Driver Etiquette
R/C racing is a great hobby. It's fun and exciting, but occasionally, the fun is somewhat spoiled because of some unsportsmanlike behaviour. The purpose of this appendix is to give a bunch of pointers on how to avoid high frustration levels, and keep the racing fun and friendly.
Fundamental number one: Good Sportsmanship. This is a hobby! I don't know about you, but when I head to the track on Sunday, I want to relax, have fun, joke around, meet some friends,.... and, last but not least: race my socks off and kick some a$$ The point here is nobody's paying you to do it, you're not going to get your a$$ kicked if you lose. The only important thing is that you have fun.
During qualifying, the rules say you should let the faster drivers pass. That's only fair However: for the finals - it's game time! You can close the door for as long as you like, you can also make aggressive passes,...
I have seen a couple of top drivers do this at the club but this should apply TOO ALL.
Qualifying
If someone puts an inside move on you: yield. If he comes down the inside, there's pretty much nothing you can do but avoid a crash and give way. In the best case, you can try to exit the corner on a different line and set yourself up for a move on the next corner. Which does not mean take him out at the next corner !!!
If you are following another car, Do NOT force your way through, allow the other car at least one corner to let you pass
And if you should unintentionally hit your opponent: the 'fair play' thing to do is wait at the nearest available safe place, and let him go out in front again. And after that, just start all over
Marshal like you would like to be marshalled. Watch the section of track for problems NOT the race action ! No smoking, no drinking, no mobile phones , no eating, no talking, no dreaming !!!!!!.. You can do all that in the pits. If you can obey all that, it's sure to save a lot of frustration/yelling.
If you can't marshal yourself, that's fine as long as you have someone else do it for you. Your replacement MUST HAVE CURRENT BRCA insurance and preferably someone with some R/C experience. No children or grandparents please.
Keep your mouth closed on the rostrum. Some people, like me, don't mind a little conversation on the podium, but others find it disturbing because it hampers their concentration. So it's better to be silent. Yes, I know it's hard to be quiet when your car is being used as a moving target, but please try to keep the expletives silent.
Be nice to race control. For one, they bust their a$$ all day trying to organize a race for you. And secondly, the race director is God. It says so in all governing bodies' handbooks: the rules are the rules, but in the end, race control has the final say. And thirdly, if you behave, you're making their jobs much easier. Which, in the end, could mean they'd make your race easier as well. ( Longer Finals )
As a general rule: don't be afraid to ask (politely). That goes for anyone: the race director, your biggest rival, that good-looking pit babe,.. yea Right !
Seriously guys its simple , let the faster cars through in qualifying. Dont take him out at the next bend cos he has past you .. that has given you a slow lap !! Give way on the outside line , give the faster driver the inside .. You will lose less than half a second if that .. The other method of taking him out loses you considerably more .... Lower final !!