Overview
Want to start iRacing but don’t wanna spend a ridiculous amount on cars and tracks? Check out the best way to have fun in iRacing for less money than you think!
Getting Started In Rookies
Whether you’re racing Road, Oval, Dirt Road or Dirt Oval, all rookie series content is free! When you purchase the sim you will be given a select number of cars and tracks, some of which are used in the rookie series.
Road License
When you start iRacing you will be rookie level and have a safety rating of 2.50. This means you will only be elegible to compete in rookie class series (Red with an R). To improve you safety rating an advance to a D class license you must complete offical race sessions as safely as possible. You have a choice of 2 offical series. The Global Mazda MX-5 Cup or the Production Car Challenge. Both of these series are completely free with the cars and tracks being base content. Just be safe, and stay out of trouble.
Oval License
When you start iRacing you will be rookie level and have a safety rating of 2.50. This means you will only be elegible to compete in rookie class series (Red with an R). To improve you safety rating an advance to a D class license you must complete offical race sessions as safely as possible. You have a choice of 2 offical series. The Street Stock Rookie Series and the Advanced Legends Cup. Both of these series are completely free with the cars and tracks being base content. Just be safe, and stay out of trouble.
Dirt Road
When you start iRacing you will be rookie level and have a safety rating of 2.50. This means you will only be elegible to compete in rookie class series (Red with an R). To improve you safety rating an advance to a D class license you must complete offical race sessions as safely as possible. You have a choice of 1 offical series, the Rookie iRacing Rallycross Series. This series is completely free with the car and tracks being base content. Just be safe, and stay out of trouble.
Dirt Oval
When you start iRacing you will be rookie level and have a safety rating of 2.50. This means you will only be elegible to compete in rookie class series (Red with an R). To improve you safety rating an advance to a D class license you must complete offical race sessions as safely as possible. You have a choice of 2 offical series. The DIRTcar Street Stock Series and the iRacing Dirt Legends Cup. Both of these series are completely free with the cars and tracks being base content. Just be safe, and stay out of trouble.
D Class Series [Road]
D Class Road License
Minimum Cost – Free
Once you are eligible for D class racing you will have 6 official series to chose from (excluding VLN). This is where most people will panic and think that iRacing is too expensive because they have to buy loads of content to participate in a series. This isn’t exactly the case, you have to be smart and buy content which you will 100% use, not just one time for that series. You will still be able to race in rookie series but they will not count towards your license promotion (only safety rating and iRating).
Cars
There are 3 cars spread across 3 series which are free base content. These are the SCCA Spec Racer Ford, Cadillac CTS-V Racecar and the Pontiac Solstice. This means you can race in the Spec Racer Ford Challenge, Fanatec Global Challenge and the Grand Touring Cup respectively. These 3 series will usually start the 12 week season with a base content track as well, so you can get a feel of which car you like the most.
Something that I will recommend though is the Skip Barber Series. Yes this will mean that you have to purchase your first car, but it is 100% worth your investment. This series will also start a season with a base content track. I recommend this series as it has one of the highest participation in iRacing, and you are always guarenteed to have great racing with people on your level.
Tracks
This is where you may have to reach into your pocket and purchase a track or two. Also remember, if you buy content in bulk you will get a discount in checkout. Based off of the schedule from 2018 Season 4, the most used tracks are Watkins Glen and Spa. This is not just these D class series though as you will likely see these tracks pop up in almost every other type of series, so they are worth the buy.
If you bought these tracks that means you will be able to race in 6 out of the 12 weeks in the Spec Racer Ford, 5 weeks in the Cadillac and 5 weeks in the Solstice also. A table below will outline this.
*2018 S4*
Purchases
Watkins Glen – $14.95 [optional]
Spa – $14.95 [optional]
Skip Barber – $11.95 [optional]
D Class Series [Oval]
D Class Oval License
Minimum Cost $11.95
Once you are eligible for D class racing you will have 3 official series to chose from. This is where most people will panic and think that iRacing is too expensive because they have to buy loads of content to participate in a series. This isn’t exactly the case, you have to be smart and buy content which you will 100% use, not just one time for that series. You will still be able to race in rookie series but they will not count towards your license promotion (only safety rating and iRating). If you don’t want to spend any money at all then you can just keep doing Street Stocks at the Rookie level to get your safety rating up. Once you reach C class safety rating then you can do the C Class Steet Stock Series. That is the CHEAPEST way to get to class C, but not necessarily the most enjoyable.
Cars
Now this is where you HAVE to buy a car to participate, unlike some of the Road D class series. The series that you will have spend the least money on is the SK Modified Series. This is because it races on a lot of base content tracks. It is however, a short track series, so if that isn’t your thing then you might have to spend a bit more on tracks in the other 2 series. Another bonus of buying the SK Modified is that it also comes with the Whelen Tour version of the car which you can race in a C class series later down the line.
