How To Run The Cushion In Iracing Dirt
Learn How To Run The Cushion In Iracing Dirt with step-by-step lines, throttle tips, drills, and setup tweaks to go fast up top without kissing the wall. Safely.
If you’ve ever watched fast folks fly around the top while you tiptoe the bottom, this is for you. You’ll learn exactly how to find the cushion, stick to it, and turn risk into speed without feeding your car to the wall. We’ll keep this simple, actionable, and tailored to rookies and D-class racers.
Quick answer: Running the cushion is riding the built-up dirt “lip” near the wall to find grip when the middle is slick. Enter high, float to the lip, and keep the right-rear loaded with steady throttle. Smooth hands, tiny corrections. If you’re sawing the wheel or stabbing the gas, you’ll bounce off the lip or the wall—calm inputs win.
How To Run The Cushion In Iracing Dirt, Explained
- Cushion: The piled-up, tackier line of dirt that forms near the outside wall as the track slicks off. It’s like a raised, grippy ledge.
- Slick: Polished, shiny surface with low grip (usually in the middle by mid-race).
- Marbles: Loose chunks of dirt that collect off-line. They’re ball bearings—avoid them.
- Tight: Car doesn’t want to turn (understeer).
- Loose: Rear steps out too easily (oversteer).
Why it matters: When the middle goes slick, the cushion becomes the fastest lane. Nail it and you’ll pass cars, protect your momentum, and control restarts. Miss it and you’ll tag the wall, lose drive, or loop it on exit.
Step-by-Step: The Cushion Line (Entry → Middle → Exit)
Use a practice session with at least 40–60% track usage so a cushion exists. Then work this sequence:
- Entry: Set your angle early
- Aim: Enter a lane below the cushion and let the car “float” up to it by the apex.
- Lift or breathe the throttle early; little or no brake—just enough to set the nose.
- Keep the wheel light and steady. You’re guiding, not yanking.
- Mid-corner: Catch the lip with the right-rear
- Let the right-rear tire find the cushion. You’ll feel the car “hook” and stabilize.
- Feed in throttle smoothly (don’t spike it). You’re loading the RR, not spinning it.
- Keep a palm’s-width of space to the wall. Wall magnet is real in the sim.
- Exit: Stay on the ledge and drive off straight
- Hold a gentle, constant throttle rise. If the rear hops, you fed it too fast.
- Unwind the wheel gradually so you exit parallel to the wall.
- If you start to climb the wall, breathe off the gas and steer down a half-car width to reset.
- Reset on straights
- If you lost the cushion mid-corner, don’t force it back. Get straight, reset your entry, try again next lap.
Targets you can feel
- It’s right when: The car feels planted, you’re not sawing the wheel, and throttle is smooth from apex off.
- It’s wrong when: You bounce on the lip, smack the wall exit, or the car “pushes” up into the fence.
Visual Cues: Finding the Top Lane Faster
- Look for a darker, raised strip (the lip) right off the wall. It can move up or down as the race evolves.
- If you see fluffy, light-brown marbles above the lip, that’s not grip—don’t climb there.
- On tracks like Eldora/Knoxville/Williams Grove, the cushion is obvious against the wall.
- On Lernerville, there’s no wall—there’s a cliff. Stay on the cushion or you’ll drop off the edge.
Car-Specific Notes (Keep It Simple at First)
- Winged Sprints (305/360/410): The wing is your balance knob. If the nose won’t bite up top, nudge the wing forward a click or two. If the car feels stuck/tight on exit, go a click back. Bind wing-adjust keys and change in small steps.
- Non-Wing Sprints/Midget: Extra throttle discipline. Turn the car with throttle timing more than brake. A tiny brake tap on entry can help set the nose.
- Late Models/Street Stocks: They’ll “lean” on the cushion. Be patient rolling in—too much wheel will knock the RR off the lip and kill drive.
Practice Drills That Actually Work
Run these in a solo test or a hosted with visible track wear:
- Five-lap no-wall drill
- Goal: Five clean laps without touching the fence. If you tag once, restart the set.
- Focus: Smooth hands and steady throttle rise from apex off.
- Apex touchpoints
- Pick a marker (cushion post, entry sign). Hit the cushion at the same spot 5 laps straight.
- Adjust your entry speed until you can catch the lip consistently.
- Throttle ladder
- Lap 1–2: 30% throttle at apex → build to 60% by exit.
- Lap 3–4: 40% at apex → 70% by exit.
- Lap 5: 50% at apex → 80–90% by exit.
- If you hop, drop a rung on the next set.
- “Half-down reset”
- Any time you bounce or climb, steer down half a lane and straighten. Breathe. Rebuild on the next entry. No heroics mid-corner.
Key Things Beginners Should Know
- The cushion moves: It can build higher or smear down during the race. Keep scanning with your eyes each lap.
- Don’t force the top on Lap 1: Early sessions or fresh tracks may not have a cushion yet. If it’s not there, run middle/bottom and check back later.
