Short answer first, because it is the one most people do not want to hear. You can only watch an iRacing replay after you left the session if you saved it before you left. The sim holds the replay in memory while you are in the session. You exit, it is gone.
If you did save it, opening it later takes four clicks. If you did not, there are still a few things you can get back. Both cases are below.
Did you save it before you left?
Everything depends on this.
- You saved it. There is a .rpy file on your PC. Go to the next section.
- You did not save it. The replay of that session no longer exists on your side. Jump to what you can still do.
- You do not remember. Open the iRacing UI, click Replays in the left menu and look at the list. If the session is there, you saved it.
I checked this against the iRacing support pages on 5 October 2026. Their wording is clear: replays must be saved before you exit the sim.
How to open a saved replay
- Open the iRacing UI. You do not need to join any session.
- Click Replays in the left menu.
- Find the file. The list shows the file name, the date, the length, the car and the track. Sort by date if you have a lot of them.
- Press the green Launch button on the right of that row.
The sim starts and loads the replay like a session. You get the same replay controls you have at the track: play, pause, rewind, slow motion, the camera list and the driver list.
Two things to know. The replay needs the same car and track installed, so a file from a series you no longer own content for may not load. And you watch it alone. A saved replay is a file, not a session other people can join.
Where the replay files are
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Saved replay files | Documents, iRacing, replay |
| File type | .rpy |
| List of saved replays | iRacing UI, Replays in the left menu |
| Button to open one | Launch, on the right of each row |
| Replay options | In the sim: Options, Replay tab |
| Results and lap times | iRacing UI, Results |
The folder matters when you want to send a replay to someone, back it up or clean up. Replay files are big. A long race can be several hundred megabytes, so I would delete the ones you no longer need a few times a year.
How to save it next time
Do this before you click exit, while you are still in the sim.
- Open the replay screen.
- On the right of the replay controls, press the tool button, the one with the wrench and the hammer.
- Press the save icon, the floppy disk.
- Give the file a name you will recognise in three months. Track, series and date works.
- Press the green Save button. Then exit.
The full steps with every button are in my guide on how to save an iRacing replay.
You do not have to save the whole race. Put the replay at the moment where the part you want starts, press the scissors, go to where it ends and save. You get a small file with only that part. For a protest that is all you need, and it is the first thing I would do after a crash that was not my fault, before the anger makes me click exit. If you want a video file and not a replay, see how to make clips in iRacing.
Make the sim ask you every time
Relying on memory does not work. After a bad race you want out, and after a good race you are thinking about the next one.
In the sim, open Options and go to the Replay tab. There are two settings I would look at. The labels can change between builds, so match them by meaning.
- The save prompt. A tick box that makes the sim ask if you want to save the replay when you quit. Turn it on. One extra click per session, and you never lose a replay again.
- Replay spooling. With it on, the sim writes the replay to disk as you drive, so a long race is covered from the start and not only the last part that fits in memory. You still have to save at the end. Spooling makes the replay complete, it does not keep it for you.
If you did not save the replay
The replay is gone, but the race is not a blank.
| What you still have | Where | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Race result | Results in the iRacing UI | Positions, incidents, iRating and Safety Rating change |
| Lap by lap times | The result page of the session | Every lap of every driver, so you can see where you lost time |
| Another driver's file | Ask in the league or on the forum | The full race, if they saved it and send you the .rpy file |
| A broadcast | The channel of the league or the series | The race from the TV cameras, not from your car |
| Your own recording | Your recording software | Only if it was running during the race |
The lap times are more useful than people think. Open the result, look at your laps next to the driver who finished in front of you and you see right away if you lost the race on pace, on one bad lap or in the pits. It is not the same as watching the onboard, but in a debrief the numbers are always where I start anyway.
If it was a league race, ask. In most leagues somebody saves every race, and a .rpy file dropped into your replay folder opens like your own. More on that in how to watch a replay from another racer.
When it does not work
| Problem | What I would check |
|---|---|
| The Replays list is empty | Nothing was saved. The sim does not keep a replay on its own once you exit |
| I saved it but it is not in the list | Press the refresh button on the list, then look in Documents, iRacing, replay for the .rpy file |
| Launch does nothing or the sim closes | The file may be from an old build or use a car or track you no longer have installed. Update the content first |
| The replay starts halfway through the race | The replay buffer was full. Turn on replay spooling in Options, Replay tab, before long races |
| The file is huge | Cut it. Mark the start with the scissors, go to the end and save only that part |
| I moved the file to another PC | Put it in the same replay folder on that PC. It needs the same cars and track installed |
More iRacing replay guides
- How to save an iRacing replay, the full save and cut steps.
- How to view iRacing replays without the website.
- How to watch iRacing replays on a phone.
- How to make clips on iRacing.
New to the service? Start with my iRacing beginner guide, then the iRacing graphics settings.
FAQ
Can I watch an iRacing replay after leaving the session?
Only if you saved it before you left. Saved replays are in the iRacing UI under Replays. If you did not save, the replay no longer exists on your PC.
Does iRacing save replays automatically?
No. The replay lives in memory during the session. You save it yourself, or you turn on the option that asks you to save when you quit.
Where are iRacing replays saved?
In your Documents folder, under iRacing, then replay. The files end in .rpy.
How do I open a .rpy file?
Put it in the replay folder, open the iRacing UI, click Replays and press Launch on that file. You can not open it with a video player.
Can I get a replay back if I forgot to save it?
No. You can ask another driver from the same session for their file, or look for a broadcast if it was a league race. The results and lap times stay on your account.
Can I watch someone else's iRacing replay?
Yes, if they send you the .rpy file and you have the same car and track installed. Put it in your replay folder and launch it.
Why does my replay not start from the beginning of the race?
The replay buffer filled up and dropped the oldest part. Turn on replay spooling in the Replay options before a long race.