Who owns the corner and when do you own it?

[sbarton]

I would also make the point that many there would say that some of the biggest problems are from more experienced teams and drivers. This was without question the case for me at nelson.

There is a lot of discussion about swerving, blocking, and choping going on. I think this is related to the misconception that someone 'owns' the corner and therefore can do whatever they like to 'defend' it.

As others mentioned in other threads, it was rarely the novice drivers who were behaving this way. From what I saw they were usually very predictable and polite. I also wouldn't call the SBC's (Swervers/Blockers/Choppers) 'experienced' either though.

An experienced driver knows that this is an endurance race. Position matters not in an endurance race. Fighting real hard to stay in front of someone for a lap or 2 is only going to slow you down at best, and at worst has a good chance of sending you (and possibly the other car) off into the weeds and in need of some repairs and even possibly hurting someone real bad. An experienced driver knows that you need to finish the race in order to win it. It's who finishes the most laps, not who passes the most cars that matters.

Swerving/Blocking/Chopping will only piss people off and make them hate you. There are no awards for that. At best you'll get the stink eye from the other drivers, and maybe a talking to about how your driving with like a d!**kh*@d. You'll only make enemies that way. Who comes to a ChumpCar event to make enemies???? Instead, if you are polite and courtous, you may get someone to come over and say hey, I had a really good time racing with you. You've just made a new friend. If they are faster than you, it would behoove you to let them by and then try to learn from them to see WHY they are faster.

You do not 'own' a corner, the other driver has the right to be there as well. You need to be able to navigate the turn leaving enough room for the other car (and maybe a couple of inches ).

If you chop or block someone, you are intentionally trying to place your car in the path of a another car and hoping by intimidation that they will back off and give you the corner. You are gambling that they have the available traction and skill to do so, as well as the heads up enough to do it. This is a dangerous game you are playing and if you wind up in the woods, you shouldn't be wondering how it happened. What did you think was going to happen when you purposely put your car in the path of another?

Be aware, be predictable, hold your line, and give the other car room to race. They paid just as much as you did. There is no point in being a prick just because you can. I would hope no grown adult finds that fun or amusing. Certainly experienced racers don't.

The BMW Club Racing website has an excellent writeup on the subject of 'ownership'. Please take the time to read it.
/>http://www.bmwccaclubracing.com/Information/GS_OralTradition.aspx

GCR 9.1.1: The Responsibility...rests with the overtaking driver. The overtaken driver has the responsibility to be aware...and not to impede...The overtaken driver shall not block. Any driver who fails to make use of the rear view mirror, or who appears to be blocking…, may be black flagged and/or penalized.*

That’s it. All of it. The entirety of the “Rules of the Road†regarding drivers dealing with the presence of each other. Succinct, isn’t it? If not downright cryptic.

Actually its rather verbose compared to the usual bench racing pronouncement. “whoever has his nose in front has the cornerâ€. One wonders why we would be interested in something so simplistic.

Such statements usually come at the end of a discussion of some racing incident, which in turn was likely caused when one or both drivers ignored the real rule of the road: Know where the other one is if at all possible and, whether it is or not, leave room for him or her to survive the moment.

Having your nose in front does not mean you own the corner. That other car is still present, is still racing, and has the right to enough space to exist. Just a car width plus a few inches, that’s all.

And, if you are in the other seat and that guy does not have his nose in front , it does not mean he or she doesn’t own the corner either. If you drive all the way to the apex and that car was far enough up or coming on so fast that contact can reasonably be expected to happen, you just violated the rule. He or she could even be fully behind you but be obviously committed to the inside at such a speed that you can no longer move into that path without being hit. You must be aware of the relative speed and car placements, then decide what you can or cannot do. It all comes down to judgment.

That is the core of racing, the very essence of it. If you demand or need the entire road to race, go Solo I instead. Wheel-to-wheel racing centers on dealing effectively with the presence of each other and still racing. You should be able to get or stay in front by superior skill &/or equipment, not by your willingness to commit mayhem.

Being a race car driver entails leaving that car width plus inches, then instantaneously picking and driving a racing line using the part of the road left to you.

