Rules

PRO DIV - ONLINE RULES & REGULATIONS

I. Introduction

The Pro Division will compete on a weekly basis using the internet capabilities included within the software.Your race director is Bob Geddes.  The regular season schedule will follow the actual Nascar Winston Cup schedule as closely as possible, split into two seasons.

Current weekly race start time will be 7:15AM PT (10:15AM ET) each Saturday morning. The race will be set up in the Charlie arena room with practice starting at least 15 minutes before the scheduled race time.  After qualifying there will be a 3 minute warmup session.

II. Preparing To Race

Please arrive at the track ready to race. Unlike the off-line races, there are no restarts and there is no pause key. Make sure your system and components are race ready.  You will be assigned a car number to use in each week's race from the Winston Cup carset.  These will be assigned on a first come first served basis.  You may also use your own personal car, but you must receive clearance from the race director to change your car number.

 III. Race Time

Online races will be 35-40% in length for the most part, but some distances may be adjusted according to venue. A 35-40% race will usually be about 60-75 minutes long.

The following rules for each event will be strictly enforced by the league directors:  

1) USE YOUR MIRRORS: Your mirrors will tell you all you need to know about your surroundings. A car in the center mirror is behind you, and a car in either of the side mirrors is beside you.

2) F2 FUNCTION KEY: Your F2 key toggled shows you your relative position to other drivers on the track. If the other driver shows up RED, he is lapping you. If the other driver shows up GREEN, you are lapping him. If the other driver shows up WHITE, you are on the same lap. And you will show up yellow on your screen.

3) USE OF AUTOCHAT: Use your autochat to send messages that will tell others of your intentions. Examples:

Bob_G...Pitting

Bob_G...Exiting Pits,

Pass Bob_G Left <-<-<-<

Pass Bob_G Right >->->->

Bob_G..Damaged-Pass with care

Bob_G...Lifting - Slow traffic

Bob_G...Sorry

Bob_G...Thanks

Always use your online ID in these messages, and remember not to make them longer than the available space, or they will not completely show up on the screen. Please no excessive chatter during the race. Too much chatter gets real confusing. Save the chat for official messages!!!

NO ABUSIVE CHATTER SHALL BE TOLERATED. Should you get spun, or hit, or just don't like the way someone drives, DO NOT AIR IT DURING THE RACE OR IN POST RACE CHAT. Get in touch with that individual through E-mail, or inform your League Adminstrators.  Penalties will be issued for infractions of this rule.

4) PACE SPEED & PACE LAP:  Do not allow a gap of more than 4-5 car lengths (approximately 1.0 seconds) to open up between you and the next car under yellow. NO TIRE WARMING. NO INCIDENTS SHALL BE TOLERATED DURING PACE LAP. Leader is not to exceed the pace speed until the green is displayed, or this will be considered jumping the start, and penalties will be issued.

5) NO PASSING ON STARTS, AND RESTARTS: There will be no passing allowed on starts and restarts before the S/F line with the exception of lapped cars on restarts. You may pass lapped cars on restarts. Use your F2 toggled to see whether the driver(s) in front of you is lapped or not. On the start of the race you are allowed to pass the driver you are beside on the pace lap, but not any driver in front of you.

    a) STARTS:  The front row (both drivers) will start the race WHEN THE GREEN FLAG FLIES!  The leader (and all other drivers) stays at pace speed until the green flag is displayed. NO TIMING THE PACE CAR and getting a jump on the rest of the field.  This goes for the start of the race and all restarts as well. Penalties will be accessed for those who ignore or abuse this rule.

   b) RESTARTS: The first car behind the pace car will start the restart as the green flag is displayed. Everyone behind this car shall go with the car in front of them as the green flag is displayed. On restarts you may not pass anyone in front of you prior to the S/F line, unless they are a lap, or more down to you. Once again the driver following the pace car is to keep pace with the pace car, and is not to slow just prior to the pace car droping off the racing surface. Absolutely no one is to lag back, and get a running start!

6) DRIVING LINE: Each driver must know what is expected of him. The INSIDE driver must not drift up into the outside driver while in the turn, and must not drift out to the wall when exiting the turn. The OUTSIDE driver must take a higher line through the turn leaving a racing lane open for the inside driver, and must not come down, or pinch off the inside driver.  If a car shows up in your left side mirror, he is somewhere alongside you.  You MUST at that point allow this car the lower line entering the turn.  Plain and simple....if the car gets alongside, you give him the line.

