iRacing Multiclass Start Procedure: 2026 Rules

In an iRacing multiclass race the fastest class grids at the front and every class lines up behind it, in qualifying order. On a rolling start nobody in any class may race until the fastest class has started or the green flag is out. iRacing has written a new per-class start into the 2026 Sporting Code, with a pace car and a green flag for each class. But as of 5 October 2026, iRacing says those multiple pace car starts are still switched off.

Checked on 15 October 2026 against the iRacing Official Sporting Code V.2026.09.09 (dated 9 September 2026), the 2026 Season 4 Initial Release Notes for build 2026.09.09.01 (9 September 2026), Hotfix 1 for 2026.09.11.01 (11 September 2026), Patch 1 for 2026.10.01.01 (5 October 2026), the iRacing Development Updates for May and August 2026 and the iTested announcement of 21 July 2026, all on iracing.com and support.iracing.com. Patch 1 is the latest release note listed today. Where iRacing has not published something, I say so.

What is live right now

This is the part that confuses people, so it goes first. The rulebook and the sim are not in step at the moment.

Patch 1 does not say when the two features were switched off or why. I could not find an official notice that gives the date. What it does say is that iRacing has finished a series of updates for them and is testing internally.

So for now, plan your race around the start without Start Zones, section 13.2.2. I explain both below, because the per-class version is coming back at some point and it changes how the first lap works.

How multiclass grids are set

Section 13.1.2 of the Sporting Code is short and clear. Multiclass races are "gridded based on the relative speeds of each car class, with the fastest car class at the front." Inside each class you line up on your qualifying time.

So in a GTP, LMP2 and GT3 race, all the GTPs are in front of all the LMP2s, and all the LMP2s are in front of all the GT3s. Your qualifying lap only moves you inside your own class. The slowest GTP still starts ahead of the pole sitting GT3.

If you do not set a qualifying time, section 13.1.3 puts you at the back of your own class, ordered by iRating. Not the back of the whole grid. That is a change from the old 2022 code, which sent drivers without a time to the back of the field.

Two more things decide where you end up before you turn a wheel:

• Gridding time. You get between 60 and 120 seconds to click GRID, depending on the session type (6.7.1). Miss it and you start from your pit box (6.7.2).
• Pit starts. Section 6.8.3.2 says pit starters exit behind all cars that start on track, and it spells out that this "includes all cars from all car classes". In a multiclass race that means behind the last GT3, even if you are in a GTP. My guide on starting from the pits in iRacing covers the button side.

Your split is decided before all this, mainly on iRating. How that works is in my iRacing race splits explainer.

Standing start or rolling start

The Sporting Code says road races "typically" use a standing start (6.8.1.1) and oval races "typically" use a rolling start (6.8.2.1). Typically, not always. The series sets the start type, so check the series info before you join.

Every multiclass start rule in section 13 is written around rolling starts and pace cars. That is how the per-class system works too.

The pace lap, step by step

iRacing does not use the words "formation lap" in its notes. The pace lap is the formation lap. Here is the order of events as the Season 4 release notes and the Sporting Code describe it for a rolling start:

1. The pace car leads the gridded field around the track (6.8.2.2).
2. During the pace lap, your pace speed is shown in grey, so you know exactly how fast the pace car is going. The notes say you should be formed up into an orderly grid and holding that speed as you approach the pit lane entry.
3. The pace car pulls into the pit lane. The pace speed turns yellow. That is the moment race control pace speed control is active.
4. Every row holds pace speed until the green flag. In Start Zones, the release notes say Barney, the flagman, drops it.
5. Accelerate early and the release notes are blunt: you get a jumped start penalty.

Patch 1 added more help here. New UI and spotter calls tell you to "Form up!" and "Maintain speed!". If you are well over pace speed, your speed shows in red with a SLOW DOWN message, like the pit lane speed widget. When road course Start Zones are active, the Track Rules tab opens on its own with an indicator at the top of the window.

Multiclass start without Start Zones

This is the rule that matters while the per-class system is off. Section 13.2.2 says no car class may start the race "until the fastest class has started or the green flag is waved."

In practice that means one pace car and one green flag for everyone. The GTP leader controls the start. The LMP2 and GT3 cars behind hold position and pace until that green, then they race too.

The release notes do not set a fixed gap between classes. Some leagues write their own gap into their rules, but that is a league rule, not iRacing's.

Multiclass start with Start Zones (per-class pace cars)

This is the new system. Section 13.2.1 says that with Start Zones, "no car classes may start the race until the green flag for their car class has been waved." Each class runs its own rolling start, "individually and in succession", fastest class first, each behind its own pace car toward the Start Zone. Each class gets its own green flag.

Section 6.8.2.5 says the same from the other side. In a Start Zone the flagman, not the leader, starts the race, and he waves the green "at a random time" while the leader is inside the zone. So the leader cannot time it. The leader's job is to hold pace speed. A Start Zone is the area marked by a double red line on the outside wall at the start and a single red line at the end.

