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STRL Rules and Guidelines

ALL STRL Divisions

Attendance | Practice Sessions | Drivers Meeting | Racing | Cautions
Chat | Flaming | Connections | Complaints | Removal
 

1. Attendance

1.1 Making the Race: If you are unable to make a race, it is courtesy to let the Division Admin know ASAP in all Divisions other than Road Runner.  In Road Runner, it is required.

1.2 Provisional Points: Each division has an independent provisional system.

2. Practice Sessions

2.1 Purpose: Practice sessions are to be used to make adjustments to your race car, and to work with traffic in different situations, among other things. At no time, for any reason, is anyone allowed to use practice as a play session, or as a way to manipulate or wreck another driver purposely. Anyone using practice for this purpose may be removed from the race.

2.2 Practice Incidents: If you are involved in an incident in a practice session, promptly remove your car from the racing line, and/or enter the pits immediately. It is important to make room for those practicing. Try not to stop in the middle of the track.

3. Drivers Meeting

3.1 Post Race Meetings: After each race, there is sometimes a voluntary post-race meeting using Paltalk. There will be a room named STRL Racing within the Sports - Recreational Activities group section of Paltalk (you must check the box to show Adult Groups). No password is required.

4. Racing

4.1 Starts / Restarts: After the pace car leaves the track, and heads for pit road, the leader will maintain pace speed until the spotter announces the green flag. No acceleration is permitted prior to the drop of the green flag. The STRL member directly behind the pace car will maintain a .3 to 1 second gap behind the pace car at all times.

 

If a complaint is received about a driver where the result of a restart is a passing of another same-lap car prior to Turn 1 completion AND in replay, the driver in question fails one of these two things:

 

a.  Maintaining proper pace speed (no more than 2mph faster) and/or

b.  Acceleration prior to the visible drop of the green flag as seen by the flagman on replay...

 

...that results in a car being passed prior to Turn 1 completion.......then a penalty will be issued.  ****The Double File Start of a race is exempt from this and cars need NOT fall directly into their qualifying position unless indicated by the admin at the time of the race.  The whole point of why this rule was developed was to deter drivers from sticking their noses underneath the car lining up directly in front of them as the 2 go into Turn 1 and in doing so, wrecking them.

4.2 Starting Lap: Prior to the drop of the green flag, the field will maintain a .3 to 1 second gap to the car in front.

4.3 Track Aprons: These areas can be used to make a pass, but it is not advised and will increase the chance of the driver of getting a penalty.  Certain tracks one may get on the apron a bit like Darlington, Chicagoland, and Kansas.  If you must use the apron, do so with care.  Aprons are mainly used for entering and exiting pits only. 

 

The aprons at Daytona and Talladega have a yellow line separating the racing track from the apron. If a pass is made below the yellow line at these tracks, it will be reviewed and the driver will receive a 1 lap penalty unless the driver was forced to the apron or made an obvious attempt to let the passed car regain the position back.

4.4 Lapped Cars: Give way to those drivers that are on the lead lap, giving them plenty of room to get by you. If you are unable to race at the leaders speed, to possibly get your lap back, give way to those on the lead lap cautiously. Do not race drivers that are not on the same lap as you. Use Autochat to let drivers know where to pass you (high or low). If you move to let others pass, stay in that line until it is clear to get back in line.

4.5 Entering Pits: When entering the pits, drop to the bottom groove and slow down making sure to enter the flat portion of the pit entrance at a safe speed so you don't spin up onto the track in front of oncoming traffic. Be sure to let the other drivers know what your intentions are by using Autochat. Use the outside driving lane in the pits until you reach your pit stall.

4.6 Exiting Pits: When exiting your pit stall, move to the outside pit lane as soon as you safely can to help avoid pit lane incidents. When exiting the pits, use Autochat to let the other drivers know that you are exiting the pits. Stay below the white line and enter the track on the back straightaway, making sure the track behind you is clear. Just because the spotter says "merge when you can" doesn't mean it's necessarily safe to do so. Stay low until you are up to speed.

