if iRacing overwrites files.

FAQs

Q: Why can’t I see my custom helmet in iRacing?
A: Most often the file is in the wrong folder or the filename is incorrect. Check Documents\iRacing\paint\helmets<your id>\ and use the Paint Shop export.

Q: Do I need to assign a helmet for each car?
A: No. Helmets are tied to your driver profile, but the garage allows selecting different helmets per car if you want a different look.

Q: What file format and size does iRacing accept for helmets?
A: Use 32-bit PNG or TGA files following iRacing’s helmet template. Keep texture resolution to the template size to avoid scaling issues.

Q: My helmet shows in cockpit but not in replays — why?
A: Replays can show cached or server-side paints. Clear cache and restart iRacing, or wait for server sync.

Wrap-Up

Selecting a helmet in iRacing is a quick fix once your helmet file is in the right folder and assigned in the Garage. If it still fails, export again from the Paint Shop and clear cache. Next session: test in practice to confirm the helmet displays correctly before racing.