 7) THE PITS: Check your pit stall location during the final warmup session. On some tracks there is a front stretch, and back stretch pit lanes.

 PIT ROAD DRIVING: Always use the outer most lane when entering pits until you near your pit stall, and when exiting your pit stall, move to the outer most lane as quickly & safely as possible. This will leave the inner most lane for those exiting their pit stalls, and help avoid any pit road incidents.

 ENTERING PITS: Use your autochat to let everyone know your intentions of entering the pits. Move down to the lowest lane or apron where available, enter pit road in the outer most lane, as you near you pit stall, make the move to enter from the inner most lane only several stalls ahead of yours. If someone is already pitting be careful, they may be ready to exit as you make your move to enter your stall. Leave them the inner most lane to exit their stall, then enter your stall. It is your responsibility to not run over others when entering pits, or your stall.

 EXITING PITS: When your crew has finished working on your car, exit your pit stall in the inner most lane. As soon as you can move to the outer most lane, please do so. Use your autochat to inform others that you are exiting pits. Wait until you are almost at the exit to pit road before sending your message. As you exit, you must remain on the apron, until you get to the backstretch. Use your F2 toggled to help you when getting back into traffic. See your weekly driver's meeting for specifics on the BLEND LINE. NO INCIDENTS EXITING PIT ROAD SHALL BE TOLERATED. Those of you that are on the track. It is your responsibility to watch out for those pitting, and especially those exiting pits.

8) CAUTION LAPS:  Caution laps use the same speed as the pace lap. When you take the yellow begin to slow down, but don't stop especially those of you in the front of the pack. The pace car is usually half way down the backstretch, so you have plenty of time, and room to slow on the backstretch. Those of you running near the rear of the pack, be very aware that some drivers may be going very slow just past the S/F line. IN THIS CASE SHOULD YOU RECEIVE A STAY BEHIND CAR #??, DO NOT STOP FOR THIS GUY, LET HIM CATCH BACK UP TO YOU. Too many incidents occur when someone stops while waiting for someone to catch up with them. Guys behind this all begin to apply their brakes, then we have a chain reaction accident. TO ALL, be very careful, and alert on the caution laps. Use your F2 key to judge where you are in relation to the cars you are approaching

9) RACING BACK TO THE YELLOW

When the yellow comes out, you are expected to lift (a little), and make your way back to the waving yellow without incident or passing other drivers. Drivers that are MUCH slower than you (20 mph+), will be OK to pass. If you are in the process of making a pass, and the yellow comes out, it will be up to you, and the other driver to get back safely. You are not to attempt a pass of another driver that is running the same speed as you, after the yellow comes out. You are allowed to attempt to get your lap back from the leader if you are the car directly following the leader. Passing several cars to get to the leader, will not be permitted. Anyone caught attempting to break any of these rules will receive a 1 lap penalty! NOTE: It is OK to race back to the yellow if there are 10 or less laps remaining in the event.

 10)TOW TRUCK: Should you find your car is so badly damaged that you can't get it back to pits quickly & safely then, PLEASE use the tow truck to get it in. To use the tow truck, you must come to a complete stop, then press  Alt I at the same time. You will no longer be seen on the track until you get back to pits.

 11) WARPING CARS: Severe warping can cause chaos in the race. Unfortuantely, right now there's not much we can do about it. So for the time being, when cars around you begin to warp badly, we ask that you remain calm. Don't make any sudden moves, and don't try any risky passes until things clear up.

 12) STRIKES: Strikes will be given to those that drive in a negligent manner. During our races there will be a share of accidents, which are nothing more than accidents. Accidents do happen. Sometimes we just have to suck it up,and continue even if our car is badly damaged. Some examples of incidents that MAY receive a strike are:

a. Pace or yellow flag lap incidents

b. Negligent pit road incidents

c. Incidents from exiting pit road

d. Jumping the start, or restarts

e. Abusive chatter (cussing, flamin and blaming others), during the race, or in post race chat

f. Special rules that may be added to the drivers meeting for a particular event

If you receive a STRIKE what happens?

   a. First STRIKE: You will be placed at the bottom of the final standings, receive a DQ for that race, and credit for 0 laps, and will be placed on a 3 race probationary period.

   b. Second STRIKE: You will be placed at the bottom of the final standings, receive a DQ for the race, credit for 0 laps, and will be given a 2 race suspension along with a 5 race probation

   c. Third STRIKE: Expulsion from the series (hit the road jack).