Tracks
As I said previously, the most cost effective series is the SK Modified series – racing 6 weeks on base content tracks. Compare this to the National Series and Late Model Series which races on 4 base content tracks each. If you wanted to race more weeks in the SK Modified then I would say that you will probably use Myrtle Beach Speedway more than any others. This is because that track is used in short track series and the truck series in C class.
Purchases
NASCAR Whelen Tour Modified – $11.95
Myrtle Beach Speedway – $11.95 [optional]
D Class Series [Dirt Road]
D Class Dirt Road License
Minimum Cost – Free
Once you are eligible for D class racing you will have 1 official series to chose from. This is where most people will panic and think that iRacing is too expensive because they have to buy loads of content to participate in a series. This isn’t exactly the case, you have to be smart and buy content which you will 100% use, not just one time for that series. You will still be able to race in rookie series but they will not count towards your license promotion (only safety rating and iRating).
Cars
There are currently 3 rallycross cars in iRacing. The VW Beetle is free so it is cheapest to just stick to that. For this series you don’t need to purchase any new cars.
Tracks
3 of the 12 weeks are on the base content tracks. Now buying the extra tracks depend on whether you are more of a road racer or an oval racer. If you race on road courses more often, you are better off purchasing Sonoma Raceway as you are more likely to use that in a road racing series later on down the line. If you also race on ovals then Iowa Speedway is the best buy. This is because it is used in short track series and other larger oval seies like the C class trucks. Therefore I would recommend Iowa as the best buy for Rallycross.
Purchases
Iowa Speedway – $11.95 [optional]
D Class Series [Dirt Oval]
D Class Dirt Oval License
Minimum Cost $11.95
Once you are eligible for D class racing you will have 2 official series to chose from. Dirt Oval racing is probably the most expensive to race. This is because you will have to purchase lots of tracks if you want to do the season. You will still be able to race in rookie series but they will not count towards your license promotion (only safety rating and iRating).
Cars
There are 2 cars to chose from. The DIRTcar Late Model and the DIRTcar Sprint Car. Whatever you preference is you will have to purchase one of these to race. In my opinion the sprint cars are more fun, but the Late Model resembles the Street Stock more. Both of these cars come with 3 variations of them, meaning you get 3 cars for the price of 1. For example the D class sprint car series uses the 305, the C class uses the 360 and the B class uses the 410. It is better value for money if you stick to the same type of car throughout you climb up the license ladder because then you won’t have to purchase a new car.
Tracks
There are 2 free dirt oval tracks on offer in iRacing. USA International Speedway and Lanier National Speedway. If you want to participate in more races in the season then you will need to purchase some tracks. If you are also an oval racer then Eldora Speedway is also used by the C class truck series. In 2018 Season 4, the best tracks to buy are Knoxville Raceway and Kokomo Speedway because they are both run twice in the season. If you buy these 2 tracks you will be able to race 7 of the 12 weeks (Sprint Car Series).
Purchases
Dirt Late Model OR Dirt Sprint Car – $11.95
Knoxville Raceway – $11.95 [optional]
Kokomo Speedway – $11.95 [optional]
Road Racing Career
C Class
Once you graduate to C License there is suddenly a whole load of new series to try out. But don’t let this tempt you to wittle away your money. Some series look amazing but you will hardly to able to race them because no one will sign up. Some are unlikely to go official due to the lack of drivers registered. Out of the official series I will list them in terms of particiation (excluding endurance races).
Participation Ranking
1. IMSA Sportscar Championship
2. iRacing Formula Renault 2.0 Championship
3. Porsche iRacing Cup
4. Advanced Mazda Cup
5. Pro Mazda Championship
6. Radical Racing Challenge
7. Verizon Indycar Series
8. Fanatec GT Challenge
9. iRacing V8 Supercars Series
10. Kamel GT Championship
11. Grand Prix Legends
This means that the best cars and tracks to buy are those that are in the top 3 series because they will attract the highest participation, meaning better racing… most of the time haha.
IMSA Sportscar Championship
The IMSA Sportscar Championship is a multiclass series with 45 minute long races. This includes a mix of GT3 cars, GTE cars and the Daytona Prototype. The GTE field is by far the most popular in this series though. Chosing between which car to buy can be tough, but I’d say that the Porsche 911 RSR is my favourite out of the GTE field. There are certain tracks that you will see pop up on the calender every season as well. For example; Watkins Glen, Belle Isle, Spa, Monza and Sebring are most likely to be used so they are the most efficient tracks to purchase.
iRacing Formula Renault 2.0 Championship
The Formula Renault 2.0 is a tricky but rewarding car to drive. If you aren’t confident with twitchy cars then I would say this probably isn’t for you, but if you have the money give the Pro Mazda a go as it is sort of like a stepping stone between Skip Barber and Formula Renault 2.0. The races are usually around the 16-20 lap range, depending on the length of the track of course. There don’t seem to be that many circuits that pop out each season, but I think; Belle Isle, Nurburgring Grand Prix and Imola have a pretty good chance at becoming regulars.
