The Ultimate Guide to iRacing Special Events (And How to Prepare Like a Pro)

For many sim racers, iRacing Special Events are the highlights of the year — the virtual equivalents of motorsport’s biggest real-world endurance races. From the Daytona 24 Hours to the Nürburgring 24H, these events gather thousands of drivers worldwide in an adrenaline-fueled mix of teamwork, consistency, and racing passion.

But behind every great iRacing result lies preparation. Special events aren’t just about raw pace — they test your discipline, strategy, and endurance. Whether you’re chasing glory in the GT3 class or just aiming to finish your first endurance race, how you prepare determines your success.

At GITGUD Racing, we’ve coached hundreds of drivers through iRacing’s most demanding events. This guide combines insights from top sim racing coaching sessions and elite driver preparation to help you perform at your best when it matters most.

What Are iRacing Special Events?

iRacing Special Events are official races organized outside of the regular series schedule, often replicating iconic real-world races. They’re endurance-based, team-focused, and open to all iRacing members, regardless of license level.

Some of the most popular iRacing Special Events include:

• Rolex 24 at Daytona
• Bathurst 12 Hour
• Nürburgring 24 Hours
• Spa 24 Hours
• Peti t Le Mans
• iRacing Indy 500
• Sebring 12 Hours

These races follow real-world formats — multi-class grids, driver swaps, day-night transitions, and weather variations (coming soon). They’re as close as you can get to professional endurance racing without leaving your rig.

For many drivers, these events are more than just competition. They’re milestones — a way to measure progress, teamwork, and mental toughness.

And that’s where structured iRacing coaching becomes invaluable. A coach can help you master the pacing, communication, and technical understanding these races demand.

Why You Should Join iRacing Special Events

1. You Learn Racecraft at a Higher Level

In endurance races, aggression rarely pays off. You must manage traffic, tires, and concentration over long stints. These skills transfer directly into your daily sim racing or even real-world track driving.

2. You Build Teamwork and Communication

Most special events require driver swaps. This means sharing the car setup, strategy, and data with your teammates. You’ll learn how to coordinate pit stops, adapt to track evolution, and stay mentally sharp through the night. Many sim racing coaching programs, including those at GITGUD Racing, simulate these conditions to help drivers prepare for real race-day dynamics.

3. You Develop Endurance and Mental Toughness

It’s easy to be fast for a few laps — but can you stay consistent for hours? These events teach focus, patience, and rhythm. Finishing cleanly is often more rewarding than chasing lap records.

4. It’s Simply the Best Community Experience

The shared adrenaline, voice chat laughs, and late-night strategy calls — they all make iRacing Special Events unforgettable. They remind us that sim racing is, above all, a community.

How to Prepare for iRacing Special Events

Preparation is where the real difference is made. Below are the essential steps elite sim racing coaches teach to ensure their drivers are ready to perform at their best.

1. Choose the Right Event and Class

Each iRacing Special Event has multiple classes — from GT3 to LMP2, or even touring cars. Choose a car you already know well. The best performances come from confidence, not experimentation. If you’re new, start with a stable GT3 or GT4 car. You can always move up once you’re comfortable with longer races.

2. Build a Practice Schedule

• Start two to three weeks before the event.
• Dedicate sessions to fuel and tire testing.
• Practice long stints under varying conditions.
• Record telemetry or replay data to analyze your pace drops.

A racing coach can help you identify hidden weaknesses — such as braking too early under fatigue or losing rhythm in traffic.

3. Master Setup and Car Balance

Many iRacers underestimate how much setup affects long-term consistency. For endurance events, prioritize stability over peak speed. Focus on:

• Predictable braking behavior
• Comfortable steering feel
• Manageable tire wear
• Smooth rotation in slow corners

You can use baseline setups as a starting point, but custom tuning with guidance from an experienced sim racing coach ensures your car suits your style.