Can you earn back a STRIKE?

Yes. And now even your first strike can be removed from your record under certain conditions. After receiving your first strike with the series, you will be placed on a 3 race "probation". If during those 3 races you do nothing to be considered for a second strike, the 1st strike will be removed from your record.

Upon receiving a 2nd strike, you will be suspended for 2 races placed on a new probationary period upon your return. Your probation period will span the next 5 races. If during those 5 races you do nothing to be considered for a third strike, the 2nd strike will be removed from your record.

We don't expect to have to hand out alot of strikes period. Any driver who cannot run the 5 race probation period cleanly, after already recieving 2 previous strikes, doesn't belong in this series.

 For STRIKES to be enforced, league directors must have a replay of the incident in question. Do not send a replay and request the penalty if the action does not fit the above criteria. Replays should include about 1 min before and after the incident, totaling about 2 min in length. The file should be zipped and sent to BOTH league directors via email. Replays MUST be sent within 3 days of the event.

 15. POINTS. Points will be based off the point system as scored by NASCAR®. 175 points for first, 170 for second, etc., etc.. There will be bonus points given out for (leading A lap) and (MOST laps led).

 16. RESULTS. League results will be available to you each week after the race at the NSRL web site.

 17. THE SCHEDULE. The series schedule will be posted at the beginning of the series.  There may need to be some rescheduling as the season progresses.

 18. FEEDBACK. We encourage drivers to give us feedback on what we're doing right and wrong. Give us ideas on how we can improve the way things are done, tell us what is missing. We may not always act on your suggestions, but please feel free to tell us.

 22. PENALTIES. The following penalties may be imposed for the indicated infractions. Please note, these are general guidelines only. Special circumstances may be taken into account by the league directors, and penalties either increased or decreased without prior notice. All infractionswill be interpreted in the fairest manner possible by the directors.

a) Failure to observe blend line exiting pits - Minus 1 lap for eachoccurrence.

b) Failure to observe blend line exiting pits causing an incident - Strike.

c) Jumping start/restart - Minus 1 lap for each occurrence.

d) Jumping start/restart causing incident - Strike.

e) Contact under yellow/pace lap - First occurrence, strike with no race suspension. Each    occurrence thereafter, full strike.

f) Abusive chatter - First occurrence, 1 race suspension. Second occurrence, strike.

g) Foul language - First occurrence, move driver to the end of final standings. Second    occurrence, 1 race suspension. Third occurrence, strike.

h) Illegal pass racing back to yellow - Minus 1 lap for each occurrence.

i) Illegal pass racing back to yellow with contact - First occurrence, 1 race suspension. Second    occurrence, strike.

j) Contact while limping back to pits with wheel damage - First occurrence, move driver to the    end of final standings. Second occurrence, 1 race suspension. Third occurence, strike.

k) Contact while pulling back into racing line after spin - First occurrence, 1 race suspension.    Second occurrence, strike.

l) Taking revenge on another driver (this one must be pretty blatant) - First occurrence, strike    with apology letter to league. Second occurrence, dismissal from series.

m) Over-aggressive driving, as determined by league directors - First occurrence, warning. Second    occurrence, 1 race suspension. Third occurrence, strike.

n) Contact on pit road - Handled on a case by case basis.

o) Blocking - If its blatant and repeated, will issue penalties accordingly.

p) Other situations not listed above where the directors feel that severe negligence was involved    will be handled on a case by case basis and penalties issued accordingly.

An inherent problem with racing via the internet is booting from an event. If the directors feel a sufficient number of drivers are lost due to boots during or prior to qualifying, a restart may be issued. The number of lost drivers required to issue a restart will be left at the discretion of the directors. Also, if more than 50% of the drivers who started the event are lost before completion of the race due to booting, a re-run will be issued, and you will be notified of the re-scheduled date for the race.