You know those viral videos where lines race across the screen, competing for the top spot while the numbers tick up dramatically?

The ones that get millions of views on LinkedIn. The ones people actually watch until the end. The ones that turn boring growth metrics into edge-of-your-seat drama.

Yeah, those. You can make them now.

What Makes Exploding Line Charts Addictive

A racing line chart isn’t just animated data. It’s competition. It’s storytelling. It’s drama unfolding in real-time.

Picture this: China and the US over 30 years. Instead of a static graph nobody looks at, you’ve got lines literally exploding next to each other. China surges past US almost unexpectedly. On a PPP basis, China now has a larger economy than the US.

That’s the power of motion. Our brains are wired to track movement, to root for winners, to watch races. When your data moves, people pay attention.

When Racing Lines Beat Everything Else

Stock portfolios over time. Watch investments compete. See which picks dominated. Show how strategies played out.

Company growth stories. Revenue, users, market share: whatever metric matters, show the race to the top.

Social media metrics. Follower counts, engagement rates, viral growth. Perfect for showing who’s winning the attention game.

Sports statistics. Season progressions, career achievements, team standings. Turn stats into stories.

Scientific data. Temperature changes, population growth, research progress. Make complex data digestible.

Sales competitions. Team performance, regional battles, product line races. Gamify your results.

Basically, if you’ve got multiple things changing over time, a racing line chart turns spreadsheet snoozers into must-watch content.

Creating Your First Racing Line Chart

Ready to make something people will actually watch? Here’s exactly how PlotSet makes it simple.

Step 1: Start with Your Data

Open PlotSet and select Video Charts (you need PlotSet Plus to access this feature). Upload your data and select “Racing Line Chart” from the video charts menu. You’ll need time-series data and declare which column is your date column.

Upload a CSV or Excel file, or paste in your data. The format is dead simple: time periods in one column, your competing items in the others.

Step 2: Design Your Look

This is where your racing chart becomes YOURS.

Brand colors for each line. Custom fonts. Your logo. Background styles. Labels that appear at key moments. PlotSet gives you complete control while keeping it simple.

Want that dark mode aesthetic that’s killing it on LinkedIn? One click. Prefer classic and clean? Done. Your chart, your rules.

Step 3: Set Your Stage

Choose your race duration. 15 seconds for social media. 30 seconds for presentations. Up to 60 seconds for the full dramatic effect.

Pick your style. Smooth and professional? Fast and aggressive? Dramatic with pause points? You control the personality.

Step 4: Export and Dominate

Hit render. PlotSet builds your video up to full 4K resolution at 60fps. Two minutes later, you’ve got an MP4 ready to upload anywhere.

Drop it in your PowerPoint. Post it on LinkedIn. Embed it on your website. Add it to your YouTube video. Send it to clients. Watch engagement numbers explode.

The Secret Most People Miss

Here’s what separates viral racing charts from the ones nobody watches:

Start slow, finish fast. Let viewers orient themselves before the race heats up.

Limit your racers. More than 7 lines gets messy. 3-5 is perfect.

Label smartly. Don’t clutter. Let the motion tell the story.

Pick meaningful timeframes. Show change that matters, not random fluctuations.

Use color intentionally. Make the winner obvious. Use brand colors when relevant.

Your Move

Static charts are dead. Screenshots get ignored. But racing line charts? They stop thumbs mid-scroll.

This is a Plus-only feature because rendering these videos takes serious computing power. But at $20/month (or $16.50 annually), one viral post pays for a whole year.

Right now, while you’re pumped about this:

Sign up for PlotSet Plus - get instant access

Upload your data - or start with our templates

Create your first racing chart - takes literally 5 minutes

Post it somewhere - watch what happens to your engagement

I’ve been creating these for months. Every single one outperforms static charts by 10x minimum. Check my LinkedIn for proof.

Stop making charts people ignore. Start making videos people share.

P.S. Pro tip: Add music in your video editor after export. Dramatic orchestral music with financial data? Chef’s kiss.

Create your first racing line chart at plotset.com