It is everchanging and requires intense constant concentration while operating at the car’s limits within the situations. It has no hard, set rules like â€nose in frontâ€. That’s as untenable as the “rules†of emergencies. (What do you do when a car spins in front of you)? How should I know? I’ve only had a few hundred of them. Simplistic souls say steer for it, hit the gas, scream “Oh S…â€. What happens is, you take in endless bits of information, process it, make a decision, act, reevaluate, act again, and so on — all faster than onlookers can gasp and jump to their feet. That’s what makes race drivers. We do not react. We think, at speeds that seem to be reactions. We revel in that ability. And the volume of our thought processes in those moments explains why a brief incident can require so much description.

If you cannot do this, you are no race driver. That’s why being one is such a big deal. Who would care if anyone could do it?

And if you insist on disregarding the other guy, moving over knowing contact is likely, you are also not a race driver. You are a jerk. A fast jerk, possibly, but a jerk nonetheless. Any other story is b.s.

You are also somewhat shortsighted. Contact between cars tends to unsettle them, to make the moment ragged and uneven, and that has never been the description of how to go fast. It also causes damage to your car, damage that may end your race and that you yourself have to pay for. Why one would choose to cost himself unnecessary expense for the privilege of going slower escapes me.

Racing will give you plenty of opportunity for that without your assistance. Untimely mechanical foul-ups, human errors (your and others), and occasional bad luck will at times manage your charger. You don’t need to encourage that with an attitude that racing is sheer nerve and guts. It’s not. It IS concentration, attention, and skill —– skill that delights in showing the other guy that you can drive around him and still do it faster. That’s where our attitude shows.

- Mike Carney

Don't be an SBC!

[Jason]

An example.

/>http://www.youtube.com/user/ChumpcarMustang?feature=mhee#p/u/5/5WMS2QXFvi4

[dogtired]

An example.

/>http://www.youtube.com/user/ChumpcarMustang?feature=mhee#p/u/5/5WMS2QXFvi4

an example of what Jason? the Mustang went right as if to block the dive bombing BMW.

what did you see?

[Comfychair]

There is a lot of discussion about swerving, blocking, and choping going on. I think this is related to the misconception that someone 'owns' the corner and therefore can do whatever they like to 'defend' it.

As others mentioned in other threads, it was rarely the novice drivers who were behaving this way. From what I saw they were usually very predictable and polite. I also wouldn't call the SBC's (Swervers/Blockers/Choppers) 'experienced' either though.

An experienced driver knows that this is an endurance race. Position matters not in an endurance race. Fighting real hard to stay in front of someone for a lap or 2 is only going to slow you down at best, and at worst has a good chance of sending you (and possibly the other car) off into the weeds and in need of some repairs and even possibly hurting someone real bad. An experienced driver knows that you need to finish the race in order to win it. It's who finishes the most laps, not who passes the most cars that matters.

Swerving/Blocking/Chopping will only piss people off and make them hate you. There are no awards for that. At best you'll get the stink eye from the other drivers, and maybe a talking to about how your driving with like a d!**kh*@d. You'll only make enemies that way. Who comes to a ChumpCar event to make enemies???? Instead, if you are polite and courtous, you may get someone to come over and say hey, I had a really good time racing with you. You've just made a new friend. If they are faster than you, it would behoove you to let them by and then try to learn from them to see WHY they are faster.

You do not 'own' a corner, the other driver has the right to be there as well. You need to be able to navigate the turn leaving enough room for the other car (and maybe a couple of inches ).

If you chop or block someone, you are intentionally trying to place your car in the path of a another car and hoping by intimidation that they will back off and give you the corner. You are gambling that they have the available traction and skill to do so, as well as the heads up enough to do it. This is a dangerous game you are playing and if you wind up in the woods, you shouldn't be wondering how it happened. What did you think was going to happen when you purposely put your car in the path of another?

Be aware, be predictable, hold your line, and give the other car room to race. They paid just as much as you did. There is no point in being a prick just because you can. I would hope no grown adult finds that fun or amusing. Certainly experienced racers don't.

