Hiring a driver in iRacing Arcade allows you to delegate career mode races to AI teammates, enabling your organization to contest multiple series running during the same race week. As your team campus expands, this feature introduces a management layer where you recruit drivers, pay entry contracts, and collect prize money and championship points without having to drive every event yourself.
Unlocking the Team HQ on Your Campus
Driver recruitment becomes available after unlocking and placing the Team HQ building within your career mode complex.
Career progression in iRacing Arcade relies on earning funds and leveling up your team by completing races. Milestone levels unlock new construction options across your campus. Alongside garages, engine shops, chassis shops, and R&D facilities, the Team HQ acts as the operational hub for your driver roster. Once the building is constructed, the option to assign AI drivers appears inside the career race entry menu.
How to Delegate Races to AI Drivers
Career seasons feature 12 standard race weeks followed by a week 13 endurance event. In earlier weeks, you might only run one series, but higher team levels open three, four, or up to six concurrent series in a single week. These span varied disciplines including the Fiat 500 Cup, Formula Junior, Touring Cars, the Porsche Cup, and the Michelin Pilot Challenge.
When you reach a week with multiple events, you can assign an AI driver through the following steps:
- Open your career calendar and select the series you want to contest.
- Select the Send Driver option instead of manually entering the car.
- Choose an available driver from the recruitment list based on their contract fee and profile traits, such as closed-wheel specialization.
- Select up to your allowed limit of campus-developed boosts to assist their performance.
- Confirm the entry to simulate the race, view the finishing position, and collect the resulting prize purse and championship points.
Managing Driver Contracts, Boosts, and Car Ownership
Recruiting drivers requires an upfront payment deducted directly from your team bank balance. Roster options vary in both price and pace:
| Driver Tier / Profile | Example Driver | Role and Characteristics | Financial Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget Talent | Greg | Low-cost entry, viable for mid-pack finishes or reversing grid positions | Low upfront expense, modest prize expectations |
| Specialist Talent | Michael Beeline | Moderate-to-high cost, categorized by vehicle discipline (such as closed-wheel) | Moderate risk; requires solid finishes to recoup contract fees |
| Top-Tier Performer | Val Aucity | Higher fee, capable of winning competitive fields and securing titles | High initial cost offset by first-place purses and series trophies |
Allocating campus perks directly alters an AI driver's chances on track. Perks like Tire Sauce provide added grip on the opening lap, while Friendly Steward prevents corner-cutting penalties, giving your driver an aggressive edge through heavy traffic.
Vehicle status also affects delegated events. If your team does not own the vehicle required for a chosen series, the driver must enter in a rental car. When using a rental, your payout is reduced, and you cannot equip any boosts. Purchasing required class cars before sending drivers out protects your profit margins and allows your engineering perks to take effect.
Strategic Value of Hiring Drivers in Career Mode
Managing multiple series manually can become repetitive, especially when lower-speed introductory categories linger into late-career seasons. Delegating secondary championships allows you to bypass classes you do not enjoy, such as the entry-level Fiat 500 or Formula Junior, while keeping your team active across every points table.
Delegating also generates passive revenue to finance higher-tier machinery, including LMP2 and GTP prototypes, or to fund garage expansions and cosmetic upgrades. When managed effectively, top-tier hired drivers can win races outright, claim series championships, and deliver substantial cash bonuses directly to your campus treasury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can hired drivers win championship titles for your team?
Yes. Points scored by hired drivers accumulate directly into your team standing for that series. If a hired driver secures enough podiums across the calendar, your team claims the series trophy and the end-of-season championship bonus.
Can you equip boosts if your driver uses a rental car?
No. Rental vehicles carry a restriction that completely disables boost equipping for that event, alongside reducing the overall prize money earned from the finishing position.
Do hired drivers always guarantee a profit?
No. Cheaper drivers or drivers placed in difficult fields without boost assistance can finish toward the rear of the grid. If their finishing position awards less prize money than their contract fee, your team absorbs the financial loss.
