GTA Online HSW Races: Real Money Per Hour (No Bonus, No Lies)(2026)
- Niels Gys
- Jan 8
- 5 min read
TL;DR (For People Who Refuse to Read)
4X HSW races, no bonus pay about $350K–$450K per hour with an organized crew
$500K/hour is possible but requires discipline, podium finishes, and zero nonsense
Public lobbies turn this into $200K/hour sadness
Finish races around 8–9 minutes or you’re tipping Rockstar for bad service
Solid money, not a kingpin operation
The CRIMENET Money Verdict
HSW races are:
❌ Not a universal grind
❌ Not beginner-friendly money
❌ Not worth touching on normal weeks
They are:
✅ Very good during bonus weeks
✅ Excellent for short, focused sessions
✅ Perfect for coordinated groups
✅ Profitable if you respect the 8-minute rule
Treat them like a scheduled payday, not a second job.
You’re about to grind HSW races for hours, which means you’ll need focus, rage control, and something to squeeze when Rockstar underpays you.
👉 Amazon affiliate: Racing Gloves (sparco-style karting gloves) so you can feel professional while being underpaid.
Internal link: CRIMENET Weekly Grind Guide - because guessing is for amateurs.
Hao’s Special Works Races: How to Turn Speed Into Cash (Without Lying to Yourself)
Let’s clear something up immediately.
Hao’s Special Works Races are not magic money fountains. They are not some hidden Wall Street exploit. They are not a “secret grind”. They are a very specific tool that only works when Rockstar is feeling generous.
Used correctly, they print respectable money. Used incorrectly, they turn you into a very fast idiot.
This guide exists to make sure you’re the first thing, not the second.
What This Mode Actually Is (No Romance, Just Facts)
Hao’s Special Works Race Series is a bunch of Rockstar-made races that only allow HSW-upgraded vehicles inside GTA Online.
Translation: If your car hasn’t been medically enhanced by Hao, you’re not racing. You’re spectating. Like a peasant.
They’re fast. They’re twitchy. They make normal supercars feel like they’re towing a fridge full of regret.
There are about twenty of these things, they support up to eight players, and they exist mainly to remind you that old-gen players are living in the past.
The One-Sentence Truth (Read This If You’re Lazy)
HSW races only become serious money during 2X or 3X+ bonus weeks, and only if you play them correctly.
Anything else is cardio.
The Cardinal Sin: Finishing Too Fast
Rockstar has many unspoken rules. One of them is this:
If you finish a race quickly, Rockstar assumes you didn’t work hard enough and pays you in bus fare.
Race payouts are time-weighted. Not skill-weighted .Not “vibes”-weighted. Time-weighted.
Which means the fastest way to lose money is to be fast.
Yes. It’s stupid. Welcome to GTA Online.
The 8-Minute Rule (Tattoo This On Your Brain)
Here’s how this actually works in the real world:
Finish in 5 minutes: low pay
Finish in 6 minutes: slightly less insulting pay
Finish around 8 minutes: maximum payout behavior
Finish later than that: congratulations, you just donated time to Rockstar
Eight minutes is the sweet spot. Not seven. Not twelve. Eight.
If you cross the finish line at 6:30, you didn’t win. You failed efficiently.
Eight minutes. That’s the rule. Any faster and you’re basically donating labour.
👉 Amazon affiliate: A big, obnoxious digital stopwatch / timer you can slam on your desk like a pit boss who hates everyone.
“But That Means Slowing Down Near the Finish!”
Correct.
Sometimes the optimal play is circling a block, gently braking, or waiting like a bored assassin near the finish line until the clock behaves.
If that feels wrong, congratulations, you still have a soul. Ignore it. Souls don’t buy Oppressors.
Solo vs Multiplayer (Let’s Stop Pretending They’re Equal)
Solo Racing
Yes, you can run HSW races solo.
Should you?