Porsche iRacing Cup
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car is very fun, similar to a GT3 car. Their races are slightly shorter than those of the Formula Renault 2.0, maybe by 3 to 5 laps. The tracks seem to change frequently in this series, which I guess can be a good thing but it means spending more. The most common tracks in this series are; Phillip Island, Brands Hatch and Circuit of the Americas.
B Class
Congrats if you’ve made it up to class B! You are now elegible for 4 new official series; VRS GT Sprint Series, iRacing Le Mans Series (Sprint + Endurance) and the Classic Lotus Grand Prix Series. If you followed my previous section about IMSA then chances are that you now own a GTE car. This is good as you can race this car in the iRacing Le Mans Series. This is similar to IMSA however, you will compete in 60 minute races with LMP1, LMP2 and other GTE cars. You probably already own a bunch of tracks like Spa, Watkins Glen, Sebring and Monza from previous series, so it is good that these tracks I suggested earlier can be used in this series too. Seen as you are racing GTE class (the slowest class in the race) you have to be careful when the LMP cars are coming up to lapping you. Just hold you line and don’t make any aggressive manoeuvres near them and you should be fine.
A Class
There is only 1 A class series now – the iRacing World Championship Grand Prix. These are races in the McLaren MP4-30 F1 car, racing on circuits similar to ones that you already know. The only big purchase you’ll have to make is for the car. Participation for this series is quite low however, so you might be better off sticking with Le Mans or IMSA.
Oval Racing Career
C Class
Once you graduate to C License there is suddenly a whole load of new series to try out. But don’t let this tempt you to wittle away your money. Some series look amazing but you will hardly to able to race them because no one will sign up. Some are unlikely to go official due to the lack of drivers registered. So, be careful and check the official races screen to see which ones are most popular. You can easily race in C Class without buying a new car as there is the Street Stock Class C series. If you bought the NASCAR Whelen Tour Modified car for the SK Modified series you will be able race in the NASCAR Tour Modified Series with the ‘Whelen Tour’ version of the car. Both these series calenders will involve the same tracks that you raced in the D Class series, so if you had bought some extra tracks to race more weeks, you will use them again here.
Most Cost Effective Series
Street Stock Class C
NASCAR Tour Modified Series
B Class
Well done for making it through the wrecks and making it to class B! You are now elegible for 4 new series. Two short track series – Silver Crown Cup and Sprint Car Series. Two big oval series – NASCAR iRacing Class B and a fixed setup variation of the same series. If you have been racing short track series previously then the two short track series are probably better suited to you. The only downside to these series are that they have lower participation than the NASCAR series.
A Class
There are 3 official series to choose from in A class. NASCAR iRacing Class A (fixed and non-fixed) and the NASCAR Road To Pro Series. The Road To Pro Series uses trucks and the Class A series uses NASCAR Monster Energy Cup cars. The NASCAR iRacing Class A Fixed series has the highest participation so you are guarenteed to have official races.
Dirt Road Racing Career
C Class
C class is the highest level of Rallycross racing you can do. You will be able to participate in the iRacing Rallycross World Championship, which is basically exactly the same as D class and Rookies but with higher class drivers entering. There isn’t much to be said about Rallycross racing as it isn’t that popular in iRacing. But atleast you’ll have fun… right?
Dirt Oval Racing Career
C Class
There are 5 new series to race once you get to class C; iRacing Dirt Midget Cup, USAC 360 Sprint Car Series, DIRTcar 360 Sprint Car Series, DIRTcar Street Stock Class C Series, DIRTcar Pro Late Model Series. Now you probably would’ve bought either the Sprint Car or the Late Model when you got to class D. You can now race the middle variation of the car in official series for no extra cost! Just like class C in oval, you can go back to racing the Street Stock but in with a higher class of grid.
This is the time when you probably want to start investing in some new tracks so you can participate in more weeks of the season. Some circuits will duplicate over the 12 weeks because there aren’t 12 dirt tracks yet. So look carefully at the schedule of the series you want to race and purchase the tracks that are duplicated to be more efficient.
B Class
There are 4 new official series for you to participate in once you reach the B class level. 1 of these series you will not need to purchase a new car as you will already own the Sprint Car or the Late Model from what I suggested earlier in the guide. You might want to consider purchasing a few more tracks if you haven’t already. There is an entirely new series which you will be able to race from this level. The DIRTcar UMP Modified Series is used a car similar to the Late Model, if you enjoy that type of car.
A Class
Once you reach A class you will have 2 official series to race in. A World of Outlaws Sprint Car World Championship and a World of Outlaws Late Model World Championship. These will be in the same spec cars as the class B series but with longer races.