The BMW Club Racing website has an excellent writeup on the subject of 'ownership'. Please take the time to read it.
/>http://www.bmwccaclubracing.com/Information/GS_OralTradition.aspx

Don't be an SBC!

If you are in the position of passing another car and you have your front bumper lined up with the center of the other cars front driver or passenger door you own that line. The car being passed should be aware of your presence since you are that far up and he should yield to you that piece of race track in a more or less constant line throughout the corner. The car being passed however has NO obligation to give you even one more inch (which is why you'll see the pros making the pass put their car an inch from the other guy), and if he can he may try to hold you to your little piece of real estate to force you to slow down enough so that you can't pass him. As the passing car you've gotta be COMPLETELY sure you can drive that line and not over/understeer or outbrake yourself and hit the car being passed. As the car getting passed you've gotta make sure you give him the room he deserves but NOTHING more. If it was easy boys and girls everyone would be a racing driver.

If you are trying to pass another car and you have your bumper next to his rear axle or rear drivers door you are both approaching an apex you have NOTHING. You need to get your car the hell out of there in a hurry because you are in no mans land and you are about to cause a crash because the other guy is about to turn in toward that apex, and he has every right to. He may or may not be aware of your presence because you are not very far up on him, and you are probably hard to see as well.

Practically speaking in this form of racing as the passing car I won't consider the pass unless I can get up completely side by side with the other car. That way I KNOW he sees me. As the car being passed I will also yield much more easily than I otherwise would, and I won't try to pin a passing car down to a small section of track. If someone is screaming up on me and I'm being lapped I will simply do exactly the same ideal racing line that I otherwise would (assuming there isn't any other immediate traffic around me) and point the passing car by if I have time. If I see he's passing me I might lift just a little down the straight to help him clear me and get back on the ideal racing line. That way we can go through the upcoming corner nose to tail and I loose less time than if we both had to slow up and go through side by side.

ONLY if I KNOW the other driver knows what he's doing and we are in direct competition will I get "racey". I've done about 18 Lemons/Chump car races and can count my car to car incidents on one hand, those amounted to nothing more than very minor rubs, all of which on the back half of my car. I can't afford to crash.

[Jason]

an example of what Jason? the Mustang went right as if to block the dive bombing BMW.

what did you see?

What the hell are you talking about??

Our driver stayed to the left knowing the Lexus and the BMW would beat him to the corner, then moved to the right AFTER both cars were passed to take the corner easier.

Maybe you should watch it again... sober!

[dogtired]

What the hell are you talking about??

Our driver stayed to the left knowing the Lexus and the BMW would beat him to the corner, then moved to the right AFTER both cars were passed to take the corner easier.

Maybe you should watch it again... sober!

fat chance.

beyond that with the limited angles available how could i know when your car went track right relative to oncoming traffic.

so in your opinion, which car was the offending party?

[Craig]

No question in my mind, the inside of the two passing cars was the offending party. They're the ones who couldn't hold their line and thus initiated the contact.

Nothing wrong with the camera car's actions, I don't think, as it looks like both passing cars were clear when he moved over to the right. If there's enough space before the corner to move, brake, and turn in (and there's no more traffic behind), it looks to me like the right way to do it.

[Jason]

fat chance.

beyond that with the limited angles available how could i know when your car went track right relative to oncoming traffic.

so in your opinion, which car was the offending party?

It's clearly the BMW??

No... not because it's a BMW, because there is just noway that he was going to make that pass without contact.

From the Lexus
/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE4soxY4WtI

I'm not sure why our driver is braking so much. Also, I know our car is slow, but damn!... it looks really slow compared to that Lexus... it did set the fastest lap at Road America.

[dogtired]

the cataclysmic brake failure / entry speed over-cook by the BMW preplexes me. is he a total tool? had he never seen that corner before in addition?

it is as if he got caught out completely suprised or totally unaware of what lay ahead.

[gburner]

IMHO The mustang driver did nothing wrong, the BMW driver got caught up "in making the pass" so much so that he/she forgot where they were supposed to start braking, I've done this many times but in driving at 90% still had something left to correct the mind fart....

