iRacing replay director tips.
How to direct a live iRacing broadcast: where to point the cameras, how long to hold a shot, when to roll a replay and what to avoid.
By the GSRC crew · Updated October 2026
The director decides what the audience sees. Good directing is mostly invisible: viewers just feel that they never missed anything. These are the habits that get you there.
Follow the story, not the leader
A leader five seconds clear is rarely the most interesting car on track. Watch the timing for gaps that are closing, and go to the battle before the pass happens. Check back on the leader regularly so viewers know the race order, then return to the fight.
Hold your shots
Cutting every two seconds feels busy and makes the race hard to follow. Let a shot run while the cars are in it, and cut when the action leaves the frame or the story moves somewhere else. Never cut in the middle of a pass.
Use the right camera for the job
Trackside TV cameras: the default. They show position and speed and are easy to read.
Wide or overhead views: starts, restarts and the first corners, when the whole field matters.
Onboards and chase cams: short moments of variety, best when a driver is under pressure.
Close cameras: sparingly, for a car that’s just made a move or had a moment.
Replays: show what was missed
Roll a replay when something happened off screen or too fast to follow: an incident, a pass, a spin. Wait for a calm moment on track so the replay doesn’t hide live action, and tell the commentators it’s coming. Showing the same moment from a second angle often explains it better than one long replay.
Talk to your commentators
Commentators can only call what they see. A quick message such as ‘going to the fight for fifth’ or ‘replay of the Turn 1 incident next’ keeps the pictures and the words together. Agree simple signals before the show.
Keep the graphics in step
Bring up a driver’s lower third when they become the story, show the track map when a gap is closing, and keep the timing tower on screen whenever it isn’t covering something important.
Multi-class races
Each class is its own race. Rotate between them so every class gets coverage, and be ready for the moments where faster cars come up to lap slower ones: that’s often where the action is.
What to avoid
Cameras inside walls, scenery or other cars.
Replays while a battle is live on track.
Staying on one car for a whole stint.
Forgetting the start: the first lap needs your full attention.
Directing is part of every GSRC show.
Our directors run the cameras, replays and graphics for every round.