iRacing: Free Setups for Beginners

When I bought my first cars on iRacing and signed up for a few longer open setup and endurance races, I was pumped. But within the first few practice laps, reality hit me hard.

What the heck is a “setup”? And more importantly: where do people even get these things? I thought iRacing would just give me everything I needed—but once I joined some sessions, I quickly realized I was outpaced and clueless.

So I started digging. Here’s what I learned—and what I wish someone had told me from the start.

Starting Out: Are Default iRacing Setups Good Enough?

Honestly? For beginners, yes.

The default iRacing setups (the ones you can select right in the garage) are designed to be safe and stable. They might not be the fastest in the world, but they’ll get you to the finish line, which is the #1 goal in endurance racing.

If your iRating is under 2000 or you’re more than a second off the top fixed-race lap times, you probably won’t benefit much from a fancy setup. Focus on clean laps and consistency first.

The First Free Setup Gems I Found

Garage61 was a game changer. I found it had community-made setups, ghost laps, and even telemetry—all for free. The quality varies, but for a free tool, it’s gold.

Then there’s Majors Garage, which offers something called Baseline+ setups. These are easy-to-drive setups updated weekly for popular series, and honestly, they felt much better than the default ones, especially for GT and TCR cars.

Some of the setups I found here instantly made the car feel more planted and confident through corners—like going from skating on ice to driving on rails.

Learning the Setup Language (Slowly)

At first, I was afraid to touch anything in the garage screen. Spring perch offset? Cross weight? It all felt like rocket science.

But then I started small. Adding more fuel for longer stints sometimes made the car fail tech inspection, so I had to adjust the spring perch to pass it. That one change taught me a lot.

Now I mess with things like tire pressures or brake bias. Not to chase lap times, but to make the car feel better for me. It’s like adjusting the seat in a rental car—it won’t make you faster, but it’ll help you drive better.

You Don’t Need to Spend Money (Yet)

There are paid setup shops out there—$10/month type deals—and they’re solid. But if you’re new, you really don’t need them yet. You’ll gain more speed from better lines, fewer mistakes, and simply finishing races.

So where can you get iRacing setups for free?

Start with iRacing’s own. Then try Garage61 or Majors Garage Baseline+. Learn slowly. Ask questions. And most of all—enjoy the racing.

See you on track.