How to Drive a Dirt Late Model
Dirt late models in iRacing feel wild and floaty at first. This simple guide explains how they really work, how to keep them straight and “on the bars,” and the driving habits that make you fast and consistent instead of just sideways.
If you jump into a dirt late model and just “chuck it in,” the car will feel like a couch on ice. The big secret is that modern late model driving is almost the opposite of the old-school throw‑it‑sideways style. The quick drivers keep the car surprisingly straight, use the throttle to control rotation, and stay up on the suspension so the chassis actually works for them, not against them.
How a dirt late model wants to be driven
A dirt late model has lots of side bite, lots of forward bite, and a suspension designed to hike the left front and load the rear on throttle. It is built to be driven on the edge of traction, not way past it.
- Keep it straighter than you think. Big yaw angles kill momentum and take you out of the car’s “happy zone.”
- Use the throttle to “drive” the car. The steering wheel guides the direction, but the right foot actually decides how much the car rotates and how much it stays up on the bars.
If you watch fast late model replays, the car looks calm and efficient: small steering, steady throttle modulation, and a lot less sliding than most rookies expect.
Corner entry: set it up, don’t throw it in
The goal on entry is to set the car into a controlled angle and get it up on the bars, not to fling it and hope.
- Lift and brake early, in a straight line. Over‑attacking entry just overloads the front and breaks the rear loose.
- Turn in smoothly, with modest steering. One clean, early input works better than a late jab that shocks the car.
- Roll onto the throttle as it starts to rotate. You want the rear loaded by power, not just coasting and waiting for the car to catch itself.
If you find yourself chasing big snaps right at turn‑in, you are probably lifting too abruptly, turning too hard, or charging too deep for the grip that’s there.
Mid‑corner: stay “on the bars” and in control
In the middle, you’re trying to keep the chassis loaded and the car at one steady angle.
- Hold a small, stable slip angle. If the car keeps increasing angle, ease out of the throttle slightly and unwind the wheel a bit.
- Let the suspension work. Staying on throttle enough to keep the car hiked up and loaded is key; dropping to a long zero‑throttle coast makes it feel dead and floaty.
A good drill many coaches use: on a tacky track, run laps where you get the car rotated, then hold roughly 50–70% throttle through the middle and focus only on keeping the wheel in the “soft spot” (small corrections, not big swings). That teaches you to feel when the car is happy and loaded instead of constantly falling off the bars.
Exit: finish the corner with the throttle
Fast late model laps are built from the center off. You want to finish rotation and drive off with the right foot, not the steering wheel.
- Straighten as you add power. As the nose starts to point down the straight, unwind the wheel and feed in more throttle so the tires push you forward instead of just spinning sideways.
- Use throttle to catch or complete rotation. If the car over‑rotates on exit, breathe off the gas to let it tuck back in; if it stays too tight, a touch more throttle (when loaded) can help it come around.
When done right, you feel the car “hook and go” off the corner. When done wrong, you either bog (too timid) or light the rears and drift up the track (too greedy).
Line choice: bottom, middle, and top
Late models are very sensitive to where you put the car in the dirt.
- Look for the good dirt. Darker, non‑shiny dirt carries more moisture and bite; polished brown or black is slick and needs more finesse.
- Bottom: Tighter radius, usually needs a bit more steering and earlier rotation; great when there’s fresh moisture low.
- Top/cushion: Longer radius, so the car can stay straighter and you can carry more speed, but you must be precise with your right‑rear placement.
On a tacky track, you can often run a fairly neutral middle or top line with a lot of throttle and lean on the car’s side bite. As the groove slicks off, you’ll often see fast drivers move up to a high line where they keep the car straighter and let momentum do the work.
Throttle, sound, and feel
Late models reward drivers who listen and feel as much as they watch the screen.
- Use tire sound as feedback. As some late model coaches point out, turning engine volume down and tire noise up helps you hear when you’re over‑slipping the rear.
- Avoid long “dead” coasts. On entry and mid, you usually want at least some throttle in to keep the chassis loaded; total coasts make the car lazy and harder to control.
- Think “drive from the middle out.” Most of your real acceleration happens from center to exit; that’s where throttle discipline gains or loses tenths every lap.
If every lap sounds like full revs and frantic wheel corrections, back things down and aim for a quieter, more controlled rhythm first.
Simple practice plan for dirt late models
Here’s a straightforward routine you can reuse across Limited, Pro, and Super Late Models:
- Tacky‑track fundamentals
- Load a tackier surface first. Run 10–15 laps focusing only on: smooth entry, getting the car rotated, and holding steady throttle (50–70%) through the middle while keeping the wheel calm.
- Middle‑out throttle drill
- On the same tacky track, run laps where you specifically: set the car, catch it with throttle, then accelerate from the middle out while keeping the car as straight as possible.
- Don’t chase lap time; chase “no big slides” and repeatable feel.
- Step into slick conditions
- Gradually increase track usage (or join a used session): go from light wear to medium, then heavy.
- On each step, adjust your entry speed and throttle usage but keep the same core pattern: rotate → catch with throttle → drive off straight.
Late models look intimidating, but the core is simple: keep them straight, keep them loaded, and drive the car with the throttle instead of tossing it around with the wheel. Once that rhythm clicks, you’ll find they are some of the most rewarding and brutally honest dirt cars in iRacing.