Rocket Racing Tips and Tricks - Fortnite Rocket Racing Guide - IGN (2024)

Ranking up in Rocket Racing isn't exactly quick, especially if you aren't finishing in those top positions. If you want to climb the ranks fast to unlock Jackie or to get to the difficult tracks, here are some tips and tricks for all skill levels to help you improve.

Click or tap one of the links below to jump to a tip category:

• Beginner Tips
• Intermediate Tips
• Expert Tips

Beginner Tips

Try and Get a Boost Start

Getting a boost start is a great way to start the race. You'll want to swerve away from the slower cars ahead of you, as there's nothing worse than getting 100% boost and then immediately losing all of your speed hitting a much slower car in front of you!

Use Your Boost Before it is Full

Your boost meter is the purple bar to the left of your car that will charge slowly over time, and charge faster while you're drifting.

If you let the third bar fill up, you won't be gaining any more boost. So make sure you use it before then!

Save Some Boost To Recover With if You Crash

If you're just starting out or playing on a track for the first time, it's a good idea to hold on to some boost in case you hit a wall or a few obstacles and lose a lot of speed. Using boost after your car is destroyed can be a good way to catch up to the pack, since you can hit your top speed instantly and reduce the amount of time you're out of the race.

Intermediate Tips

Drift Manually, and Drift Everywhere

Once you've got the hang of the basic tracks, try drifting manually around every corner, rather than relying on the automatic drift. Drifting manually lets you start your drift earlier, giving you more boost and a bigger burst of speed at the end.

Don't forget, you can even drift on the ceiling!

Even around very slight bends, doing a few small drifts actually helps keep your average speed higher and builds up more boost than just driving normally.

Draft as Much as You Can

Staying behind other cars will give you a drafting speed boost.

If you can see a white trail behind your car (pictured above), you know you've got the drafting bonus. So try and align your car with your opponents as much as you can - it's the best way to come back if you've had a bad start.

Expert Tips

Use All Boost Pads Available to You

There are lots of boost pads in Rocket Racing, and some of them are tucked away. While some boost pads are obvious like the ones on the ceiling of Anarchy Arches, here are a couple of obscure ones you might have missed.

This one is on Windy Way, right at the start. It's a bit difficult to access, you have to Air Dodge up at a certain distance and timing, but it doesn't lose too much time if you miss it. It helps if you Air Dodge on the ceiling before this one, so you are already at a good height.

This one is toward the end of Outpost. You have to jump and dodge to the left to get this one. Whether you manage to hit this or not, this is the best place to use a boost in the whole map, so try it out - and feather your thrusters at the end to cut out even more of the track.

Make sure you jump high enough so that you don't dodge in to the railing - otherwise you'll be destroyed and lose all your speed!

Chain Drifts Together

In some of the more advanced maps like Anaconda, there are multiple tight turns in a row. Sometimes, it's good to chain your drifts together, and not let your car straighten out until the turning is over. Simply press drift and hold the opposite direction before your car straightens out, and you'll keep your drift going but in the other direction.

Hold Off On Using Boost On Your First Lap

Getting a drafting speed boost in Rocket Racing can really speed up your lap times. If you hold on to your boost for the first lap or so, you can stay in the middle of the pack or even toward the back, and try and just use drafting to catch up. It's better to be a couple seconds behind first but with 2 extra boosts available, so try using your boost toward the end of races instead.

Check out these helpful pages next:

• All Track Shortcuts
• How to Unlock the Jackie Skin (Gold Skin)