One Lap Down
05-07-2012, 11:34 AM
#16
My favorite is the guy who is 1, 2, 10 laps down and will race you into EVERY corner.
Do unto others...that's my thinking. I thank those who do give me room as it happens and always give the faster driver plenty of room, many times telling them on the stand, "I'm going wide for you in the next corner."
Knowing which driver (and what their car looks like) is on a faster pace from the announcer is helpful too. This is easy with the leader of any given race, but harder when you get down a few spots.
Communicate on the stand, and be nice. This always works better than yelling at another driver.
Do unto others...that's my thinking. I thank those who do give me room as it happens and always give the faster driver plenty of room, many times telling them on the stand, "I'm going wide for you in the next corner."
Knowing which driver (and what their car looks like) is on a faster pace from the announcer is helpful too. This is easy with the leader of any given race, but harder when you get down a few spots.
Communicate on the stand, and be nice. This always works better than yelling at another driver.
05-07-2012, 11:57 AM
#17
You should always move over for faster cars (even if they are not the leader) in qualifying and move over the the leader and other cars when they lap you. Heck I might even move over for a faster car when battling for position if I feel I will benefit from it.
05-07-2012, 01:27 PM
#19
Tech Master
I will agree to move over if you are being lapped but for position? Unless my car is handling like trash I'm holding my line for position. Not blocking but running the line as tight as possible. I have won races by refusing to yield the line. There was never any contact and the drivers behind me have come up after the race saying how much fun they had trying to pass but the line was never there. It is important to remember that just because you are faster that does not mean you own the racing line.
05-07-2012, 02:00 PM
#20
Tech Master
iTrader: (13)
You don't see lapped traffic holding their line in full-size racing and you shouldn't see lapped traffic holding their line in RC racing either.
It is the lapped traffic's responsibility to let the leaders through. Done neatly it costs barely any time and no track position either.
On the straights, the lapped traffic needs to pick a line and stay on it (that way the leaders can choose their own way past if they have more speed)
In the corners it is the simple matter of pulling wide at the entry to a corner, doesn't need to be more than a couple of car widths, and that will let the leaders pass easily with minimum time lost for anyone.
Final rule is that the lapped traffic shouldn't then start "racing" the leader. Tagging the rear bumper of the leader the corner after he has gone a lap up is all too common and is completely unnacceptable.
At the end of the day, the lapped traffic is sharing a track with the leaders, not racing them.
It is the lapped traffic's responsibility to let the leaders through. Done neatly it costs barely any time and no track position either.
On the straights, the lapped traffic needs to pick a line and stay on it (that way the leaders can choose their own way past if they have more speed)
In the corners it is the simple matter of pulling wide at the entry to a corner, doesn't need to be more than a couple of car widths, and that will let the leaders pass easily with minimum time lost for anyone.
Final rule is that the lapped traffic shouldn't then start "racing" the leader. Tagging the rear bumper of the leader the corner after he has gone a lap up is all too common and is completely unnacceptable.
At the end of the day, the lapped traffic is sharing a track with the leaders, not racing them.
Very well said
Is there a particular reason why you would fight with the leader while being lapped? It is not a fight for position and while the leader may not be in an active battle, 2nd place could be just a second or two back. Choosing to fight with a car lapping you is only costing him time and creating a situation where contact could be made between the two cars. And if any contact is made, you could potentially ruin someone's race.
05-07-2012, 02:05 PM
#21
Just because it is is deemed ok to fight to stay on the lead lap in some form of racing, does not mean it is acceptable in all disciplines. In rc racing there is absolutely no good reason to fight for that because there is nothing to gain. There is no lucky dog in rc. Let the cars lapping you by and go on about your race.
At the end of the day we all should race whom we can race.
At the end of the day we all should race whom we can race.
