A guide to make newbies aware of gentlemen rules in racing

Bram

Founder & Administrator
Staff
Premium
Hi guys,

I know its an idealistic idea of me, but i really am convinced that if we make a good guide people can be made aware of this situation and what problems it's causing in online play in public rooms.
 
Well, if no one tries then the world will lose it's prospect of progress. Regardless of the attempt its succes, we are reminded of that prospect.

You will be in the books stiggy, when Online Racing has become a phenomenon of stature with a history of its own.

Who's idealistic now, lol. :-s
 
  • Stephen Morris

One of the defining factors of professional racing is sportsmanship, an aspect that is unfortunately being lost on the race servers. For those who do not know what sportsmanship is, it means the sport is enjoyed for its own sake whilst acknowledging fairness, ethics, respect, and fellowship for your competitors. Quite simply, those who fail to perform are those willing to do anything to win.

Being a good sportsman/sportswoman (no gender biasing here! - esp. with PetraGTC around!) relies on three concepts – fair play, sportspersonship and character.

Fair Play
When joining a public server, we all enter into a gentleman's agreement to be fair . In essence, we are relying upon our personal honour to fulfill the rules and code of conduct. Whilst some of the rules can be enforced directly from the server (such as cutting), an exciting and spectacular race requires active participation from everyone. It means that everyone should be given an equal chance of victory and behave in a dignified manner even when others are doing otherwise.

Here are some thoughts on the automotive racing rules:

Cutting

By driving outside the designated areas (ie the road) to gain an advantage, you are deliberately attempting to cheat. The game can monitor this very well and will issue you 2 warnings followed by Stop/Go penalties. If you refuse to acknowledge them, you will be automatically disqualified and taken off the track.

Overtaking:

When driving, you are fully entitled to drive on the racing line to prevent the other driver getting past. However, if the other car gets their nose ahead of yours then you should give way, they have gained their place. For those overtaking, it is your responsibility to overtake cleanly – understand your limits and adjust accordingly.

Ramming/ Grudge Ramming:
This is one of the classic and most problematic issue in racing. We can define it as the intentional aim to cause a deliberate collision sufficient to damage an opponent or gain a position. This is not to be confused with accidental contact which is merely a racing incident – be dignified & don't hold a grudge for these drivers, it was unintentional.

Keep your senses alert! If you can hear a car travelling at a much higher speed, there is an intention to ram otherwise a similar pitch indicates it was accidental.

Lapping:
A personal pet peeve in both directions.

Slower drivers: Continually check your mirrors - if your in cockpit view, this shouldn't be difficult however in other view, enable your virtual mirrors and check your rear view. If you are being approached by a faster driver, move to one side slowly & carefully to allow the lapping driver a clear route. However, only do so if it is convenient and safe for you to do so. If done correctly, you shouldn't lose any significant time.

Faster drivers: When approaching a slower car, give the driver appropriate time to move aside. Just because your faster, it does not entitle you to knock drivers off the course. If after half-a-lap, remind the slower car to move over.


Hopefully I was able to highlight some of the key areas when racing and we can begin to start enjoying the public servers. If anything, think of how would you feel if you were playing football, basketball, baseball etc. and some jerk came on spoiling your day?
 
Sometimes we may come off as elitists when we complain about poor driving on the track in public servers. I understand that some people are learning how to drive and such but what get's me is when someone spins out and stay on the track or backup to ram you as you attempt to go by. This is what drive's me bonkers on the track.
And of course the late braking in turn 1.
 
  • Gonzalo Diez

I think that people who play often to race sim, since a year for example, its enough prepared to race online, but many others dont know how to use this simulators.
I like simulators cause they represent real rules.
You must know that its important to finish the race and not to win. If you finish the races and you play 2 times per week, In some months your driving will be very different than when you started.
The first problem of this games is that people often stop playing cause they dont give him enough time to learn.
 
It does take time to learn, and this made harder by the fact there are so many things to learn; learn the tracks, learn the car, learn to be a considerate driver.
Maybe highlighting the need for sportsmanship and honourable behaviour will enable people to become better race drivers, rather than "Andrea de Ceasaris"
 
Good points. However I strongely disagree with the follwoing
Slower drivers: Continually check your mirrors - if your in cockpit view, this shouldn't be difficult however in other view, enable your virtual mirrors and check your rear view. If you are being approached by a faster driver, move to one side slowly & carefully to allow the lapping driver a clear route. However, only do so if it is convenient and safe for you to do so. If done correctly, you shouldn't lose any significant time.

I have raced cars and motorcycles in real life and was always taught to keep your line and not make any unexpected moves like changing your position on the track. Keep your line and let the fast driver overtake you. The only time when you should consider moving aside to let the faster driver through is on warm up and cool down laps.
 
Eric, While I understand that in pure sense of racing RULES the slow driver doesn't have to move over until some period of time where the fast driver shows that he's truly faster and officials wave the blue flag and require a pass. In reality, the lapped traffic gains NOTHING by trying to stay ahead of the leaders... he's only slowing himself, putting pressure on himself and causing the leaders to run slower, in traffic and potentially causing them to attempt a pass in illadvised places...

I'm not the fastest guy on the track and I encounter both the leaders lapping me... and lapping other drivers... and I find that If I see leaders coming up on me, I can save us all a lot of pain by obviously pulling over in a safe place to allow a pass. It will cost me maybe a second to blip the gas or get out of the line.... and it will save 5-10 seconds IF the leaders run us off the road trying to pass.

