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iRacing Defensive Driving Guide

Defensive driving means holding your position fairly. You are allowed to defend—but moving in reaction to the car behind is blocking and is protestable. The key is choosing your line before the attacker commits, not after.

One Move Rule

You may make one defensive move before the attacking driver commits to a line. Once you have chosen your defensive line (inside or outside), you must hold it. Moving again in reaction to the attacker's move is blocking.

Legal Defence

  • Pick your line early – Choose inside or outside before the braking zone. Stick to it
  • Leave space – If you defend the inside, leave room on the outside. You cannot squeeze an attacker off track
  • Brake in a straight line – Do not weave or brake-check. Predictable is legal
  • Use the full track – You can use the racing line if you get there first

Blocking (Protestable)

  • Moving in reaction to the car behind—second or third moves
  • Weaving on straights to break a tow
  • Brake-checking or slowing abruptly to force the attacker to back off
  • Squeezing an attacker off track when they have overlap

Mirror and Relative Use

Use your mirrors and the F3 relative black box. Know when someone is close before they are alongside. If you defend too late, you risk contact. Defend early, commit once, and race clean.

Tip: Defending costs you lap time. Sometimes letting a faster car past and staying close is smarter than fighting and risking a 4x.

Next: Overtaking Guide for the attacker's perspective, or Sporting Code for protest rules.