[Guest NSFW]

Looks to me like the Mustang driver did the polite thing when he saw faster traffic coming up behind him, got back on his line after they were past, and had a front-row seat to a mistake by a BMW driver. There was no way the BMW was going to make it through that corner, and the white car was just collateral damage.

It would barely have been noteworthy if the white car hadn't been there. But IMO there's a difference between driving at 11/10ths when you have that piece of track to yourself and lots of grass to slide into if you screw up (mistakes only put you and your car in danger), versus driving at 11/10ths when you've got company (and your mistake can ruin someone else's weekend or worse).

[Jason]

But IMO there's a difference between driving at 11/10ths when you have that piece of track to yourself and lots of grass to slide into if you screw up (mistakes only put you and your car in danger), versus driving at 11/10ths when you've got company (and your mistake can ruin someone else's weekend or worse).

As you can see in the second vid, the Lexus just kept right on going. The BMW sat there for 2 laps before the tow truck drug him back to the paddocks. They lost many laps from this incident. Learn from your mistakes.

[Ogren-Engineering]

Maybe the BMW pilot is so good that he was planning on using the Lexus for a berm, and continue.

The Lex took a big hit and just left. One of the few times that the cause of the crash, actually pays.

I t is always the BMW's fault. Come on Dog...

Peace,

MM

[l337h4l]

Lexus was patient waiting for a clean pass, the BMW came in way too hot even without the Lexus there the BMW would have been off track...

[Andrew D Johnson]

Also, I know our car is slow, but damn!... it looks really slow compared to that Lexus... it did set the fastest lap at Road America.

Lexus race cars are BOSS. The smooth as silk Lexus 4L V8 is 250HP without VVT.

[firehawk]

I agree with comfychair. Most racers seem just fine. If anything, I have seen more drivers that were too timid on making a pass than those that were too aggressive. I have no problem with someone taking their time to make a pass, just dont expect me to slow up just so you can get by, especially if we are close to the same speed. I do love close racing, just give me some room. I do the same. Only a few times has someone tried to chop me and only twice has someone tried to run me off the track and one of those I think just was not paying attention.

[gsmith2424]

The rule with the company who is our team name (Endurancekarting.com having fun), is if you are up to the sterring column or back it is the responsibility of the passing driver to make the pass safe but once the passing driver is beyond the sterring column its the responsibility of the driver being passed to make the pass safely.

[dsycks]

There is a lot of discussion about swerving, blocking, and choping going on. I think this is related to the misconception that someone 'owns' the corner and therefore can do whatever they like to 'defend' it.

You do not 'own' a corner, the other driver has the right to be there as well. You need to be able to navigate the turn leaving enough room for the other car (and maybe a couple of inches ).

If you chop or block someone, you are intentionally trying to place your car in the path of a another car and hoping by intimidation that they will back off and give you the corner. You are gambling that they have the available traction and skill to do so, as well as the heads up enough to do it. This is a dangerous game you are playing and if you wind up in the woods, you shouldn't be wondering how it happened. What did you think was going to happen when you purposely put your car in the path of another?

So I wonder as you used my comment as the quote that started this thread if you feel I was chopping folks off or driving in a way that put others at risk or is it just that I read the rules as meaning that the car that overtakes is the one that has the weight of the letter of the law?

My comment that you quoted was based on feeling as if I was the Lexus driver in the linked video and I had guys who were living in perpetual red mist flying at my doors all weekend. I do not care to slow folks down nor do I feel I am owed the road but the overtaking driver IS responsible for making the pass in a safe way. This DOES NOT mean that the slower car need give ground, just not block... right? As such, the slower car can drive their line and should not have to give regard in any way according to the rules. If they deviate from their line however to slow another car or to block it from overtaking THEN they run afoul of the law.

For as plain as I feel this is, I would go farther and say that the slower driver SHOULD give some ground. I know I did in that I would get off my line and offer some space as best I could without offering up a pass to 3 cars I just worked to get around myself. This was evident in my laps times as was just as apt to take lose a few seconds by giving up some room as I was if I were trying to get around someone else.

