diff --git a/src/d_player.h b/src/d_player.h
index d9bc6d6b3..b1faf5ee9 100644
--- a/src/d_player.h
+++ b/src/d_player.h
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ typedef enum
 	khud_splittimer,
 	khud_splitskin,
 	khud_splitcolor,
+	khud_splitlast,
 
 	NUMKARTHUD
 } karthudtype_t;
diff --git a/src/g_demo.cpp b/src/g_demo.cpp
index 71ef9ca38..d90e357b5 100644
--- a/src/g_demo.cpp
+++ b/src/g_demo.cpp
@@ -2258,8 +2258,6 @@ void G_SetDemoCheckpointTiming(player_t *player, tic_t time, UINT8 checkpoint)
 	UINT32 *splits = (UINT32 *)demosplits_p;
 	splits[checkpoint] = time;
 
-	CONS_Printf("%d / %d\n", checkpoint, time);
-
 	demoghost *g;
 	tic_t lowest = INT32_MAX;
 	UINT32 lowestskin = ((skin_t*)player->mo->skin) - skins;
@@ -2273,25 +2271,36 @@ void G_SetDemoCheckpointTiming(player_t *player, tic_t time, UINT8 checkpoint)
 			lowestcolor = g->mo->color;
 
 		}
-		CONS_Printf("->%d\n", g->splits[checkpoint]);
 	}
 
 	if (lowest != INT32_MAX)
 	{
-		player->karthud[khud_splittimer] = 1;
+		player->karthud[khud_splittimer] = 3*TICRATE;
 		player->karthud[khud_splitskin] = lowestskin;
 		player->karthud[khud_splitcolor] = lowestcolor;
+		player->karthud[khud_splittime] = (INT32)time - (INT32)lowest;
 
 		if (lowest < time)
 		{
-			player->karthud[khud_splittime] = time - lowest;
-			player->karthud[khud_splitwin] = false;
+			player->karthud[khud_splitwin] = -2; // behind and losing
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			player->karthud[khud_splittime] = lowest - time;
-			player->karthud[khud_splitwin] = true;
+			player->karthud[khud_splitwin] = 2; // ahead and gaining
 		}
+
+		INT32 last = player->karthud[khud_splitlast];
+		INT32 now = player->karthud[khud_splittime];
+
+		if (checkpoint != 0)
+		{
+			if (player->karthud[khud_splitwin] > 0 && now > last)
+				player->karthud[khud_splitwin] = 1; // ahead but losing
+			else if (player->karthud[khud_splitwin] < 0 && now < last)
+				player->karthud[khud_splitwin] = -1; // behind but gaining
+		}
+
+		player->karthud[khud_splitlast] = player->karthud[khud_splittime];
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/k_hud.cpp b/src/k_hud.cpp
index 688b266bf..6306a64d2 100644
--- a/src/k_hud.cpp
+++ b/src/k_hud.cpp
@@ -7764,41 +7764,68 @@ void K_drawKartHUD(void)
 
 					boolean debug_alwaysdraw = false;
 
-					if (stplyr->karthud[khud_splittimer] || debug_alwaysdraw)
+					if (
+						(
+							!stplyr->karthud[khud_lapanimation] &&
+							stplyr->karthud[khud_splittimer] &&
+							(stplyr->karthud[khud_splittimer] > TICRATE/3 || stplyr->karthud[khud_splittimer]%2 || cv_reducevfx.value)
+						)
+						|| debug_alwaysdraw
+					)
 					{
-						tic_t split = stplyr->karthud[khud_splittime];
-						UINT32 skin = stplyr->karthud[khud_splitskin];
-						UINT32 color = stplyr->karthud[khud_splitcolor];
-						boolean ahead = stplyr->karthud[khud_splitwin];
+						INT32 split = stplyr->karthud[khud_splittime];
+						INT32 skin = stplyr->karthud[khud_splitskin];
+						INT32 color = stplyr->karthud[khud_splitcolor];
+						INT32 ahead = stplyr->karthud[khud_splitwin];
 
 						// debug
 						if (!stplyr->karthud[khud_splittimer])
 						{
-							ahead = !!((leveltime/17)%2);
+							ahead = ((leveltime/17)%5) - 2;
 							split = leveltime;
 							skin = stplyr->skin;
 							color = stplyr->skincolor;
 						}
 
+						split = std::abs(split);
+
 						UINT8 *skincolor = R_GetTranslationColormap(skin, static_cast<skincolornum_t>(color), GTC_CACHE);
 
-						UINT8 textcolor = ahead ? SKINCOLOR_SAPPHIRE : SKINCOLOR_KETCHUP;
+						UINT8 textcolor = SKINCOLOR_WHITE;
+						switch (ahead)
+						{
+							case 2:
+								textcolor = SKINCOLOR_SAPPHIRE; // leading and gaining
+								break;
+							case 1:
+								textcolor = SKINCOLOR_PIGEON; // leading and losing
+								break;
+							case -1:
+								textcolor = SKINCOLOR_RUBY; // trailing and gaining
+								break;
+							case -2:
+								textcolor = SKINCOLOR_CRIMSON; // trailing and losing
+								break;
+						}
+
 
 						Draw row = Draw(BASEVIDWIDTH/2, BASEVIDHEIGHT/4).align(Draw::Align::kCenter)
 							.font(Draw::Font::kThinTimer).flags(V_30TRANS);
 
+						std::string arrow = (ahead == 1 || ahead == -2) ? "(" : ")";
+
 						// vibes offset
-						row.x(-32).colormap(skincolor).patch(R_CanShowSkinInDemo(skin) ? faceprefix[skin][FACE_MINIMAP] : kp_unknownminimap);
+						row.x(-35).colormap(skincolor).patch(R_CanShowSkinInDemo(skin) ? faceprefix[skin][FACE_MINIMAP] : kp_unknownminimap);
 
 						Draw::TextElement text = Draw::TextElement(
-							std::string(ahead ? "-" : "+") + "{:02}'{:02}\"{:02}",
+							std::string(ahead >= 0 ? "-" : "+") + " " + "{:02}'{:02}\"{:02} " + arrow,
 							G_TicsToMinutes(split, true),
 							G_TicsToSeconds(split),
 							G_TicsToCentiseconds(split)
 						);
 
 						// vibes offset TWO
-						row.colormap(textcolor).colorize(textcolor).x(8).text(text);
+						row.colormap(textcolor).colorize(textcolor).x(15).text(text);
 					}
 				}
 				else
diff --git a/src/k_kart.c b/src/k_kart.c
index a3996cfd2..e81ba2471 100644
--- a/src/k_kart.c
+++ b/src/k_kart.c
@@ -9044,11 +9044,9 @@ void K_KartPlayerHUDUpdate(player_t *player)
 	if (player->karthud[khud_trickcool])
 		player->karthud[khud_trickcool]--;
 
-	if (player->karthud[khud_splittimer])
+	if (player->karthud[khud_splittimer] && !player->karthud[khud_lapanimation])
 	{
-		player->karthud[khud_splittimer]++;
-		if (player->karthud[khud_splittimer] > 2*TICRATE)
-			player->karthud[khud_splittimer] = 0;
+		player->karthud[khud_splittimer]--;
 	}
 
 	if (player->positiondelay)