One thing became crystal clear: speed doesn’t give you the right — it gives you responsibility. In iRacing — and most multiclass competitions — it’s the job of the faster class to make a clean and safe overtake. That sounds logical, but it doesn’t always play out that way.
Some prototype drivers seem to think they’re in a single-class race, diving into braking zones like they’re the only ones on track.But I also learned that being slower doesn’t mean you’re a passive victim.
The job of the slower class is to be predictable.
Not to sacrifice your race. Not to leap off the racing line. Just to hold a clear, consistent line and communicate through your car’s position, movement, and intent.I remember another race at Sebring. This time, with more experience, I stayed firm on my line as an LMP2 approached before Sunset Bend. I didn’t move. I didn’t swerve. He read my intentions perfectly, passed me clean on the outside, and we carried on without a scratch. We finished the race and he messaged me: “Thanks for not doing anything weird.” It made me laugh — because that’s the hard part: not doing anything weird.
Predictability becomes a form of mutual respect. And, like in life, being “right” isn’t enough; you need empathy. Some drivers say slower cars should anticipate dive bombs. And they’re right — technically it’s not your job to move, but practically, it’s wise to see it coming and leave space. Not as submission, but as survival.
Online discussions about this get heated. Some newer drivers think they should “get out of the way,” as if they’re obstacles rather than competitors. But that mindset destroys the essence of multiclass: the coexistence of different paces, with the same right to race.
Over time, I realized multiclass racing isn’t just about driving skill — it’s about emotional intelligence at 200 km/h. It’s reading the other driver, thinking for both, anticipating without assuming. It’s yielding without surrendering, and attacking without bulldozing.
So yes, next time you’re on track, remember: if you’re fast, be clean. If you’re slow, be predictable. And if you’re both — like most of us, at some point — be aware.
Because at the end of the day, what makes a good race isn’t just the final position, but the story we write in every corner.
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Happy Racing!
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