As such I support what you are saying. Fast cars should not be targeted to be slowed down in the same way that slower cars should be able to run their race without being second class track citizens.

For me what I hope becomes the measure is one of aggression. If the corner worker see's a car cutting off, blocking, dive bombing, pushing off line or in whatever way being a d-bag, they will be held accountable for it. It should not be an issue or slow or fast or anything other than ones actions in regards to safety.

I will also say again and stand beside it that much of what I saw at Nelson that was imo unsafe (and we have all sorts of paint rubs on our car to show for it) were from teams that were fast, experienced teams.

[sbarton]

Dan, didn't think it was you or your team at all. The point I was trying to make was that it's not novice drivers, nor really experienced drivers that are the problem. It's usually the ones with some experience, but who's driving ability is actually less then what they think it is.

I've seen too many cars chop and block and I can only assume they think it is OK because they think they 'own' the corner and that it is the sole responsibilty of the overtaking car to make a clean safe pass, allowing them to do whatever they like to try to prevent the car from passing them. Basically altering their line for the purpose of preventing the passing car to get around them.

[Guest Packard Goose]

the cataclysmic brake failure / entry speed over-cook by the BMW preplexes me. is he a total tool? had he never seen that corner before in addition?

it is as if he got caught out completely suprised or totally unaware of what lay ahead.

You'd be surprised at how many drivers blow that turn at BIR over and over. That's the pit-out area and we're standing there asking "didn't he learn where that turn was LAST time around the track?"

The BMW's action there was in direct contrast to the patience required to succeed in endurance racing.

[Guest Packard Goose]

I agree with comfychair. Most racers seem just fine. If anything, I have seen more drivers that were too timid on making a pass than those that were too aggressive. I have no problem with someone taking their time to make a pass, just dont expect me to slow up just so you can get by, especially if we are close to the same speed. I do love close racing, just give me some room. I do the same. Only a few times has someone tried to chop me and only twice has someone tried to run me off the track and one of those I think just was not paying attention.

That's because the Central Region has the best drivers in the series.

[ducks and runs]

[sbarton]

Found this in another thread but thought it was also appropriate here.

Here is SCCA's take on it:

Read and understand! There are a lot of good materials that will help. This came from The Portable Driver's Advisor available on line to SCCA Driver's

3. Rules of the Road

You will find the core rules for on-course conduct in a few paragraphs in section 6.11.1.

The rules are very simple.

Avoid Physical Contact

All drivers are responsible for avoiding physical contact [6.11.1.A]. In everyday terms,

this means that whatever harebrained, low-percentage, late-braking move the other driver

makes, you may not hit him or her if you can avoid it. Many driver-to-driver protests for

contact end up with both parties reprimanded for not avoiding contact.

Contrary to popular belief, the concept of “incidental contact†does not exist in the GCR.

Making avoidable contact is never acceptable in SCCA Club Racing.

Racing Room

All drivers have a right to racing room on the track [6.11.1.B]. We define this as

“sufficient space on the marked racing surface that under racing conditions, a driver can

maintain control of his car in close quarters.â€

You must always allow your competitor at least a car width, plus a bit, on the racing

surface. Any attempt to “impede or affect the path†of a competitor attempting to pass

can be interpreted as denying him racing room. Thus, if your competitor comes

alongside you as you approach a turn, even if he or she has not completely passed you,

you cannot simply turn in and force the other car off the road. You must give racing

room. In this example, your competitor has the corner; give it up, and try to re-pass on

exit.

Shared Responsibility

The passing driver is responsible for “the decision to pass another car and to accomplish

it safely†[6.11.1.D]. The overtaken driver is responsible to “be aware that he is being

passed and not to impede or block the overtaking car.†A driver who fails to use his or

her mirrors, or who appears to be blocking another is liable to penalty

Understanding this and following this would go a long way in avoiding bad driving..

Joe Downer

Charlotte, N.C.

[dsycks]

Dan, didn't think it was you or your team at all. The point I was trying to make was that it's not novice drivers, nor really experienced drivers that are the problem. It's usually the ones with some experience, but who's driving ability is actually less then what they think it is.