- Protect your RR: The right-rear is the hook tire. Smooth throttle keeps it loaded; spikes unload it and break traction.
- Respect the wall: Netcode and “fence-stick” can bite. Leave a small margin while learning.
- Race etiquette: If you’re committed to the cushion, hold your lane. Don’t send bottom-to-top sliders unless you’re clear well before the apex.
- Spotter/audio: Turn spotter up. You’ll need callouts when the field compresses at the top.
Sim Settings That Help on the Cushion (light-touch, beginner-friendly)
- Wheel range/ratio: 540–720° total rotation with an in-car ratio around 12:1 to 14:1 is a good starting point for dirt. It keeps your hands calm and precise.
- Force feedback: Avoid clipping; you should feel the lip. Turn off heavy damping/filters that mask texture.
- Brakes: If you’ve got a load-cell pedal, use a linear brake curve (Brake Force Factor ~1.0). For pot pedals, a little curve (1.6–2.2) can help with finesse.
- Wing binds: Map quick keys for wing forward/back. Change one click at a time.
- Visuals: If you can, bump graphics quality for track surface detail; seeing the lip clearly is speed.
Expert Tips to Improve Faster
- Enter “one lane low, exit on the lip”: Don’t chase the wall on entry. Let the car float up to the cushion naturally by mid-corner.
- Breathe first, then feed: A 0.2-second lift on entry saves you a 2-second wall drag on exit.
- Think balance beam: Smooth is everything. Jerky hands knock you off the ledge.
- Adjust for the slick: If the front washes, add a click of wing forward (sprints) or reduce entry speed 2–3 mph. If you’re loose off, try a click wing back, or delay full throttle 10–15 feet.
- Pass setup: If the guy ahead is right on the wall, plan your run. Back up your entry slightly, catch the cushion earlier, and drive off his quarter with momentum—don’t force a door that isn’t open.
Common Beginner Mistakes (and fixes)
Diving in at the wall
- What you see: Early turn-in straight at the fence, then a panic lift.
- Why it happens: You’re aiming at the cushion instead of letting the car rise to it.
- Fix: Enter a lane lower; roll in slower; let the car float up by apex.
Throttle stabs on the lip
- What you see: RR hops, car snaps loose, or shoots at the fence.
- Why: Sudden torque unloads the hook tire.
- Fix: Build throttle like a ramp, not a light switch.
Oversteering to stay on top
- What you see: Hands sawing to keep the car “on” the cushion, lap times fall apart.
- Why: You’re fighting the car rather than balancing it.
- Fix: Reduce entry speed, add a click of wing forward (if available), and soften your hands.
Ignoring the moving cushion
- What you see: You’re a lane below the new lip after a restart.
- Why: Habit. The cushion migrated up.
- Fix: Scan the surface every lap. Adjust your apex touchpoint.
Lernerville cliff dive
- What you see: You drop a wheel off and go sightseeing.
- Why: No wall to catch you.
- Fix: Leave a half-tire margin. If you feel it going, steer down early and reset.
FAQs
Q: How do I know the cushion is ready to run? A: Look for a darker, raised strip near the wall and a polished, slick middle. In hosted/practice, set track usage to 40–60%. If your RR feels like it “grabs” up top, it’s ready.
Q: What if there’s no cushion yet? A: Run the bottom or a lane off the bottom where there’s still moisture. Check the top every few laps—once the field migrates up, it will form quickly.
Q: Wing forward or back for the cushion in sprints? A: If the nose won’t bite entering up top, move the wing slightly forward. If the car is tight off and won’t drive, click it back. Change one click at a time.
Q: I keep hitting the wall on exit—help? A: You’re either entering too fast or adding throttle too abruptly. Back up the entry, leave a small wall gap, and build throttle smoother from the apex.
Q: Does setup matter in fixed series? A: You can’t change much in fixed, so focus on line and inputs. In open sets, small changes to wing, stagger, and RR shock can help—but driver smoothness is still 90% of cushion speed.
Q: Which tracks reward the cushion most? A: Eldora and Knoxville are classic top-lane tracks. Williams Grove can go top on long runs. Lernerville is fast up top—but unforgiving without a wall.
Conclusion
Running the cushion is controlled aggression: calm hands, patient entry, and a steady throttle to load the right-rear. Start with consistency—five clean top-lane laps—then layer in speed. You’ll pass more cars and fence fewer right-fronts.
Next step: Open a 60% usage practice at Eldora in a 305 Sprint or Street Stock. Run the “five-lap no-wall” drill, then the throttle ladder. When you can do both back-to-back, you’re ready to race the top with confidence.
Suggested images (optional):
- Overhead diagram of dirt oval showing entry path and where to meet the cushion.
- Side-by-side screenshot: slick middle vs raised cushion near the wall.
- Cockpit view highlighting a safe wall gap and throttle trace concept.