4. Develop Your Stint Strategy

• Fuel window: How many laps per tank?
• Tire life: When do they drop off?
• Pit stop timing: Avoid peak traffic.
• Driver swaps: Communicate clearly with your teammates.

Even small mistakes in planning — like pitting one lap too late — can cost a minute or more. This is where professional coaching pays off, helping you learn the “racecraft beyond driving.”

5. Learn to Manage Fatigue

Mental exhaustion is the silent race killer. During a 24-hour event, focus fades — that’s when crashes happen. Some GITGUD Racing trainees use drills to train endurance focus, such as:

• Driving consistent laps for 30–40 minutes without mistakes
• Practicing recovery after a small error instead of restarting
• Using hydration, nutrition, and sleep plans on race day

6. Communication and Team Coordination

• Use voice chat or apps like Discord efficiently.
• Assign a crew chief or strategy lead.
• Confirm pit stop calls twice.
• Rotate drivers strategically to match their strong hours (e.g., fastest driver during sunrise).

The best teams win not by raw speed, but by perfect execution — something we emphasize in our sim racing coaching programs.

7. Prepare Your Equipment

• Clean your pedals and recalibrate your wheel.
• Test your internet connection and power backup.
• Use reliable sim racing hardware — especially for brake consistency and wheel feel.

Many drivers also fine-tune force feedback settings during preparation. You want clear, communicative feedback through the wheel — not too heavy, not too vague. Your racing coach can help tune this balance to your car’s physics model.

iRacing Special Events Calendar Highlights

Here’s a quick look at some major events every iRacer should experience:

Event	Typical Date	Duration	Cars / Classes
Rolex 24 at Daytona	January	24 Hours	GT3, LMP2
Bathurst 12 Hour	February	12 Hours	GT3
Sebring 12 Hour	March	12 Hours	GT3, LMP2
Nürburgring 24H	May	24 Hours	GT3, GT4, TCR
Spa 24 Hours	July	24 Hours	GT3
Petit Le Mans	October	10 Hours	LMP2, GT3

How GITGUD Racing Can Help You Prepare

At GITGUD Racing, our iRacing coaching programs are built specifically for racers who want to perform better in official events — including special endurance races.

Here’s how we help drivers reach their goals:

• Personalized 1-on-1 coaching: Target your weaknesses in braking, racecraft, and consistency.
• Replay and telemetry analysis: Discover exactly where you lose time and why.
• Endurance race simulations: Train under realistic conditions with live feedback.
• Team coaching packages: For groups preparing together for the same event.

Our mission is to help sim racers build professional-level habits. Even if you’re not chasing world records, a structured sim racing coaching approach ensures you enjoy every race more — and improve faster than practicing alone.

Real-World Benefits of iRacing Special Events

Many underestimate how sim racing skill translates into real driving ability. Endurance events teach awareness, pacing, and adaptability — all vital in real-world track days or karting competitions. We’ve seen GITGUD Racing students transition from beginners to podium finishers by applying the same endurance principles in both the sim and on-track.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overdriving early: Trying to “win” lap one of a 24-hour race is a recipe for disaster.
2. Poor sleep planning: Racing tired causes more errors than you think.
3. Ignoring communication: Silent teams make chaotic pit stops.
4. Skipping practice: No amount of pace matters without preparation.

Endurance racing rewards discipline, not ego.

Conclusion: Why You Should Try an iRacing Special Event

If you’ve never joined an iRacing Special Event, this is your sign to do it. These races are the perfect blend of competition, teamwork, and personal growth. They teach you what true consistency and focus feel like — and the thrill of crossing the line after hours of pure concentration is unmatched.

With the right iRacing coaching and preparation, even first-timers can achieve incredible results. You’ll not only become faster but also gain a deeper appreciation for the craft of sim racing.

So start planning your next race, build your team, and begin practicing today. And if you’re serious about improving your technique or want expert help preparing for your first endurance event — check out our sim racing coaching programs at GITGUD Racing.

Train like the pros, race with confidence, and make your next iRacing Special Event one to remember.