Ed Zachary.

One of my favorite points of view on this comes from one of the Lemons judges who insists that there is a point where many "run out of talent" and then bad things happen. Newbs are often way to scared to get all stupid and pro's are good enough to know what they can get away with. Guys like me who are in the middle are the problem. I strive to and hope deeply that I keep my moments of exceeding my talent level to a minimum.

[dsycks]

Found this in another thread but thought it was also appropriate here.

Here is SCCA's take on it:

THAT is a very adult way of looking at the issue and I like it a great deal.

[sbarton]

With the carnage that has already happened at Nelsons during the testing session and was related to passing, I thought I'd bring this back up. Try not to hit anyone while reading it.

I would also make the point that many there would say that some of the biggest problems are from more experienced teams and drivers. This was without question the case for me at nelson.

There is a lot of discussion about swerving, blocking, and choping going on. I think this is related to the misconception that someone 'owns' the corner and therefore can do whatever they like to 'defend' it.

As others mentioned in other threads, it was rarely the novice drivers who were behaving this way. From what I saw they were usually very predictable and polite. I also wouldn't call the SBC's (Swervers/Blockers/Choppers) 'experienced' either though.

An experienced driver knows that this is an endurance race. Position matters not in an endurance race. Fighting real hard to stay in front of someone for a lap or 2 is only going to slow you down at best, and at worst has a good chance of sending you (and possibly the other car) off into the weeds and in need of some repairs and even possibly hurting someone real bad. An experienced driver knows that you need to finish the race in order to win it. It's who finishes the most laps, not who passes the most cars that matters.

Swerving/Blocking/Chopping will only piss people off and make them hate you. There are no awards for that. At best you'll get the stink eye from the other drivers, and maybe a talking to about how your driving with like a d!**kh*@d. You'll only make enemies that way. Who comes to a ChumpCar event to make enemies???? Instead, if you are polite and courtous, you may get someone to come over and say hey, I had a really good time racing with you. You've just made a new friend. If they are faster than you, it would behoove you to let them by and then try to learn from them to see WHY they are faster.

You do not 'own' a corner, the other driver has the right to be there as well. You need to be able to navigate the turn leaving enough room for the other car (and maybe a couple of inches ).

If you chop or block someone, you are intentionally trying to place your car in the path of a another car and hoping by intimidation that they will back off and give you the corner. You are gambling that they have the available traction and skill to do so, as well as the heads up enough to do it. This is a dangerous game you are playing and if you wind up in the woods, you shouldn't be wondering how it happened. What did you think was going to happen when you purposely put your car in the path of another?

Be aware, be predictable, hold your line, and give the other car room to race. They paid just as much as you did. There is no point in being a prick just because you can. I would hope no grown adult finds that fun or amusing. Certainly experienced racers don't.

The BMW Club Racing website has an excellent writeup on the subject of 'ownership'. Please take the time to read it.

http://www.bmwccaclu...lTradition.aspx

GCR 9.1.1: The Responsibility...rests with the overtaking driver. The overtaken driver has the responsibility to be aware...and not to impede...The overtaken driver shall not block. Any driver who fails to make use of the rear view mirror, or who appears to be blocking…, may be black flagged and/or penalized.*

That’s it. All of it. The entirety of the “Rules of the Road†regarding drivers dealing with the presence of each other. Succinct, isn’t it? If not downright cryptic.

Actually its rather verbose compared to the usual bench racing pronouncement. “whoever has his nose in front has the cornerâ€. One wonders why we would be interested in something so simplistic.

Such statements usually come at the end of a discussion of some racing incident, which in turn was likely caused when one or both drivers ignored the real rule of the road: Know where the other one is if at all possible and, whether it is or not, leave room for him or her to survive the moment.

Having your nose in front does not mean you own the corner. That other car is still present, is still racing, and has the right to enough space to exist. Just a car width plus a few inches, that’s all.

