If you stream your races, your viewers want the same thing you do: who is ahead, how many laps are left, how close the next car is. Good iRacing overlays in OBS turn a raw sim feed into a broadcast people understand without you explaining everything on the mic. This guide shows how to build your iRacing stream overlay setup with Raptor Racing Overlay, what to show on screen and which mistakes to avoid.
Why use overlays on your iRacing stream
The sim camera shows the car, but it does not tell the story of the race. Someone who joins halfway does not know your position or whether the fight is for the podium or for tenth. Overlays fix that:
- Instant context: standings and the relative tell viewers where you are in a second.
- Longer watch time: viewers who understand the race stay longer.
- Your own look: a clean, consistent broadcast is easy to recognize.
- Less work for you: no need to read gaps out loud while driving.
How to add iRacing overlays to OBS
With the PRO plan of Raptor Racing Overlay, your overlays go to OBS exactly as you see them on your screen. The steps are short:
1. Open the app and pick your overlays
Turn on the overlays you want from the menu and place them where you like. What you see is what your audience will see.
2. Copy the address for OBS
In the streaming section of the menu there is a button to copy the address. No typing required.
3. Add a Browser Source in OBS
In your OBS scene, add a new Browser Source and paste the address. Match its size to your canvas and place it above your game capture.
4. Choose what you see and what viewers see
You do not always want the same thing on your monitor and on stream. You can hide the overlays from your own screen and keep them in OBS, so you drive with a clean view while your audience gets all the data.
Which overlays to show on an iRacing stream
More is not always better. A crowded stream is tiring. These combinations work well:
- Sprint races: Standings, Relative and Inputs Telemetry. Viewers see the battle and how you work the pedals.
- Endurance races: Standings, the Fuel Calculator and the Map, to follow strategy and traffic.
- Changing weather: add the Weather Monitor and Tire Strategy so your audience lives the decision of when to pit.
- For your community: the Stream Chat overlay shows Twitch and Kick messages over the game, so you can read chat without looking away from the track.
Layout tips
- Keep the center of the screen clear: that is where the race is.
- Put fixed info (standings) on one edge and live info (relative, inputs) near the bottom.
- Check your scene in a short recording before going live, especially text size.
- Use the same layout every stream so your audience gets used to it.
Common iRacing stream overlay mistakes
- Covering the dash or mirrors: viewers want to see the driving too.
- Text that is too small: many people watch on their phone.
- Changing the layout every week: it breaks your audience's habits.
- Skipping the test: an empty source on a live stream looks unprofessional.
Is it safe to use overlays while streaming?
Yes. Raptor Racing Overlay only reads the telemetry iRacing shares; it never writes anything to the sim or changes your car. Overlays work the same in practice, qualifying and race.
FAQ
Are OBS overlays included in the free plan?
No. Overlays in OBS are part of the PRO plan. The lifetime FREE plan includes Standings, Relative, Spotter Bars, Rejoin Helper, ABS Light and Traction Loss Light for use on your own screen.
Can I stream to Twitch, YouTube or Kick?
Yes. The overlays go into OBS, and from OBS you stream to whatever platform you use.
Do I need two monitors?
No. It works with a single monitor, and you can hide the overlays from your screen while they stay on stream.
Does it run on Windows?
Yes, Raptor Racing Overlay is a Windows application.
Start streaming with overlays
If you want your iRacing stream to make sense at a glance, try Raptor Racing Overlay: start free and move to PRO when you want your overlays in OBS.