A long-running request has been: add a Sunday race window for special events under 24 hours (6h–12h especially). The thread spans months of replies and makes one theme crystal clear—many teams can’t race on Saturdays, and a single-day schedule effectively locks them out.
Below is a concise recap of the arguments, quotes, and the most common proposals from the community.
The Core Ask
Drivers who work Saturdays—or who team with drivers across multiple regions—say the current clustering of timeslots on one day makes <24h events unworkable.
“We’ve been begging for Sunday for years… Having four timeslots on one day doesn’t help when you’re unavailable that entire day.”
A frequently suggested target: Sunday start between 12:00–14:00 GMT for races 12 hours and under.
Why Sunday Matters (for <24h events)
- Work schedules: Many U.S. racers work Saturdays. “I worked all day Saturday—we had to run through the night on Friday and it was misery.”
- Team logistics: Mixed-region lineups struggle to cover a 10–12h stint if every viable slot is Saturday. “There’s no timeslot where I can contribute more than a couple hours in a 10–12h race.”
- Accessibility vs. exclusivity: A Sunday option would include people who are currently excluded—without touching 24-hour marquee events if iRacing wants to keep those Saturday-centric.
“Special Means Saturday” — The Counterpoint
A notable minority argues that making special events too flexible dilutes their prestige and splits participation.
“They’re special, advertised months in advance. You adapt your schedule—or you don’t.”
Some worry extra slots could pull numbers so low that strength-of-field suffers or broadcasts feel thin. Others, however, pushed back that this is a simulation, not a one-time real-world race:
“If it must mirror real life, we’d only have one slot for every race—clearly we don’t.”
Constructive Middle Ground (Popular Proposals)
Even critics of “more slots” showed openness to redistributing the existing windows. Across dozens of posts, the most common compromise looks like this:
1) Add or Move One Slot to Sunday for <12h
- Keep total slots at five (or four) by shifting one from Saturday.
- Popular community template:
- Fri 22:00 GMT
- Sat 12:00 GMT (broadcast-favored; many consider this “locked”)
- Sat 16:00 GMT
- Sun 00:00 GMT (retains Oceania/Asia viability)
- Sun 14:00 GMT (new; unlocks Americans + workable for Europe)
“If we’re concerned about too many slots… Friday 22:00; Saturday 12:00, 16:00; Sunday 00:00, 14:00.”
2) Reevaluate the 07:00 GMT Start (for 10–12h)
Multiple posts call this start “redundant” for <12h: rough for the Americas (overnight) and awkward for Asia/Oceania (finishes early morning), while Europe already has 12:00 GMT.
“For 12-hour races, 07:00 GMT mainly suits all-Europe teams—who already have 12:00. A Sunday option would serve more people.”
3) Keep Sunday 00:00 GMT… and Add a Later Sunday
- Several racers from Oceania/Asia like Sun 00:00 GMT (8–9am local).
- The ask is not to remove it, but to add a Sun 12:00–14:00 GMT to serve the Americas and still be usable in Europe.
“00:00 GMT works for Oceania/Asia. But having that and Friday 22:00 GMT pulls from the same region. A 14:00 Sunday would help more overall.”
“Broadcast Slot” Constraint
Some posters flagged Sat 12:00 GMT as the de facto broadcast anchor. The response: set Sunday 12:00 GMT as a broadcast for <12h events—or keep Saturday’s broadcast slot and move a different Saturday slot to Sunday.
“If the broadcast slot is about popularity, Sunday might end up being the most popular for Americans anyway.”
Participation vs. Prestige
A recurring theme: participation has grown since the days of three GT endurance slots, with common multi-split races at major venues. Many believe the service can now support five well-spaced windows over two days—especially if one of those windows opens the door for Saturday-workers.
“We could easily support competition in five or six timeslots—especially if the new timeslot brings in members who are currently excluded.”
A Pragmatic Recommendation
Based on the most repeated requests and compromises, here’s a simple, lowest-friction adjustment for 6–12 hour special events:
- Keep: Fri 22:00, Sat 12:00 (broadcast), Sat 16:00, Sun 00:00
- Add (or move): Sun 14:00 GMT
Why it works:
- Americas get a true Sunday play window.
- Europe can still participate without brushing up against Monday.
- Oceania/Asia retain a viable morning slot (Sun 00:00) without losing Fri 22:00.
- Total slots remain five—no bloat, just spread across two days.
The community isn’t asking to turn special events into a free-for-all. The consistent, reasonable request is a single Sunday slot for sub-24h races so an entire slice of the player base—those who work Saturdays—can participate.
“There’s simply zero reason why a 12:00–14:00 Sunday session can’t exist for the 6–12 hour races. Please make special events accessible to the many who work on Saturdays.”
If iRacing wants these events to be “special,” inclusion helps: more teams able to race, more stable grids, and a stronger broadcast without forcing people to burn limited PTO on a hobby.
