We had a plan to use a manual pace car controlled by a human driver. This did NOT go well, and so we’ve now abandoned this plan for the mean time.

We often use a manual pace car rather than the automated car provided by iRacing. We use a manual pace car to reduce the number of and length of full course caution periods. It also allows us to complete our warm up lap for rolling starts at a much higher pace.

Short explanation … follow the instructions by live race control, read the rules, and/or check out the following video for a demonstration of a manual pace car race start:

Race start procedure

• If grid is to be reversed, race control will provide instructions on the order, which needs adjusted once the pace car has moved to the front of the pack
• Pace car will move to the front of the field
• Lights will turn green – this is not the race start, but is a warning that the pace car is about to lead the field away
• Stay in double file as the pace car leads the field around
• The pace car will pull off and the leader will steadily increase their speed until reaching the start/finish line
• As soon as the cross the start finish line, the race begins
• Normal iRacing penalties apply when drivers pass illegally before the start/finish line (if the live race control are busy, then penalities may be applied after the race)

Caution periods

• If you crash badly or see a bad crash, alert race control (via audio chat or typing “CRASH!” on text chat)
• Race control can choose at their discretion whether to trigger a caution based on whether it improves the race or not
• Race control will announce a caution period via audio chat and text chat
• Cars must remain in the position they were in the when the caution was announced
• Cars must drive in single file during caution periods
• Pace car will enter the track immediately
• Everyone but the leader is allowed to pass the pace car
• If you are not the leader and the pace car is directly in front of you then simply pass it
• Race control will alert that the race is about to restart at least a quarter of a lap before the start finish line
• The pace car will pull off into the pits
• The leader then steadily increases speed until reaching the start/finish line at which point the race resumes (do not pass before the start/finish line)

Pitting under caution

• The pits are always open
• You may pit at any time you like, including as soon as the safety car comes out
• When merging back into the pack, you must stay in the position you were in when exiting the pits (at the green cones, where the pit speed limit ends). You will need to monitor this yourself. If there is any debate over positions, please alert race control who will sort it out after the restart

Things to note

• Our pace car is significantly faster than the default iRacing pace car, so be ready to keep up with the car in front of you
• Penalties will be applied manually by race control, so it may take a minute or two for the penalities to be applied or even applied after the race
• You can politely communicate directly with race control via iRacing audio and text chat, or via Discord audio chat – grumpy complaints will be ignored; we’re here to have fun, not listen to people whinging
• Race control will usually be driving the pace car, so won’t be watching the field
• The exact pace car used varies depending on the preference of the volunteer driving it