Race etiquette

[pdisme]

In my ongoing quest to increase my minimal knowledge of racing as I get more into it, I'm curious if some of you more knowledgeable and experienced people can offer some opinion on race etiquette as far as how its expected you'll behave around the other cars during competitive events.

For example:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1401692878837878012&q=Sebring

at about the one minute point you'll see a car went off the track because someone was coming over towards him. Now maybe that lead car didn't know he was there but he had just passed him on the inside of a turn so he should have. About 2:30 in the car with the camera has a similar experience, guy was coming over into him on the track out after coming inside on a turn and the camera car goes off to avoid being hit.

Are these guys driving in a typical manner? Or is this something you will always have some people doing, right or wrong, and you as the driver need to just deal with it and have an off from time to time to avoid collision? Or maybe it's completely normal and expected and you do it yourself calling someone's bluff on whether they'll get out of your way? At the very least I've been reading some of the scca regulations and haven't delved too much into it yet but have at least gone through the parts where it's not allowed to swerve on the track to prevent someone from overtaking you.

[Matt]

If you see someone comming up behind you and they are FASTER than you. lose the ego, move to one side and signal which side you want him to pass you on.

as for getting ran off the road, theres only so much the person being passed can do to stay out of the way. Its your responsibility to judge wether you can pass safely or not. now if that was purposeful i assume he would have been disqualified. racing can be a cut throat business.

[pdisme]

If you see someone comming up behind you and they are FASTER than you. lose the ego, move to one side and signal which side you want him to pass you on.


That's for HPDE, I'm talking about actual competitive racing.


as for getting ran off the road, theres only so much the person being passed can do to stay out of the way. Its your responsibility to judge wether you can pass safely or not. now if that was purposeful i assume he would have been disqualified. racing can be a cut throat business.

I guess it's a matter of if you brake late or know you can't track out without the guy to your side slowing or running off, is that running someone off or business as usual and they need to deal with it?

[Matt]

Even in F1 if someone is comming up behind you that is clearly faster, you move over and let them pass. If you're a dumbass and say "oh i can pass this guy on this tight ass turn" when you clearly dont have time/room then its your fault for being a bag of douche. If however you can pass someone and you go for it and they purposely move over and force you off, well thats just dick and they would be at fault.