What is driver etiquette and what does it have to do with online
racing? Driver etiquette is how you act, behave, and perform amongst your
fellow competitors. The key to getting the most enjoyment from online racing
is developing an identity and maintaining it in the community of drivers.
Will you be known as a safe, clean, patient, and courteous driver worthy
of the respect of your fellow drivers? Proper driver etiquette will make
you a better sim racer and allow you to develop an identity you can be
proud of in the simulation racing community.
COME READY OR DON'T COME AT ALL - This is probably the 1st rule of
driver etiquette and the key to everything that follows. Come to the track
ready to race. It sounds simple enough, but it is probably the first rule
broken by new drivers. Before logging on to race you should have practice
time on the track. Know what setups you'll use and what chassis they're
built for. Practice running the lines - high, middle, and low through the
entire fuel/tire run. Know your pit window and learn the pit entries and
exits under green flag conditions. Find the ideal passing zones, both to
overtake and be overtaken without jeopardizing your fellow competitors.
Practice getting off the starting line and through the 1st turn on cold
tires. Good simulation racers don't depend on luck to run competitive races,
they come prepared.
BALANCE - There is a fine line between being a passive driver and an
over-aggressive driver that you need to balance on. Passive drivers rarely
win because they are unwilling to take the risks required to make a critical
pass. On the other hand, over-aggressive drivers rarely win because they
make foolish or untimely attempts to pass and usually take themselves and
their fellow competitors out of the race in the process. Learning to balance
between being passive and aggressive is the key to being a better sim racer.
Before making an on-track decision, learn to analyze the situation and
ask yourself the four Ws - who, where, what, and why. Who are you giving
or taking from? Where are you trying to give and take on the track and
am I in traffic? What condition is your car in and how many laps are left?
Why should you give or take a position now? League racers may consider
adding these questions as well. Where am I in the points and how many league
races are left? If you can't answer these questions, it's time to be passive
and wait for another time to be aggressive. Remember this - when it doubt,
back out.
ANNOUNCE YOUR INTENTIONS - The NASCAR® Racing 2002 Season ships
equipped with autochat messages that can be used during the race to communicate
to your fellow drivers. The autochat text can be altered from the NASCAR®
Racing 2002 Season player info screen. These messages can be flashed during
the race using the numbered 1 through 10 keys, followed by the enter key.
As a minimum, you should use these messages to announce when you are entering
and exiting the pits to notify other drivers in the arena to move to the
high groove and give you room. Many online drivers also use the "pass high"
and "pass low" messages to communicate where they prefer to pass or be
passed. The "Sorry" and "Thank You" messages although not required, are
good tools to thank a driver who has allowed you to pass and accept blame
for your mistakes. Finally, because your car number may be different in
each race, you might consider adding your driver name or handle to each
message so you can be identified.
CONTROL YOUR TEMPER - Online racers are human, they make mistakes just
like you. Online simulation racing is far from perfect and accidents will
occur where no one is at fault. Try not to get upset when you end up in
a wreck. Avoid "flaming" and "chatting" in the arena - it's distracting
to the remaining drivers who are still competing and will most likely cause
another wreck. Instead, email the other driver and exchange replays of
the incident. Many times you'll find that what you saw as a purposeful
attempt to wreck you on your replay, isn't what the other driver saw at
all. Online warp is many times to blame for these type of incidents as
the server computer lost a signal and had to "guess" where a car was heading.
As well, watch the replay and try to determine not just who was at fault,
but what could you of done to avoid the incident. Remember, you have to
"finish first, to finish 1st". Bottom line - like NASCAR, online simulation
racing is a "gentlemanly sport", keep your temper in check.
HOLD YOUR LINE - I spoke briefly about lines in the "come ready..."
section, but I would like to cover this in more depth. Each track has three
distinct lines a driver should be able to run: the preferred line, the
low line, the high line. The preferred line or normal line is high against
the wall on the straights, low in the turns, back out to the wall exiting
the turn. The low line is racing with a driver on your right side, low
or in the middle of the straights and using a low corner entry and corner
exit. The high line is racing with a driver on the left side, riding against
the wall on the straights and using a high corner entry and exit. Proper
etiquette requires that you know how to run all three lines. Spend time
in the practice period before each race finding the brake and acceleration
points for all three lines until you are comfortable with each.
SETTLE IN - The initial reaction when an online racer hears the spotter
yell, "Green, green, green, Go!" is to stomp the gas and fly into the 1st
corner. Fact - you can't win a race in the first lap, but you can certainly
lose it. The first lap is for getting the cars sorted out, settled in,
and for warming cold tires - not for racing. You must fight the urge and
instead hold back for that 1st turn. Remember, causing a wreck in the first
turn will not just take you out, it will normally cause a huge pileup wrecking
much of the field and ruining many drivers' nights. Your goal should be
to make it through the 1st lap in one piece and go from there. Save the
hard racing for later in the race.
PASS OR BE PASSED - Proper etiquette requires that an online driver
know how to pass and be passed cleanly. Like I spoke about in the "Come
ready" section, you should already know the passing zones prior to logging
in to a race. The ideal pass should be initiated on the corner exit, racing
to get position on the straight and then running a low line into the next
corner. You should know if you can make the pass shortly after you come
off the corner. If while you're racing for position down the straight you
end up barely having position when the next corner comes up, consider backing
off. Many times the leading driver won't consider himself passed unless
you get side-by-side on the straight and he'll maintain the preferred line
- thus turning down on you. Be prepared for it and be ready to back out.
If you are the lead driver, watch your mirrors and understand your blind
spot. If the passing car disappears he's most likely on your left rear
fender and you should allow room on the low side. Most passing accidents
are the fault of the overtaking driver, but that's no concession when you're
behind the tow truck.