4.7 Less than 10 to go: When there is a caution, with 10 laps or less in the race, ALL lapped cars must enter pit road when pit road opens for lapped cars. Drive at pit road speed, exiting the pits after the lead lap cars have gone past pit road. This will line up all lead lap cars in front, with lapped cars following. Lapped cars can stop in their pit stalls at their own discretion, but it is not required.

4.8 Warming Tires: A driver may warm their tires during a pace lap of a caution. However, if it causes an incident, a penalty may apply.  Also, burning of tires during pace laps is unappreciated and may result in race ejection.

4.9 Faking a Pit Stop: Drivers may fake pit stops during the race or caution laps.

4.10 Damaged / Off the Pace: If you are damaged excessively, or your car is off the pace (unable to maintain full race speed), drivers are required to give way and the preferred racing line to those drivers who are at full race speed. If you know you will be slow on a restart, you may go down pit road on the last pace lap under a caution, to avoid possibly causing an incident on the restart (you are not required to stop in your pit stall).

4.12 Bump Drafting: Yes, bump drafting is allowed.

4.13 Three Wides:  Three wides are allowed but if an accident occurs starting in a 3-wide, the driver who initiates the 3-wide situation will recieve penalty along with the driver who initiates the contact (moves out of lane) which leads to the wreck.  Penalties will vary among divisions.

5. Cautions

5.1 Racing to the line: When a caution flag comes out, you may race back to the line in all divisions except Road Runner which utilizes the Lucky Dog Rule currently. However, gentlemen's agreement is the standard in the other divisions.  For the Road Runner Lucky Dog Rule read here:  Lucky Dog

 

5.2 Stagger: During the caution, the field will maintain a staggered pace line, regardless of whether or not they are on the lead lap or not. Odd position cars will maintain the inside line, even position cars will maintain the outside line. The leader of the pace line will maintain the inside line. When the "one to go" message is given, and lap traffic lines up on the inside, the lead lap cars will maintain a single file line on the outside.


5.3 Pace Gap: At all times, while under caution, and prior to the drop of the green flag for the event, the field will maintain at least a .3 to 1 second gap to the car in front, including the pace car. Use your F2 screen to determine the distance between cars.


5.4 Taking the Caution: When the leader takes the caution flag, the leader will maintain race speed until the exit of turn 2, at which time the leader may slow to allow the pace car to catch up to the field. A minimum of 30 mph must be maintain by the leader at all times. At no point is the leader or any other driver to stop or slow dramatically after taking the caution. The rest of the field will maintain a .5 to 1 second gap, staggered behind the leader. You can pass the pace car when taking the caution flag. NO driver is allowed to slam on the brakes after passing the start/finish line when taking the caution flag, or to stop for the pace car, prior to catching the rest of the field.

5.5 Lucky Dog Rule: Currently the Road Runner Division is the only division utilizing the "Lucky Dog" rule.  Refer to the Road Runner Division Information Page for an explanation of this procedure.

6. Chat

6.1 Practice Session Chat: Chatting is permitted during practice sessions.

6.2 Qualifying Session Chat: Chatting is absolutely NOT permitted during qualifying sessions. Once the Happy Hour session begins, or the Qualifying session is complete, congratulations to the pole sitter, and other chat, may once again begin.

6.3 Happy Hour Session Chat: Chatting is permitted during Happy Hour sessions.

6.4 Race Session Chat: Chatting is NOT permitted during race sessions. Only the programmed Autochat messages will be allowed during the race. "Thank You" and "Sorry" messages also are unnecessary and should be be avoided.

This includes typed messages such as:

"I was booted, what happened?"
"Thanks for nothing"
"Why did you hit me?"
"I'm out of here"
"Goodnight all"
"I can't get out of the pits?"
"Hi there"
"Let's Pit now"

6.5 Required Autochat: Below is the required Autochat configuration to be used during ALL racing sessions. It really isn't necessary to enter a name in <name>, since when the chat is announced it already has your car # starting the chat.  Any variation or additional chat messages used outside of this list may be penalized.