Just saying..... You're not required to... but everyone wins if slow traffic allows the faster drivers to pass.
 
It's actually a balance between letting them past as soon as it is safe, but also doing it predictably. Sudden changes of line, or slowing on the straight can result in accidents for both drivers. I often find that if I just take a wider entry into a turn, give some room, the quicker driver will slip past in no time, and I don't lose much either.
 
Eric, While I understand that in pure sense of racing RULES the slow driver doesn't have to move over until some period of time where the fast driver shows that he's truly faster and officials wave the blue flag and require a pass. In reality, the lapped traffic gains NOTHING by trying to stay ahead of the leaders... he's only slowing himself, putting pressure on himself and causing the leaders to run slower, in traffic and potentially causing them to attempt a pass in illadvised places...

I'm not the fastest guy on the track and I encounter both the leaders lapping me... and lapping other drivers... and I find that If I see leaders coming up on me, I can save us all a lot of pain by obviously pulling over in a safe place to allow a pass. It will cost me maybe a second to blip the gas or get out of the line.... and it will save 5-10 seconds IF the leaders run us off the road trying to pass.

Just saying..... You're not required to... but everyone wins if slow traffic allows the faster drivers to pass.

Jarrod,

I am not talking from online experience (I have pretty much none:)), but from real racing. Usually, when you get lapped in sprint races that means the faster driver is significantly faster than you (4~5sec per lap faster on a 1:30 lap). That is HUGE. He will come so fast behind you and will be ready to pass before you have the chance to even notice that. Moving quickly out of his way may (not always) surprise the driver who is about to pass u making it very unsafe. There is a little extract on that subject from the race association I uses to race with (www.omrra.com You can find me on the riders list #13)

The responsibility for safe passing lies with the passing rider. It is also the duty of all riders not to make wild and erratic changes in direction in such a way as to endanger passing riders who may be committed to a fast line and have less room to maneuver.


BTW, I never said you should try to go faster and block whoever is behind you. Keep your line and your speed. If he is lapping you he will know how to pass you fast!! :)

Cheers.

-Eric
 
It's actually a balance between letting them past as soon as it is safe, but also doing it predictably. Sudden changes of line, or slowing on the straight can result in accidents for both drivers. I often find that if I just take a wider entry into a turn, give some room, the quicker driver will slip past in no time, and I don't lose much either.

Yes!! that makes more sense that trying to completely move out of the way.
 
I will fight to the teeth for my position.
I put up a huge fight when I see that the driver behind me wants it very bad.
I am talking about situations where the fight for a position between me and him is too close to call.

I will allow him to pass when I see that for example in a turn he has the upper hand and he is about to overtake me. In that case, I will not make a move that will cause him to spin out. He earned it.

Then of course are the other times when a driver will just pull away from me so fast where I have no say to the whole matter. He just came, saw and conquered and off he goes to his marry way.


When I see a driver that is lapping me, I just make room for him as soon as possible. No need to delay him. He is ahead of me anyway.
 
This guide is a very good idea! Also there's a driving guide on lfs.net for beginners, which could be very useful for them!

About safe lapping: It's better to stay on your line, cause if you change position quickly, and the driver who comes behind already decided to pass you, then he will lose much more time, or even crash at you back end.. and that's not good at all.

Also I experienced that some drivers are too aggressive and impatient, and they try to pass you where it's impossible! They brake very late and couldn't take the corner, and if you're not wary enough, they can hit you off the track... That's why I sometimes give a little more space, especially when I don't know the driver behind me. It's not bad to do it, cause when he passes me, even if he doesn't go off the track, I'll have a much better corner exit and take back my position in the next straight:)
 
Okay, fair enough.... I'll still say that I try to plan ahead if I'm being approached by a way faster car and allow him by. I'm not talking about racing with someone for position.... that's different set of rules IMO. The good thing here is that we all seem to care about clean racing.... more often than not that will result in a great race with likeminded guys focused on driving clean, fair and fast driving.

See yous on the track.
 
Oh yea, one more thing. IF you have the ability to have voice communications.... the that's the best of all worlds... then you can say "okay, coming up on you fast... i'll wait to pass in the straight on your left... OR I'm on your inside"... etc.... I love having ventrillo running so that I can talk to the guys that I'm running with.
 
After my debut in the racing club last night, I have to agree that the set of rules are a good and, most importantly, a reasonable code of conduct. It really doesn't take a lot of brainpower to realise that these things actually make good sense for you, and not just your opposition.

You've got more chance of taking your place back if you're on the track, not upside down in a hedge with your arse on fire.

I mean, that's just maths. Or something.
 
That's funny, I remember my maths teachers telling me being upside down in a hedge with your arse on fire wasn't conducive to good mathematical calculations.

In all honesty, I think that being sensible while racing should mean we never have a crash...but racing isn't always sensible :thumb:

There is also a big difference between getting lapped and fighting for your place, and both call for a different attitude. The rules are there for those times when we get a little heated, and our common sense evaporates a bit:evil:
 
I think a little bit of "wheelbanging" or touching each others mirrors is very good cause that's what racing is about and that will give you a very good feeling :D as long as it is fair! But the line between fair and unfair is very thin, and that makes it very difficult to make a guide cause everybody always has it own oppinion about it you see it in real racing...
Maybe we also need some kind of court to set things right if racing wasn't fair :wink:
 

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