And, if you are in the other seat and that guy does not have his nose in front , it does not mean he or she doesn’t own the corner either. If you drive all the way to the apex and that car was far enough up or coming on so fast that contact can reasonably be expected to happen, you just violated the rule. He or she could even be fully behind you but be obviously committed to the inside at such a speed that you can no longer move into that path without being hit. You must be aware of the relative speed and car placements, then decide what you can or cannot do. It all comes down to judgment.

That is the core of racing, the very essence of it. If you demand or need the entire road to race, go Solo I instead. Wheel-to-wheel racing centers on dealing effectively with the presence of each other and still racing. You should be able to get or stay in front by superior skill &/or equipment, not by your willingness to commit mayhem.

Being a race car driver entails leaving that car width plus inches, then instantaneously picking and driving a racing line using the part of the road left to you.

It is everchanging and requires intense constant concentration while operating at the car’s limits within the situations. It has no hard, set rules like â€nose in frontâ€. That’s as untenable as the “rules†of emergencies. (What do you do when a car spins in front of you)? How should I know? I’ve only had a few hundred of them. Simplistic souls say steer for it, hit the gas, scream “Oh S…â€. What happens is, you take in endless bits of information, process it, make a decision, act, reevaluate, act again, and so on — all faster than onlookers can gasp and jump to their feet. That’s what makes race drivers. We do not react. We think, at speeds that seem to be reactions. We revel in that ability. And the volume of our thought processes in those moments explains why a brief incident can require so much description.

If you cannot do this, you are no race driver. That’s why being one is such a big deal. Who would care if anyone could do it?

And if you insist on disregarding the other guy, moving over knowing contact is likely, you are also not a race driver. You are a jerk. A fast jerk, possibly, but a jerk nonetheless. Any other story is b.s.

You are also somewhat shortsighted. Contact between cars tends to unsettle them, to make the moment ragged and uneven, and that has never been the description of how to go fast. It also causes damage to your car, damage that may end your race and that you yourself have to pay for. Why one would choose to cost himself unnecessary expense for the privilege of going slower escapes me.

Racing will give you plenty of opportunity for that without your assistance. Untimely mechanical foul-ups, human errors (your and others), and occasional bad luck will at times manage your charger. You don’t need to encourage that with an attitude that racing is sheer nerve and guts. It’s not. It IS concentration, attention, and skill —– skill that delights in showing the other guy that you can drive around him and still do it faster. That’s where our attitude shows.

- Mike Carney

Found this in another thread but thought it was also appropriate here.

Here is SCCA's take on it:

Read and understand! There are a lot of good materials that will help. This came from The Portable Driver's Advisor available on line to SCCA Driver's

3. Rules of the Road

You will find the core rules for on-course conduct in a few paragraphs in section 6.11.1.

The rules are very simple.

Avoid Physical Contact

All drivers are responsible for avoiding physical contact [6.11.1.A]. In everyday terms,

this means that whatever harebrained, low-percentage, late-braking move the other driver

makes, you may not hit him or her if you can avoid it. Many driver-to-driver protests for

contact end up with both parties reprimanded for not avoiding contact.

Contrary to popular belief, the concept of “incidental contact†does not exist in the GCR.

Making avoidable contact is never acceptable in SCCA Club Racing.

Racing Room

All drivers have a right to racing room on the track [6.11.1.B]. We define this as

“sufficient space on the marked racing surface that under racing conditions, a driver can

maintain control of his car in close quarters.â€

You must always allow your competitor at least a car width, plus a bit, on the racing

surface. Any attempt to “impede or affect the path†of a competitor attempting to pass

can be interpreted as denying him racing room. Thus, if your competitor comes

alongside you as you approach a turn, even if he or she has not completely passed you,

you cannot simply turn in and force the other car off the road. You must give racing

room. In this example, your competitor has the corner; give it up, and try to re-pass on

exit.

Shared Responsibility

The passing driver is responsible for “the decision to pass another car and to accomplish

it safely†[6.11.1.D]. The overtaken driver is responsible to “be aware that he is being

passed and not to impede or block the overtaking car.†A driver who fails to use his or

her mirrors, or who appears to be blocking another is liable to penalty

Understanding this and following this would go a long way in avoiding bad driving..

Joe Downer

Charlotte, N.C.