Only if:
it’s a bonus week AND
you hate people AND
you’re okay earning “fine, I guess” money instead of “oh that’s decent” money
Solo payouts are thinner. Always have been. Always will be.
Solo HSW races are a supplement, not a lifestyle.
Multiplayer Racing (Where the Money Lives)
HSW races start behaving like a job when you add people.
More players = better payout scaling. Better placement = real money.
The sweet spot is four players. Enough scaling, not enough chaos.
Eight players sounds fun until someone treats every corner like a demolition derby and you’re suddenly upside-down, on fire, questioning your life choices.
The Optimal Money Setup (Stop Experimenting)
If you’re hosting, do this. Every time.
Non-contact: ON
This is a race, not a WWE audition.
Catch-up: OFF
We are not rewarding incompetence.
Slipstream: Optional
On if you want drama. Off if you want control.
Laps: Adjust so the race lasts about 8 minutes
That’s it. That’s the formula. Anything else is cosplay.
The Weekly Bonus Trap (And How to Exploit It)
When Rockstar runs 2X or 3X+ HSW race weeks, they often dangle a carrot:
Complete 3 HSW races. Get a fat cash bonus.
This is the entire reason HSW races ever become worth grinding.
Here’s the correct behavior:
Do the HSW Time Trial (big payout, low nonsense)
Run exactly three HSW races
Finish each around 8 minutes
Collect the bonus
Leave
Do not stay longer out of loyalty. Rockstar does not love you back.
“Should I Grind These for Hours?”
Only if:
you’re consistently placing top three AND
you’re controlling race length AND
you enjoy racing
If you’re mid-pack, getting rammed, or finishing in 6 minutes because “winning feels good”, you’re hemorrhaging profit.
At that point, go do literally any modern money activity instead.
Vehicles: Pick One and Shut Up
You do not need a garage full of HSW cars.
You need:
one fast
one stable
one you don’t crash every 30 seconds
Community consensus has long favored brutally fast HSW options like the Hakuchou Drag for time-based content, but the real key is consistency, not theoretical top speed.
A car you can keep upright makes more money than a missile you keep planting into walls.
You’ve done the races. You’ve seen the numbers. You’re still alive. Barely.
👉 Amazon affiliate: A ridiculously aggressive car air freshener to mask the scent of burnt rubber and mild disappointment.
FAQ
Is Hao’s Special Works Race Series good money this week? Yes, but only in the adult sense of the word “good”. On a 4X week without bonuses it’s solid, dependable income, not a financial awakening. You will not feel rich, but you also won’t feel robbed of your evening.
What’s the realistic money per hour? Around $350K to $450K per hour with an organized four-player crew that understands pacing and doesn’t finish races like they’re late for a dentist appointment. Anything higher needs perfect execution or selective memory.
Can it really hit $500K per hour? Yes, occasionally. That’s the upper edge of what’s possible when everything goes right, podium finishes are consistent and menus don’t fight back. It’s real, but it’s not something you should expect every hour.
Is this worth grinding solo? You can, but you shouldn’t if money is the priority. Solo payouts are thinner and slower, and the whole thing starts to feel like running a business with no customers.
Should I use public lobbies? Only if you enjoy chaos. Public lobbies turn this into bumper cars with opinions, and profits drop accordingly. Private or friend lobbies are where this mode actually works.
Does race time really affect payouts? Yes, massively. Finish too fast and Rockstar assumes you barely tried. The sweet spot sits around eight to nine minutes, which is why experienced players slow down near the finish instead of sprinting across it like eager interns.
Does winning matter more than time? Placement matters, but time matters more. Crossing the line first at six minutes feels great and pays terribly. A controlled finish at the right time pays better, even if it bruises your ego.
Is this better than Cayo Perico or the Dre contract? No. Those still sit higher on the money ladder. HSW races are best treated as a clean, low-prep side grind rather than a full-time criminal career.
Who is this actually for? Players who like racing, understand pacing and want respectable money without setup missions or endless cutscenes. Everyone else should go rob something that shoots back.
Comments