Short Track ProCup (STPC)

- Rules -

1.      Series Rules

a. Software: STPC uses NASCAR Racing 2003 Season (NR2003).  Since many of the hosts use Sierra, a CD version of the software is necessary.

b. Race Settings.  See Series Overview.

c. Expectations:  Drivers are expected to be prepared to drive at the scheduled track each week.  This includes being able to drive smooth high and low lines at the track, being able to move cleanly and safely out of the way of faster traffic when being lapped, understanding pit entry/exit procedures, and knowing pit road speeds. 

Recommendation: Please, Practice, practice, practice before the race.

Recommendation: Re-read Bob Stanley’s Racing Savvy.  Then, read it again.  And again…

Note: We firmly believe that drivers with disparate skills can drive together on the same track if everyone does their part.  Faster drivers, please respect the pace of slower drivers.  Recognize their braking points and don't run them over on turn entry.  Don't crowd them in the corner.  Slower drivers, recognize when it's appropriate to race faster cars hard versus when it's doing nobody any good to hold up faster traffic.  The latter is usually the case, so, move out of the way and let them pass before frustrations mount.  Try to indicate whether they should pass high or low.

d. Race Reviews: All caution-causing race incidents will reviewed by STPC officials and the results of their review posted to the incident ledger.  In addition, if you see an infraction that you feel is significant or repeated, please notify an STPC official.

Note: While every race incident is reviewed by race officials, it is impossible to review every car for the entire race.  Do not expect that race officials will notice every infraction.  If an infraction substantially affects the progress of a race, or a driver repeats an infraction, report it.

e. Rules Infractions: Rules infractions will be dealt with in a per-incident basis as judged by STPC officials.  Infractions that result from over-aggressive driving or repeatedly ignoring recommendations (as outlined below) will be penalized per the incident ledger.  Other infractions may be penalized at the discretion of STPC officials.

f. Overturning Race Results: As a result of post-race review, STPC officials may overturn a ruling and adjust the final standings.  In addition, the review could result in penalties levied against drivers, season point deductions, fantasy earnings fines and final race result adjustments at the discretion of the officials.

g. Protesting Race Official Rulings: See the incident ledger page.

a. Driver Meetings: Prior to the race, a driver’s meeting will be posted to the forums and distributed by e-mail.  The driver's meeting will include all race settings and any special rules or notes that apply to that race.

i. Host Servers.  For each event, STPC visits a different server owned and operated by one of the participating leagues.  While on that server, keep in mind that we are guests.  The owning administrator has all the powers and rights normally associated with administration of his server.  For example, he is free to eject or ban any driver at his discretion.  Please act accordingly and respect the hosts of STPC.

j. Insufficient Stalls at Track.  If more drivers show up for a race than there are stalls at the track, then STPC officials will start a second server.  The field of drivers will be randomly split in two and two concurrent races will be held.  Each race will be a fully scoring points race for championship purposes.  For example, there will be two winners, two 2nd place finishers, and so on.  Everyone who attends an STPC event will have the opportunity to race.

k. Championship Points.  Championship points will be awarded for each season as shown on the Scoring System page.

4.      Race Rules

b. General Rules: All rules from NR2003 will be used as is.

c. Black Flags: Penalties levied by NR2003 are final.  Race admins will NOT clear black flags during the race.

Note: NR2003 does an excellent job of incorporating the rules of racing.  Occasionally at some tracks (far less often than popularly believed), NR2003 will issue a bogus black flag.  Race admins cannot be expected to judge these situations in real time to decide whether to clear a black flag.

d. Laps: Race admins will NOT give laps back to a driver during the race.

e. Final Standings: The final standings determined by NR2003 are official. 

f. Pit Entries and Exits:  During practice and happy hour sessions and following the race all drivers must enter and exit pits properly.

Note: NR2003 will issue a black flag during the race if pit procedures are not followed correctly.  In addition, out of respect for other drivers on the track, the same pit procedures are to be followed during practice and happy hour sessions and following the race, even though the software will not issue a black flag at those times.

Note: When entering the pits during a caution, maintain caution-pace speed and do not pass the car in front of you until you have passed the pit entry line.  Do not slow substantially as this will place the driver behind you in jeopardy of receiving a black flag if he inadvertently passes you before you have entered the pits.

Warning: When the driver in front of you drops below the apron to enter the pits during a caution it is very easy to lose track of his/her position relative to your car as his/her car may drop from view.  Be very careful not to pass before the driver crosses the pit entry line.  If you do, you will receive a black flag.  Use the F2 key to monitor your position relative to his/her car.

g. Retaliation:  Flaming and other retaliatory actions are not allowed.

Note: We all race for fun.  We all make mistakes.  Everyone gets caught up in other’s mistakes.  Accept it and move on.  If necessary, file a protest with the league after the race.  Never flame or take aggressive retaliatory actions against a fellow driver during or after a race.  Such behavior will not be tolerated.

h. Chat:  Chat during green-flag racing and during qualifying is not allowed.

