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What to Do When Someone Blinks in Iracing

Blinking cars in iRacing? Learn what to do when someone blinks in iRacing—drive safely, avoid incidents, and fix settings fast to keep your race clean. For iRacing drivers.

If you’re dealing with what to do when someone blinks in iracing, the safe move is to give them space and avoid side‑by‑side in corners. You’re in the right place—here’s how to stay clean, protect your SR (Safety Rating), and keep your race alive.

Back off, don’t overlap in braking zones or mid‑corner, and make a clear, decisive pass only when you’re certain of their position. Use voice chat to alert them, and adjust your iRacing settings (like Network Smoothing) to reduce how much warping you see.

What’s Really Going On

“Blinking” is a network problem. The other driver’s connection drops packets or spikes in latency, so their car disappears, jumps, or reappears in a different spot. iRacing does not ghost blinking cars—contact can still happen when they pop back in. That means you can get incident points that hurt SR (your clean-driving score) and your result, which affects iRating (your skill-based ranking). Treat blinking cars as unpredictable and give them extra room.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Create space fast
    If the car ahead or beside you blinks, lift slightly and avoid overlap—especially into corners and on exits where lines converge.

  2. Use the Relative box
    Toggle the Relative (F3) to watch gaps. If the gap jumps or goes to “0.0” unpredictably, assume they’re unstable and wait.

  3. Pass on a straight
    Make passes where you have a long, clear view. Get fully alongside before braking so you’re not side‑by‑side mid‑corner.

  4. Communicate
    Quickly say, “You’re blinking, heads up.” Many drivers don’t know it’s happening. If it continues, plan an undercut/overcut or give it a lap.

  5. Adjust your iRacing settings
    In Options, raise Network Smoothing to Medium or High to reduce opponent warps. Limit opponent detail (car count in mirrors/visible cars) if your system struggles.

  6. Protect your race
    If they keep blinking, don’t fight them in risky spots. Losing one position is cheaper than a 4x and a damaged car.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • Don’t sit on a blinking car’s bumper; leave an extra car length in braking zones.
  • Avoid following closely through aero “dirty air”—you’ll have less time to react when they jump.
  • If it’s chaotic up front, back off and let the pack settle. Clean laps help SR and often net you spots.
  • Use practice/warmup to identify who’s unstable and plan your race craft around them.
  • If you suspect your end, press Ctrl+F to view network/fps meters; close streams/downloads and use wired Ethernet.

FAQs

Q: Is it safe to pass a blinking car in iRacing?
A: Yes, but do it on a straight with clear overlap. Avoid side‑by‑side corners where their reappearance could cause contact.

Q: Can blinking give me incident points?
A: Unfortunately, yes. iRacing doesn’t ghost blinking cars, so treat them as solid and leave extra room to protect your SR.

Q: Should I report a blinking driver?
A: In officials, just inform them politely. File a protest only if reckless driving accompanies the blinking. In leagues, alert the admin.

Q: How can I reduce how much I see others blink?
A: Increase Network Smoothing, use a stable wired connection, close background traffic, and lower opponent detail/car count to reduce stutter.

Short Wrap-Up

Blinking is a network issue, not bad intent. Give space, avoid risky overlaps, communicate, and use Network Smoothing to make warps less disruptive. Next race, plan passes on straights and protect your SR first—results usually follow.