05-07-2012, 02:26 PM
#22
Tech Master
+ 1
Very well said
Is there a particular reason why you would fight with the leader while being lapped? It is not a fight for position and while the leader may not be in an active battle, 2nd place could be just a second or two back. Choosing to fight with a car lapping you is only costing him time and creating a situation where contact could be made between the two cars. And if any contact is made, you could potentially ruin someone's race.
Very well said
Is there a particular reason why you would fight with the leader while being lapped? It is not a fight for position and while the leader may not be in an active battle, 2nd place could be just a second or two back. Choosing to fight with a car lapping you is only costing him time and creating a situation where contact could be made between the two cars. And if any contact is made, you could potentially ruin someone's race.
I must clarify that our track is relatively small. 10-13 second laps. one lap is not that far back and one simple error can put you back quick. If it were 20 seconds a lap then obviously I am not competitive that day and I will let them go. Now understand I am also very aware of how I and the car are doing that day so it is easy for me to judge the situation. Plus I know the guys I race with very well. I'm not going to intentionally hold anyone up if I am off of the pace. That is inconsiderate of the other racers that are running a good pace. If I'm ever holding up the race sure go on by.
as far as contact it sounds like your statement implies that the contact is the fault of the slower car. There are certain turns that are not a good area to pull over in. The faster car should be able to control his braking. if a faster car rear ends a slower car then they just took themselves out. That is not the fault of the slower car. I will let you by in a turn where I am comfortable letting you by. I'm not taking myself out so a faster car can pass.
05-07-2012, 02:44 PM
#23
If my car was competitive then yes I will try to stay on the lead lap. If the car is not competitive then I will pull aside and let them go.
I must clarify that our track is relatively small. 10-13 second laps. one lap is not that far back and one simple error can put you back quick. If it were 20 seconds a lap then obviously I am not competitive that day and I will let them go. Now understand I am also very aware of how I and the car are doing that day so it is easy for me to judge the situation. Plus I know the guys I race with very well. I'm not going to intentionally hold anyone up if I am off of the pace. That is inconsiderate of the other racers that are running a good pace. If I'm ever holding up the race sure go on by.
as far as contact it sounds like your statement implies that the contact is the fault of the slower car. There are certain turns that are not a good area to pull over in. The faster car should be able to control his braking. if a faster car rear ends a slower car then they just took themselves out. That is not the fault of the slower car. I will let you by in a turn where I am comfortable letting you by. I'm not taking myself out so a faster car can pass.
I must clarify that our track is relatively small. 10-13 second laps. one lap is not that far back and one simple error can put you back quick. If it were 20 seconds a lap then obviously I am not competitive that day and I will let them go. Now understand I am also very aware of how I and the car are doing that day so it is easy for me to judge the situation. Plus I know the guys I race with very well. I'm not going to intentionally hold anyone up if I am off of the pace. That is inconsiderate of the other racers that are running a good pace. If I'm ever holding up the race sure go on by.
as far as contact it sounds like your statement implies that the contact is the fault of the slower car. There are certain turns that are not a good area to pull over in. The faster car should be able to control his braking. if a faster car rear ends a slower car then they just took themselves out. That is not the fault of the slower car. I will let you by in a turn where I am comfortable letting you by. I'm not taking myself out so a faster car can pass.
05-07-2012, 02:58 PM
#24
Tech Master
So I'm starting to sense that most of this conversation centers around the opinion that the fast car has the right of way and God given ownership of the racing line????
05-07-2012, 03:00 PM
#25
Besides, just because you are running competitive times 3 minutes into the run, doesn't mean you are wholly competitive. Being a lap down is being a lap down. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter why, it only matters that you are.
I would quote some old Ludicris but it'd just get modded right out.
I would quote some old Ludicris but it'd just get modded right out.
05-07-2012, 03:06 PM
#26
Tech Master
Ok question then. say someone goes a lap down early on because the tires are cold and handling sucks. 2 minutes in that car is up the rear of the leader. Should the leader pull over and give the trailing car a lap back or should he defend his line?
