Matchmaking

Matchmaking is an automated way to create ranked races. Instead of an admin manually setting up an event, racers put themselves in a queue, and the server groups people of a similar skill level together and builds a race for them. Everyone gets to vote on the track, drives to the start line, and races for ELO and a server‑funded prize.

The whole point is to keep competitive races flowing without anyone having to organize them.

The Matchmaking tab only appears when the server owner has matchmaking enabled. If you don't see it, matchmaking is turned off on that server.

Step 1 — Join the queue

Open the Racing app and go to the Matchmaking tab. Before joining, you pick what kind of race you want:

Choice	What you're signing up for
A specific class (e.g. Class S)	You'll race that class and must bring a car of that class. You only match with others who chose the same class.
Open class (any car)	Any vehicle is valid. You match with other open‑class racers.
Fill any lobby (fastest match)	A wildcard — you get placed wherever a race is filling up. Fastest way to find a game, but you might be put into a class you need a car for.

A short line under the selector reminds you what your choice means (for example, "You'll need a class S car" or "You may be placed in any class"). It also shows how many racers are needed to start.

Press Join Queue.

You can't queue while you're already in a race, or while you're on a cooldown from abandoning a previous match. The button is greyed out and tells you why.

Step 2 — Waiting in the queue

Once you're in, the tab switches to the queue view. Here you can see, at a glance:

Row	Meaning
Searching	The kind of race you're looking for (your class / open / fill).
In Queue	How many racers are searching for the same kind of race as you, out of how many are needed.
(progress bar)	A visual of how close that count is to the minimum.
Your Wait	How long you've been in the queue.
Elo Range	Your current skill window. It widens the longer you wait, so you'll match faster over time.

A hint at the bottom tells you either how many more racers are needed, or "Forming lobby…" when there are enough.

You can press Leave Queue at any time to step out.

The In Queue count only counts racers looking for the same kind of race you are. Two people in the queue who picked different classes won't be matched together — and each sees their own count.

Step 3 — The match invite

When a lobby forms, the tab turns into a Match Found screen with a countdown. It shows how many racers are in the lobby and the class the race will be (for example Class S, or Open class).

• Press Accept to commit to the race.

• Press Decline to pass — this costs you nothing.

After you accept, the screen shows "Waiting for the other racers…" until everyone has answered or the timer runs out.

Accepting is a commitment. If you accept and then never make it to the start line to check in, you'll be locked out of the queue for a short cooldown. If you're not sure you can make it, decline instead — declining is free.

The invite tells you the required class before you accept. If it's a class you don't have a car for, just decline and requeue with a preference that suits you.

If you had the app closed when the match popped, you'll still get a notification — open the app and the invite (or vote) will be waiting for you, as long as it hasn't timed out.

Step 4 — Vote for the track

Once enough racers accept, everyone votes on the track. You'll see a few options as cards, each showing the track's name, its type, distance and checkpoint count, and a live vote tally that updates as others vote.

• Tap a track to cast your vote. Your pick is highlighted.

• The most‑voted track wins; ties are broken at random.

You don't have to wait out the timer — once everyone has voted, the winner is decided immediately.

If the server owner has turned voting off, this step is skipped and a random eligible track is chosen for you.

Step 5 — Get to the start and check in

When the vote closes, the ranked race is created and you're automatically entered — no need to go find it in the events list. You'll get:

• A confirmation that the ranked race was created.

• A GPS route to the start line set for you automatically.

Drive to the start, get in a car of the required class, and check in like any other race. From there it's a normal ranked race.

Remember: the buy‑in is free for matchmaking races, but if you accepted and don't check in before it starts, that's when the cooldown kicks in.