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How to Host Special Events in Iracing

Learn how to host special events in iRacing step by step. Made for iRacing beginners new to iRacing—set formats, teams, and rules so your races run smoothly.

If setting up your own race night sounds scary—too many menus, too many settings—you’re not alone. Most iRacing beginners feel that way at first. Good news: you don’t need to be a tech wizard. You just need a simple plan and a few smart defaults.

This coach-style guide gives you clarity on how iRacing works and exactly how to host special events in iracing without overwhelm.

Quick Answer: how to host special events in iracing

You’ll use Hosted Sessions (for one-off events) or a League (for recurring series) in the iRacing UI. Pick the car/track, set session lengths and rules, enable team racing if needed, add a password, schedule the start, cover the small server fee, and share the details with your drivers.

Simple Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Choose your format
  • Decide: one-off Hosted race or League event. Pick car(s), track, and style (sprint, heat racing, or endurance with driver swaps). Confirm participants own the required content.
  1. Create the session in the UI
  • Go to Create a Race > Hosted (or Leagues > Schedule). Start from a clean template. Add Practice, Qualifying, and Race blocks. For heats, enable Heat Racing and set transfers.
  1. Set rules and realism
  • Key settings: start type, cautions/safety car, incident limits, fast repairs, fuel limits, tire sets, multiclass classes. For endurance, enable Team Racing and set drivers per team.
  1. Lock in timing and access
  • Pick the server region and start time. Add a password for private events. Allow a warmup (5–10 minutes) so late joiners can grid and you can brief drivers.
  1. Test, pay, and publish
  • Run a short shakedown first to check flags, penalties, and driver swap flow. Then book the full event (there’s a small iRacing Credits fee based on duration). Share the start time, password, and rules in one clear message.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting Team Racing for endurance

    • Fix: Tick “Team Racing,” set min/max drivers, and remind teams to register as a team, not as solo drivers.

  • Picking content nobody owns

    • Fix: Choose popular cars/tracks or confirm ownership early. This is the #1 reason friends can’t join.

  • Too little buffer time

    • Fix: Add extra practice or a warmup and schedule the server 10–15 minutes earlier than your public “green flag” time.

Quick Pro Tips

  • Use warmup as your driver briefing: restarts, incident penalties, and protest process—keep it to 60 seconds.
  • Set an incident limit that matches length (e.g., 12–17x for sprints, 20–30x for endurance) to reduce chaos.
  • Limit tire sets and fuel to create strategy, not frustration; announce those limits clearly.
  • For iRacing tips that save headaches, save your setup as a template—then you can clone it for future events.
  • Always host a 10–15 minute private test before the big day to catch rule mistakes early.

When to Ask for Help

If you’re new to iRacing and still learning how iRacing works, don’t go it alone. Community iRacing Discord servers and the official forums are great places to sanity-check settings, find sample templates, or recruit race control volunteers.

FAQs

  • Do drivers need to own the car and track?

    • Yes. Everyone must own all required content to join Hosted or League events.

  • How much does hosting cost?

    • There’s a small server fee paid in iRacing Credits and it scales with session length and options. Exact pricing appears before you confirm.

  • Can I run endurance races with driver swaps?

    • Yes. Enable Team Racing, set drivers per team, and remind teams to register and join as a team.

  • Can I export results or get replays?

    • Yes. You can download results, view laps/incidents, and save/share the replay. Many organizers also stream with spectators enabled.

Final note: Keep it simple the first time. Start with a short sprint event, save your template, and build from there. Your future self—and your drivers—will thank you.