5 racing tips for GTA Online newcomers in 2022

Car races are an integral part of GTA Online gameplay, with Rockstar offering a wide range of tracks, challenges and vehicles to do so. While it may seem like common knowledge to some, there are a few tricks and tips that can significantly help players in a GTA Online race.

From early thrust to tailing for a speed bump, Rockstar has added plenty of hidden tricks and methods into racing. This article provides five racing tips that newcomers can apply in GTA Online.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.

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Five racing tips that are handy in GTA Online races

5) Avoid obstacles

A rather basic and practical point, players should avoid bumping into obstacles on the racetrack. Unfortunately, GTA Online's racetracks are not always straight and simple. Instead, they are often filled with obstacles like lamp posts, guard walls, NPCs, and other cars. Obviously, there will also be other players blocking one's path.

Even lightly hitting or crashing into obstacles can cause significant delays in timing, resulting in the loss of positions at crucial moments. By avoiding unnecessary collisions, players should be able to maintain their position and speed in a race.

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4) Avoid crashing into other cars

Besides regular obstacles, other players may also cause issues in a race. GTA Online races are notorious for racers crashing into each other, ruining the overall gameplay experience. While Rockstar has no control over this fact, players should try to avoid crashing or being crashed into by others, especially at the beginning of a race.

Players often think that they can crash into others to push them outside the track and gain an advantage. However, this could likely result in both vehicles losing control and going into dangerous spins. Furthermore, griefing other players is a big no, regardless of what the sport is.

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3) High acceleration vehicles

Races generally require three factors to win and they are skill, speed, and acceleration. While skill only comes with time and practice, players do have some degree of control over speed and good acceleration. Many believe that a high-speed vehicle is more than enough to win races in GTA Online. While this is partially true, a vehicle with high acceleration is just as important.

As mentioned before, GTA Online racetracks are rarely straight and often consist of sharp corners and large obstacles. In such situations, sheer speed alone is not that useful. A vehicle with slow acceleration will take longer to reach its top speed, making it easier for opponents to overtake. Players should invest in a high acceleration vehicle, so that when they do have to decelerate around corners or for obstacles, they can gain back momentum as quickly as possible.

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2) Initial Boost

Not many players are aware of this trick, but GTA Online races offer an initial boost to most vehicles. This phenomenon is called a 'turbo start' and provides a few seconds' boost at the very start of a race. Using this can help players overtake other cars from the beginning, provided they do not hit any obstacles or other vehicles.

This can be difficult for some and may likely require thorough practice to achieve. To perform a turbo start, players need to time it right and follow the following steps:

1. Do not press or hold the acceleration button during the race countdown.
2. Once the timer shows '1' and starts to fade away, be ready to press the acceleration button, but don’t press it yet.
3. As soon as it shows 'GO' on screen, players must immediately press the acceleration button.

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1) Use slipstreaming

Racers in GTA Online can use a real-life phenomenon called slipstreaming. This allows players to gain speed by using other vehicles as a shield against air resistance.

To successfully use a slipstream, one will need to position their vehicle behind another player without bumping into them. After a few seconds, two white lines from the tail of the former car will appear, which means that the slipstream mode has been activated.

By using the slipstream for a few seconds, GTA Online players can gain speed rapidly and overtake the car in front of them. Players aware of this phenomenon can swing their vehicles left and right in a race to prevent an opponent behind them from using this trick.