Races in GTA Online
Races are a job type available in Grand Theft Auto Online. They can be played alone or with up to 15 other players. Races can give the player rewards such as RP or cash, even if the player does not make it into first place. There are four different racing modes: Land Races, Air Races, Water Races, and Bike Races. There are also Impromptu Races that can be activated at any time during Free Mode.
The Land Races are divided into three different types: Point to Point, Lap races, and Rally, explained below.
In total, there were 42 unique Rockstar-created races at the start of GTA Online. Over time, Rockstar Games adds in new races so players can experience more content. There are also player-made races that sometimes even get officially approved by Rockstar Games; these are called Rockstar-Verified.
Variables
- Class (i.e. Helicopters, Planes, Supercars, Off-Road)
- Race Track
- Number of Laps from 1-99 (Not accessible in Point-to-Point races)
- Traffic
- Wanted Levels
- Time of Day
- Weather
- Radio
- Catch Up
- Custom Vehicles
- Teams (GTA Race only)
- Split Times (Only available in one player races; Allows player to race against other players and their own best times)
GTA Race
A GTA Race is the same as a regular race, but with the inclusion of weapons, powerups and the ability to leave your vehicle to acquire a new one. Players take whatever guns they have access to with them into the race, allowing custom weapons to be used. Low tier weapons will also spawn along the track, with the ability to be picked up while inside a vehicle, albeit with very little ammo. When playing GTA Races with wanted levels on, the race can quickly become one sided, as players without wanted levels will be able to rush ahead of other players being blocked by police blockades. When playing GTA Races with teams, the players are divided into pairs of two and spawn in the same vehicle.
Caution should be taken when in the lead, as GTA V's new car physics can greatly impair you. If your tires are shot out, you will immediately careen off the track, crashing and likely losing position.
Powerups include:
- Rockets - You gain the ability to fire 2 rockets from your vehicle by honking your horn. The rockets can be fired in reverse by looking behind you yourself with R3/RS.
- Boost - Your car instantly reaches maximum speed, bypassing its acceleration limits.
- Repair - Your vehicle is instantly repaired to full health.
Powerups are not available in Air Races.
Rally Race
A rally race is a new mode introduced in GTA Online. It involves teams of 2 navigating through standard race tracks, with the driver being unable to see their destination. The co-driver has to provide directions to his teammate in the form of arrows displayed on the drivers screen, telling him when to turn. This mode is very difficult for inexperienced players, and is even more difficult without microphones to use as communications between teammates. Likewise, other teams cannot hear each other during a rally.
Point to Point
A point to point race is a regular race mode, introducing the concept of a race without laps, completed only by driving through many points, often spanning miles from the starting point. This allows for greater freedom in track design, ranging from simple straight courses through neighborhoods, to racing through massive, sprawling sewer systems. This mode can also be played in GTA mode.
List of Land Races
- Arms Race
- By the Side of the Bay
- Criminal Records
- Cutting Coroners
- Dipping In
- Dockyard
- Double Parking
- Down the Drain
- Downtown Underground
- Driving Range
- Gone Fishin'
- Grass Route
- Grass Route II (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Graveyard Shift
- Greenwich Meantime
- If I Were a Richman
- In Harmony
- In the Grove
- Just Deserts
- Jumps Jumps Jumps
- Laguna Seca Remake
- Learning Curve
- Lost and Found
- LS FORUM
- Mall Or Nothing
- Morning Perm-a-Wood
- Old Downtown
- Over the Hump
- Power Trip
- Redwood Light District
- Ring of Fire
- Route 68
- Senora Freeway
- Shore Up (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Stadium Tour
- Taking Off
- The Commute
- Thrills in the Hills
- Through the Grapevine
- Turn Up the Side (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Vinewood Nights
List of Water Races
- Canal Passage
- Delta V
- Gone Coastal (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Jetty Jumping
- On the Rocks
- Pier 400
- Sea Change (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Truss Issues
- Water Change (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Water Sports
- Without a Paddle
List of Air Races
- Blowing in the Wing
- Chopper Cruise
- Crop Circle
- Downtown, Downtown
- Eclipse
- Fly Like an Eagle
- Grave Danger
- Kept at Bay
- Life's a Beach
- Loose Canyon
- Plane to Sea
- Up in the Air
List of Bike Races
- A Sign of Things to Come
- American Cycle
- Ant to Ant
- Barnstorming
- Cream of the Crop
- CyclePath
- Free Fall
- Going Down
- In the Pipeline (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Into the Lights
- Off the Rails
- On the Trail
- On Yer Bike
- Pit Lane
- Power Trip
- Redwood Light District
- Saddle Up
- Scale the Heights
- Staying on Track
- Sundae Drive (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Touch Base
- Tunnel Vision
- Up the Creek (added in Beach Bum Update)
- Wingin' It
Trivia
- With the introduction of custom cars, races can become extremely dynamic.
- It is possible to be killed by other players outside of GTA Races by being rammed by multiple cars at once.
- Players are unable to make Races at Fort Zancudo or Los Santos International Airport.