iRacing: When Strategy Becomes Exploit

There are moments in sim racing when the rulebook isn’t enough to define what’s right and wrong. This time, controversy has struck at the heart of the most iconic event on the calendar: the 24 Hours of Nürburgring on iRacing. And the protagonist, for better or worse, has been Team Redline, one of the most recognized and admired teams in the virtual motorsport world.

I want to start with something essential: Team Redline did not use hacks. There was no aimbot, no wallhack, nothing of the sort. What they did was exploit a loophole—a trick, a gap in the rules that allowed them to gain an advantage without altering the game code. And yes, that does make a difference… but it doesn’t excuse them.

It Wasn’t a Hack, It Was an Exploit… But That Doesn’t Make It Right

So What Did They Actually Do?

The controversy erupted at the race start. Redline’s three GT3 cars, which had secured pole position and dominated qualifying, did not appear on the formation lap. They were in the pits. From there, they started nearly 90 seconds behind, trailing even the Porsche Cup, GT4, and TCR classes.

Why? Because they exploited a technicality related to the minimum ride height required at Nürburgring, which is unusually high due to the track’s nature. By using wet tires (which are taller) and starting with only 1 liter of fuel, the car passed tech inspection. Then, once the race began, they refueled and switched to slicks, dropping the car’s height significantly—and gaining better top speed and mechanical grip.

Is It Illegal? No. Is It Cheating? Absolutely

Everything they did was technically within the rules… but outside the spirit of fair competition. Nobody in their right mind starts a 24-hour race on wet tires in dry conditions with 1 liter of fuel—unless they’re trying to game the system.

And here’s the crux of the matter: not everything that’s not forbidden is fair. Redline took advantage of a gap in iRacing’s rules, which lacks real-time stewards even in top-tier events. This wasn’t cleverness—it was cheating without breaking the code.

The Disqualification Was Deserved

Mid-race, all three Redline cars were disqualified for violating sections 8.1.1.4 (cheating) and 8.1.1.9 (unsporting conduct) of the sporting code. And in my opinion, it was 100% justified. There’s no sugar-coating this. They knew what they were doing. Their reaction after the fact says it all: they deleted their race footage. When you erase evidence, it’s hard not to assume guilt.

The Real Damage

The saddest part isn’t the trick itself. It’s that these top-tier teams, who play such a huge role in promoting sim racing, choose to exploit the system instead of simply competing. They’re professionals. They should lead by example.

This kind of incident sends the wrong message. It suggests that if you can bypass the rules without technically breaking them, it’s okay. In sim racing—or any sport—that’s a dangerous mindset.

What Can iRacing Do About It?

It’s not easy. There’s no simple fix without compromising realism. Should they block tire changes or refueling under certain conditions? Should they decouple ride height from tire or fuel variables? Every solution has trade-offs. But clearly, something needs to be done.

I don’t care about the level. Whether you’re in Mazda MX5 Cup Split 32 or the top split at Nürburgring with the world’s best drivers, clean competition should be the baseline. What Redline did wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t an accident. It was a conscious decision to prioritize performance over integrity.

And yes, some may call it brilliant. But for me, they crossed the line. Technically legal, morally indefensible.

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Happy Racing!