iRacing: Are higher splits in iRacing really safer?

Are higher splits in iRacing really safer?

It’s a question every driver asks the moment they survive yet another first-lap demolition derby. You’re trying to protect your Safety Rating as if it were fine crystal, and suddenly someone appears driving much faster than they can actually control. You see them coming like a GPS-less missile.

They dive-bomb you into turn one, go off in turn two, rejoin without looking, make you brake harder than a fully loaded truck, and just when you think they’ve finally eliminated themselves, they return for another round.

All normal behavior in lower splits.But one day you check their profile and discover something that challenges your faith in humanity:

They have 5K iRating.

At that moment, the classic advice that “higher splits are safer because everyone knows how to race” starts sounding like campaign propaganda: optimistic, but not entirely aligned with reality.

The myth of paradise in the higher splits

There’s a kind of urban legend that says once you reach the higher splits, everything turns into a refined English tea ceremony:

No late blocks, no reckless dive-bombs, everyone respects the racing line, and if there’s contact, they apologize in poetry.

The truth is that yes, cleanliness improves dramatically.

But it’s also true that even up there, every once in a while, someone shows up with the spiritual equivalent of a Tesla on autopilot: they floor it, rely on divine intervention, and if things go wrong, well, it happens.

Because a high iRating doesn’t come with an integrated behavior manual. A high iRating is, at best, a sign that someone is usually fast. That’s it. It doesn’t guarantee patience, awareness, or even basic spatial understanding.

And yes, there are also 500-IR drivers who behave like they’re being chased by angry bees. But at least you expect chaos from them.

Why are there dive-bombers at 500 IR and also at 5000 IR?

Because being fast and being safe are separate skills, and they rarely grow at the same rate.

There are drivers like these:

• The Fast but Unstable: brilliant on a clean lap, but the moment traffic appears, their brain switches to Windows 95 and freezes.
• The Chronic Aggressor: believes that “if there’s a gap, it’s mine,” even if the gap is the width of a bicycle.
• The Overconfident: thinks they can brake just as late tucked behind your bumper. Spoiler: they can’t.
• The Rejoin Gamble: specialist in running off track, rejoining without looking, and being shocked when a crash occurs.

Many of them are fast. Many of them have thousands of iRating. But when their brain says “I’m passing no matter what”, talent doesn’t always arrive in time to save them.

How chaos changes depending on the series

Here’s a truth people don’t talk about enough: The level of chaos depends not only on the split, but heavily on the series itself.

Some categories carry chaos in their DNA:

• MX-5 Rookie: This is not racing, it’s survival. It’s like a kindergarten where the kids are given hammers.
• IRX / Rallycross: Beautiful chaos full of people who think cars slow down through the power of friendship.
• Formula Ford / FF1600: A phenomenal school, but if someone hits you, there’s nothing between you and the cosmos.
• GT3 during peak hours: Professionals mixed with people who think racing is realistic Mario Kart.

In many of these series, even in higher splits, the chaos doesn’t disappear. It just becomes faster.

So are higher splits actually safer?

Here’s the honest answer:

Yes, they are safer.

But not universally, and definitely not always.

What gets better:

• Brake zones are respected
• Fewer absurd dive-bombs
• Fewer kamikaze rejoins
• More consistent respect for racing lines
• Drivers behave more predictably

But there’s still this:

• Mistakes are faster and harder to avoid
• Overconfidence grows with pace
• Some high-IR drivers still believe physics is optional
• Every split has at least one wildcard

Sometimes that wildcard has 500 IR. Sometimes it has 5000.

Which series tend to have better behavior on average?

From general experience, a few stand out:

• MX-5 Rookie (upper splits): Surprisingly clean, especially among drivers who genuinely want to learn.
• Formula single-make series (FF1600, Skip Barber): Technical and attractive to drivers focused on improving fundamentals.
• Endurance events: Patience becomes mandatory; cooperation is common.
• Slower car series: Less speed means more time to react, which means fewer disasters.

They are safer, absolutely. But not free of wild, distracted, or overly ambitious drivers.
You’ll find those at every level because behavior on track is determined by mindset, not by a number on the screen.

• Remember, you can join iRacing clicking here.

See you on the track!