BustaWrench › Answers › How do I work out how much fuel I need for an iRacing race?
The short answer
Do a clean three-lap stint in practice, note the fuel used, divide by three to get your burn per lap, multiply by the race distance, then add one lap's worth for safety. Saving fuel is lifting early and short-shifting a gear higher than usual on the straights — worth about a tenth a lap, and it can buy you a skipped stop.
Three clean laps, note the fuel used, divide by three. That is your burn per lap. Multiply by the race distance and add a lap for the pit lane, the pace laps and the mistakes — that is your starting fuel.
The black box gives you the fuel readout. Use it rather than guessing.
You do not have to tip-toe. Lifting early into the corners and short-shifting a gear higher than usual on the straights costs you maybe a tenth a lap, and it can extend a stint or skip a stop entirely.
Do it on the straights, not in the corners. Braking late and turning hard burns more fuel than a gentle lift ever will.
The undercut is pitting a lap or two before your rival, running hot laps while they are still out, then leapfrogging them when they stop. The overcut is the opposite: stay out longer and hammer it while their tyres are cold.
Both only work if you have the fuel to run the extra laps. That is the whole game.
Fuel burn changes with driving style, fuel load and track. Re-check the number when you change car or track rather than carrying the old one over.
The free first-30-days guide covers car control, setup basics, racecraft and a practice routine that fits around a real life. No email course, no upsell funnel — read it now.
Read the free guide →