<name> Pitting this lap.$
<name> Exiting Pits$
<name> Pass Low$
<name> Pass High$
<name> Lost a gear$
<name> Damaged and off the pace$
<name> Lap Please!$
<name> Slow car ahead$
<name> Black Flag, Please Pass$

          Just remember that the longer your chat is, the longer it takes for other drivers
          to have to take their eyes off the track ahead.
7. Flaming

7.1 Tolerance: Flaming or profanity of any type will not be tolerated in any form. Drivers meeting's and race sessions are not places to show yours frustrations toward any driver or group.  Anything coming close to resembling a flame will be considered a flame by admins. 

7.2 Examples of Flaming: Below are some examples of what is considered flaming. There are numerous forms of flaming, and if it is found that your message is considered flaming an example of aggression or profanity, you will be penalized/ejected. If you have a difference with someone, take care of it after the race off of STRL environment.

"Your a wrecker!"
"You can't drive"
"wtf"

"Get the f out of here"

          7.3  Profanity: Profanity on the server and forums does not exemplify what STRL
          is all about so it just won't be tolerated.  Ejection and penalty should be expected.
8. Connections

8.1 Minimum Requirements: The minimum requirements to race in the league are cable, DSL, or equivalent.

8.2 Warp: If you are showing signs of excessive warp in practice, try to reconnect prior to the qualifying session. If you continue to warp during the Happy Hour or race sessions, you may be asked to leave the race. The Division Admin has the right to eject any driver who shows excessive warp, if he feels it will effect the race in any way.

8.3 Booting: Often times you may be disconnected from a race for various reasons. If this happens during the practice, qualifying, or Happy Hour sessions, you may reconnect. However, if you are booted during the racing session, you will only be allowed to reconnect one time. If you reconnect more than once, you will be ejected from the race, or given a penalty. There are technical reasons for this.
If at any time the Division Admin or Assistant Admin are booted or disconnected from the race, they may rejoin at any time to collect scoring information, and possible replays.

8.4 Server Problems: If there is ever a problem with a racing server, it is important to determine the extent of the problem. If you are disconnected, and you are unsure as to why, go to the Sierra East Alpha League Discussion 1. If it is a problem with the server, the other drivers will more than likely show up there. If so, we will then decide what to do in the event of a server problem. If the other drivers don't show, it may have been a problem with just your connection, or some other problem.

8.5 Server Crash or Mass Boot: If a race server experiences a major problem, and/or more than half the team members are disconnected (mass boot), the race will be declared a rain out, and will be rescheduled for another time, if the schedule permits. The Division Admin can decide whether or not to reschedule the event.

9. Complaints

9.1 Protests: If you were involved in an incident, or penalized points for an infraction, you may protest the ruling handed out.

9.2 Procedure: If you decide to protest, you must accompany your protest with a replay clip which justifies your protest. The replay clip must contain the lap prior to and the lap after the incident or infraction in question. Send the clip to the Division Admin, with a complete explanation of the incident, and your opinion of what happened. Failure to send a replay clip and/or provide an explanation, will be grounds for dismissal of the protest. All protests must be received prior to the next racing event.

9.3 Driver Complaints: If a driver is deemed as a risk, or poses a continuous problem in racing events, any current STRL member may submit a complaint about that driver to the Division Admin. The complaint must be complete and concise, submitted via e-mail, and must include a replay clip of the actions that are being addressed.

10. Removal

10.1 Voluntary: If a driver decides to leave the league for whatever reason, we ask that you notify the Division Admin ASAP.

10.2 Forced Removal: A driver may be asked to leave the league for several reasons. Those reasons include, but are not limited to, consistent rule infractions, consistent over-aggressive driving which results in penalties, flaming, or chatting during race/qualifying sessions. At any point, the Division Admin may remove a driver if he feels it is in the best interest of the league.

10.3 Practice members:  If a driver has been removed from a division due to inability to hold a line, that driver may still remain a member of the league but may be only able to attend certain practice races based on how the individual  administrators decide. 


If you have any questions about the rules, notify the League Admin.
 

 
 

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