Exception: During the race, drivers should use auto-chat messages to indicate on-track driving intentions such as pitting or allowing other drivers to pass.

Note: Chat can be fun and it is how we get to know one another.  Therefore, chat is allowed during the practice sessions, happy hour sessions and during caution laps of a race.  However, chat under caution should be minimized after the “one-to-go” notice is given.

Recommendation: Set up your auto-chat messages to issue your screen name so that other drivers can quickly identify who the message is coming from.  For example: “your-screen-name: Pass me low”

i. Warping:  Warping is not an excuse for an incident.  If a driver is warping, the driver is expected to stay out of the preferred racing line or drop to the back of the pack until the connection clears up.  If warping becomes excessive, race admins may ask the driver to pit until his/her connection clears up.  It is the responsibility of the warping driver to take appropriate action to avoid warp-related incidents.

Recommendation: Unfortunately, warping is part of online racing.  If you feel you may be warping or others tell you that you are, use ctrl-C to monitor your latency, quality and skew.  If you are in the red, your connection is poor and you are likely warping.

j. Disconnections During Race:  Laps will not be given back for disconnections.

Recommendation: Unfortunately, disconnections are part of online racing.  If you are disconnected, attempt to reconnect and safely re-enter the race as if you have pitted.  Consider disconnections the electronic equivalent of having taken your car to the garage to repair a mechanical problem during the race.

k. Disconnections Prior to Race:  If a driver is disconnected just before the start of the race session, the race admin will reset the warm up session for 5 minutes to allow the driver to reconnect.  The race session will be restarted immediately when the driver reconnects.  If the disconnected driver hasn't reconnected at the end of the 5 minutes, the race is started without the disconnected driver.

l. Server Crashes: If the server crashes or if there is a mass-boot (more than 50% of drivers drop connection at once) then the following procedure will be used.  If fewer than ½ of race laps have been completed, the race will be restarted from the beginning.  If ½ or more laps have been completed the race will not be re-started.  In this case, if anyone managed to save an export results file, the results indicated by the file will be used as the final race results.  If no export results file is available, the race is canceled and not used in league standings scoring.

m. Cautions:  When a caution is issued, maintain your position; do not pass other cars. 

Exception: During the last ten laps of a race, drivers are allowed to race back to the start/finish line.

Exception: Cars involved in an incident or severely off-pace may be passed.

Exception: Cars that wave you on (via chat message) may be passed.

Exception: The leader may, at his option, slow before the start/finish line if it is safe to do so with the intent of allowing lapped drivers to get a lap back.  If this situation occurs, lapped drivers may safely pass other cars before the start/finish line.  However, long, high-speed, dangerous runs at the leader in an attempt to get a lap back will not be tolerated.  As a rule-of-thumb, if you are not on the front stretch when the leader slows, do not attempt to get the lap back.

Recommendation: When a caution is issued, if possible briefly maintain race speed until you determine that it is safe to slow down and that you will not get hit from behind.

Note: After you have crossed the start/finish line, do not cross it again unless you are behind the pace car; doing so will result in a black flag.  This is particularly important to pay attention to at short tracks where it is often necessary to dramatically slow or even stop in some cases to wait for the pace car to emerge from the pits.

n. Lucky Dog:  The first car one or more laps down when a caution is thrown is the lucky dog.   The lucky dog must pit with the leaders or safely speed in the pits during the caution resulting in an EOLL penalty.  This will place the lucky dog at the end of the pack and on restart one lap will be given back to him/her by the race admin.  If the lucky dog driver fails to get an EOLL for any reason, he will not be granted the lap back.

Note: For each race the lucky dog rule may or may not be in use, at the host league's option.  Since the lucky dog rule requires in-race administration, it is up to each administrator to decide whether he/she wants to deal with the extra effort.  The schedule lists which races are using the lucky dog rule.

o. Caution Pace Laps:  During caution pace laps the field should stagger with alternating cars running a high line or a low line.  The first car behind the pace car should run a low line.  After the one-to-go signal has been given, drivers should no longer stagger and should form a line (STPC uses single file restarts to reduce the number of restart related incidents).

Exception: If the caution restart will occur with ten or fewer laps to go in the race then lapped cars must drive thru the pits on lap 3 or 4 of the caution to insure they are behind the lead lap cars on the restart.

Recommendation: While staggering, maintain a gap of about 0.3 to 0.7 seconds between you and the staggered car in front of you.  Doing so will help to reduce accidental incidents during pace laps.

p. Off Pace Cars. Drivers that are severely off pace due to damage, lost gears or any other reason are expected to stay well clear of the preferred race line when other cars approach. Off-pace traffic should drive a low line at or below the apron until other traffic clears.

Exception: If, before the race, the race admin indicates that off-pace traffic should ride a high line, then drivers should do that instead of going to the apron when off pace. This may be necessary at some tracks where it is impossible to safely drive at or below the apron due to a wall or other obstructions close to the apron.