05-07-2012, 03:10 PM
#27
I think the only reasonable excuse not to get off the preferred line if you are being lapped is if you are in a fight for position with a 3rd car. I've been there before and my mindset was to let the leader by as efficienty as I could in hopes that the car I as chasing would lose momentum trying to do the same. That's smart racing IMO. You don't have to go 6 feet out of the way to let the leader by. If you are only mildly skilled at this you should be able to drive into turn just slightly wide and only lose 2 tenths on the lap. If you are competitive at that point in the race as you say you are then you should have enough skill to do it and lose 1/10.
05-07-2012, 03:17 PM
#28
IMO that is the call of the leader whether he races you or not. I think most guys would let you by though. Obviously you have a right to move up the field but I would be very cautious of how you attempt to get by. You don't want to boot the leader trying to get back on the lead lap.
05-07-2012, 03:26 PM
#29
Tech Master
iTrader: (13)
as far as contact it sounds like your statement implies that the contact is the fault of the slower car. There are certain turns that are not a good area to pull over in. The faster car should be able to control his braking. if a faster car rear ends a slower car then they just took themselves out. That is not the fault of the slower car. I will let you by in a turn where I am comfortable letting you by. I'm not taking myself out so a faster car can pass.
In the situation you are describing above, yes, it is the faster cars responsibility to execute the pass cleanly... the slower car is yielding right of way to the leader. When being treated courteously, it is important to show the same courtesy/respect back.
However, the situation we were discussing previously is not the same. Fighting for position is not always a courteous affair. And on smaller carpet tracks, it is often very difficult to get by a slower car if they are a competent/consistent driver who knows how to hold their line.
If the slower car is fighting and actively racing the leader(who is attempting to lap said slower car), and the two cars make contact in any way that isn't blatantly the fault of the passing car(such as the leader straight up rear ending the slower car).... yes, IMO, that contact is the fault of the slower car. And the reason is because the slower car is putting himself and the leader in a position that neither one needs to be in, nor should they be IMO. You are the slower car, you are not part of the battle with the car trying to pass you... and whether you know it or not, you holding up the leader for 1-2 laps, 1-2 seconds, whatever, could effect the outcome of his race. The courteous and respectful thing to do, is yield the racing line to the leader/faster car when they are lapping you...
05-07-2012, 03:46 PM
#30
Thank you for all the input.
Here's the reason for my post, this weekend we only had two nitro touring cars and we were allowed to race in the qualifiers I pulled over and let the other driver go he finished with 18 laps and I had 17 laps. In the main I held my line with only two cars on the track, in his attempts to pass me he started over driving his car in some of corners he would push out wide and keeping my line I would keep my position. He did pull off a clean pass, but after the race a comment was made that I should have let him go I thought he pull off a good pass.
In the MOD main, what I notice was most of the contact was made by the slower car trying to give the faster car position moving either left or right on the short straights or moving outside in the corners when the faster was attempting a pass on the outside.
It seems to me that when all drivers know that they should hold there line, that way when a faster car comes up on a slower car they know what the slower car is going to do and there are no unexpected moves unless they are trying to block.
Here's the reason for my post, this weekend we only had two nitro touring cars and we were allowed to race in the qualifiers I pulled over and let the other driver go he finished with 18 laps and I had 17 laps. In the main I held my line with only two cars on the track, in his attempts to pass me he started over driving his car in some of corners he would push out wide and keeping my line I would keep my position. He did pull off a clean pass, but after the race a comment was made that I should have let him go I thought he pull off a good pass.
In the MOD main, what I notice was most of the contact was made by the slower car trying to give the faster car position moving either left or right on the short straights or moving outside in the corners when the faster was attempting a pass on the outside.
It seems to me that when all drivers know that they should hold there line, that way when a faster car comes up on a slower car they know what the slower car is going to do and there are no unexpected moves unless they are trying to block.