How to Use Ghost Cars in iRacing and Manage Lap Files

iRacing offers a variety of tools to help sim racers improve their skills, and one of the most effective is the ghost car feature. Ghost cars allow you to race against a transparent version of a recorded lap—either your own or someone else’s—providing a visual guide to improve your driving line, braking points, and overall pace. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to activate a ghost car in iRacing, locate your lap files in the iRacing documents folder, and retrieve a ghost .blap file from the Virtual Racing School (VRS) member site.

How to Get the Ghost Car in Use on iRacing

Using a ghost car in iRacing is straightforward once you know the steps. This feature is primarily available in offline test sessions, allowing you to race against a recorded lap without interference from other drivers. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Launch a Test Session:
   • Open the iRacing UI, select “Test” from the main menu, and choose the car and track combination you want to practice on. Load into the session.
2. Access the Options Menu:
   • Once you’re in the car on the track, press the “Esc” key to bring up the in-sim menu. Click on “Options” to open the settings panel.
3. Load a Comparison Lap:
   • In the Options menu, navigate to the second tab (often labeled “Session” or “Driving Aids”). Look for the “Load Comparison Lap” section.
   • Click the button next to “Comparison Lap” to browse your lap files. These files are stored on your computer and include .blap (best lap) and .olap (optimal lap) formats.
4. Select a Lap File:
   • Choose the .blap or .olap file you want to use as your ghost car. Your personal best lap (.blap) is automatically saved by iRacing for each car and track combo, while .olap represents an ideal lap pieced together from your best sector times. Alternatively, you can use a file from another driver (more on that later).
5. Enable the Ghost Car:
   • Check the box labeled “Display Reference Car” (or similar wording, depending on your iRacing version). This makes the ghost car visible on the track.
   • Adjust the “Delta Bar” setting by pressing the “Tab” key while driving. Options include “Comparison Lap” (full lap timing) or “Comparison Sector” (sector-by-sector timing). “Comparison Lap” is recommended for following the ghost car continuously.
6. Drive and Learn:
   • Exit the Options menu and start driving. The ghost car will appear on the track, following the exact path and timing of the selected lap. Use it to study braking points, cornering lines, and throttle application.

Tip: The ghost car won’t collide with you—it’s purely a visual aid. You can offset its starting position (e.g., a few seconds ahead) by editing the app.ini file in your iRacing folder, but that’s an advanced tweak for another day.

How to Find Lap Files in iRacing Documents

iRacing automatically saves your best and optimal laps as .blap and .olap files, respectively, and stores them in a specific folder on your computer. Here’s how to locate them:

1. Navigate to Your Documents Folder:
   • On your PC, open File Explorer and go to the “Documents” folder. This is typically found at C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents.
2. Open the iRacing Folder:
   • Inside “Documents,” look for a folder named “iRacing.” Open it.
3. Find the Lap Files Folder:
   • Within the “iRacing” folder, locate the “lapfiles” subfolder. This is where all your lap data is stored.
4. Locate Track-Specific Files:
   • Inside “lapfiles,” you’ll see subfolders named after each track (e.g., “daytona2011” or “lagunaseca”). Open the folder for the track you’re interested in.
   • You’ll find files like 12345_carname.blap (your best lap) and 12345_carname.olap (your optimal lap), where “12345” is your iRacing customer ID.

What’s the Difference?

• .blap: Your fastest complete lap for that car and track.
• .olap: A theoretical lap combining your best sector times, showing your maximum potential.

These files are updated automatically when you set a new personal best in a test, practice, or race session. You can copy them to share with friends or replace them with faster laps from other drivers.

How to Get a Ghost .blap File from the VRS Member Site

Virtual Racing School (VRS) is a popular platform that provides coaching, setups, and telemetry data for iRacing users. Many of its datapacks include .blap files from top drivers, which you can download and use as ghost cars. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log In to VRS:
   • Visit vrs.racing and log in with your VRS account. You’ll need a subscription (e.g., Competitive tier, $9.99/month) to access most datapacks, though some free content may be available.
2. Navigate to Datapacks:
   • On the VRS dashboard, click the “Datapacks” icon on the left-hand menu. This section lists available data for various iRacing series, cars, and tracks.
3. Select Your Series and Track:
   • Browse or search for the series (e.g., “IMSA,” “Global Mazda MX-5 Cup”) and week/track you’re practicing. Click on the relevant datapack.
4. Download the .blap File:
   • Each datapack typically includes a setup (.sto), replay (.rpy), and lap files (.blap and .olap). Find the .blap file—often labeled as “Best Lap” or similar—and click the download button.
   • Save the file to your computer.
5. Move the File to iRacing Lap Files:
   • Go back to your Documents\iRacing\lapfiles folder and open the subfolder for the matching track. Drag the downloaded .blap file into this folder.
   • You don’t need to rename it—iRacing will recognize it regardless of the filename.
6. Load It in iRacing:
   • Follow the steps from the first section to load this .blap file in a test session. The ghost car will now be the VRS coach’s lap, giving you a pro-level reference to chase.

Note: VRS .blap files are tied to specific car and track combos. Ensure the file matches your session, or it won’t load correctly.

Final Thoughts

Using ghost cars in iRacing is a game-changer for improving your skills. Whether you’re racing against your own best lap, a friend’s, or a pro’s from VRS, the visual feedback helps you refine your technique. Finding and managing lap files is simple once you know where to look, and VRS adds an extra layer of value with its high-quality .blap files from elite drivers. So, fire up a test session, load that ghost car, and start shaving seconds off your lap times! Happy racing!