How it got here, from iRacing's own posts:

iRacing has not published the delay between classes or how it is calculated. If someone quotes you a number of seconds, ask where it came from.

Jump start penalties

Here is every start penalty I found in the current code and notes, in one place:

One change from Patch 1 is worth knowing. If a class leader jumps the start, everyone else in that class can follow the leader without a penalty. iRacing still asks leaders to stick to the pacing rules, and everyone still has to hold strict pace speed while the Maintain Speed message is on screen. So you are not punished for reacting to a leader who went early. You are punished if you go early yourself.

Restarts in multiclass races

Section 13.3.1 is one line: "only a single pace car is used for restarts." Every class follows it. So the per-class system, when it is on, is for the start only.

What else the code says about restarts:

• On road courses, a full course yellow freezes the running order and Race Control sends the pace car out to pick up the leader. You line up where Race Control tells you (7.5.3.2).
• With Start Zones, the leader controls the restart. He holds pace speed until he is in the zone, then can accelerate at any point. If he does not, the flagman restarts the race automatically at the end of the zone (6.8.2.6).
• The code describes lapped cars being shuffled behind the lead lap cars two laps before the restart, and a Wave-By for cars between the pace car and the leader with one lap to go (7.5.4.3 and 7.5.5). Pit during that and you may get a Drop-to-End penalty.
• In a declared Rain Race, Race Control overrides the event's restart format and uses a single-file rolling restart (6.13.3.2).

That last line tells you restart format is an event setting. The Sporting Code does not set a double-file rule for multiclass road races, so the series or the host decides. Check the session info.

Getting through the first lap in a GTP or LMP2

This is my advice, not iRacing's rules.

Hold the exact pace speed, not roughly. The rules punish the leader for not holding pace, and Patch 1 now flags you in red when you are well over. Watch the number, not the car in front.

Do not look for the gap to the class behind on lap 1. With one green flag, the GT3s are right behind you when it drops. Your first job is to not get caught up in your own class. Your second is to stay out of theirs.

Brake earlier than you think into turn 1. Cold tyres, full fuel, a pack in front. I would give away a metre or two of braking on the first lap every time. You do not win a long race at the first corner. You can lose it there.

When you catch GT3s on lap 2 or 3, be predictable. Pick your side early and commit. The GT3 driver cannot see your intention, only your line. A late lunge at a car that is fighting its own class is how multiclass races go wrong.

Getting through the first lap in a GT3

Your race starts at your own green. Under 13.2.2 that is the overall green. Under the per-class system it is your class green. Either way, the prototype fight ahead is not your fight.

Leave space on the run to the line. If a prototype at the back of its class has a bad start, you arrive on it fast. A few extra car lengths of margin cost you nothing at pace speed.

Hold your line when prototypes come through later. You are not obliged to jump out of the way. Stay on the racing line, do not brake in odd places, and let them choose the side. Section 7.4.2 puts the safe overtake on the faster car and asks the slower car "to maintain a consistent line". Predictable is your part of the deal.

Fight your class, not the clock. iRating moves only against drivers in your own class (13.4.3). A GTP you hold up costs you nothing in points. Crashing with it does.

More general start technique, the launch and the first metres, is in my guide on how to make a good start in iRacing. For classes, schedule and series structure, read my iRacing IMSA series guide.

What changed in 2026

Compared with the December 2022 Sporting Code, the old version I could find, the September 2026 one changes the start in five ways:

The rest of the 2026 Season 4 build is in my 2026 Season 4 changes.

FAQ

How do multiclass starts work in iRacing?

The fastest class grids at the front, every other class behind it in qualifying order. Without Start Zones, no class may start racing until the fastest class has started or the green flag is out (13.2.2). With Start Zones, each class gets its own pace car and green flag, fastest first (13.2.1).

Are per-class pace cars live in iRacing?

Not as of 15 October 2026. The Season 4 Patch 1 notes of 5 October say road course Start Zones and multiple pace car starts "remain disabled" while fixes are tested. No return date has been published.

Does iRacing use rolling or standing starts in multiclass races?

The series decides. The Sporting Code says road races typically use a standing start and ovals a rolling start. The multiclass start rules in section 13 are written for rolling starts with pace cars.

When can I pass on a rolling start in iRacing?

On road tracks, stay in your pace line until the green flag. Once it is given, you may pass before the start/finish line (6.8.2.8). On ovals, no passing on the left in your own line before the line (6.8.2.7).

What is the penalty for jumping the start in iRacing?

On a standing start, a Drive-Through, upgraded to a Stop-and-Hold for a major offence (6.8.1.3). On a rolling start, not holding pace speed may get a black flag. Since Patch 1, if your class leader jumps, you can follow without a penalty.

Does iRacing use double-file restarts in multiclass?

The Sporting Code does not set one for multiclass road races. It says restarts use a single pace car for all classes (13.3.1), and the restart format is an event setting. In a Rain Race it is always single file (6.13.3.2).

Where do I start if I miss gridding in a multiclass race?

From your pit box, and you exit behind every car from every class that started on track (6.8.3.2).