Track Etiquette

[G.Irish]

Since the on-season is upon us, I'm putting together a blog post about track etiquette and wanted some input/ideas. Here's what I've come up with so far, please add anything else you can think of.

General

*If you borrow tools, return them promptly. Don't make someone chase you down at the end of the weekend to get their stuff back.

*If you see someone frantically thrashing on their car, do not interrupt them for idle chat. Only interrupt if you can help them.

*Do not miss the driver's meeting

*Show up to class on time.

*Wave to corner workers on cool down laps.

*Don't be a dick to grid workers

Car Specific

*If someone wants to hear how much power your car has or what your lap time is, they'll ask.

*If someone is on your ass, they got there because they are faster than you

*If you gave a point by to a car that is significantly slower than yours in a straight line, lift to allow him to get by.

*Do not ride someone's bumper if they are not giving you a point by. If someone's holding you up and is not heeding blue flags, pull in to get a gap.

*Pay attention to blue flags and let people by. Better yet, let people by before you're getting blue flags waved at you.


Motorcycles

*Do not block pass people

*Give people a hand getting their bike on and off their truck/trailer

*If you are having trouble passing someone cleanly because they have more power than you, do not make a risky pass on them. Pull in and get some space

*Apologize if you dive-bombed, block passed, or otherwise pulled a jerk move on someone.

[ScottyB]

General
*If you borrow tools, return them promptly. Don't make someone chase you down at the end of the weekend to get their stuff back.

and cleanly. nobody wants to put oil filled sockets back in their tool chest or pick up a screwdriver with their bare hands and get a palm full of chassis grease. it takes 2 seconds to wipe them down.

[Apoc]

General
*If you borrow tools, return them promptly. Don't make someone chase you down at the end of the weekend to get their stuff back.

and cleanly. nobody wants to put oil filled sockets back in their tool chest or pick up a screwdriver with their bare hands and get a palm full of chassis grease. it takes 2 seconds to wipe them down.

Worst. Back in the day, RJ and I had a huge falling out because of an oil pan. Basically he asked to borrow ours for the MM guys (I think it was for G or Evan) and it sat filled with oil the entire weekend. I pestered RJ, since he was the one who borrowed it (and I didn't know the others) and he said it wasn't his responsibility 'cause he didn't use it. After much bitching, he finally returned it coated in oil. He's since grown up a little. :lol:

I don't think the dive bomb should be motorcycle specific.

I also think it should read "Don't be a dick in general, but especially to volunteers."

Additions:
-Bring enough beer to give one away.
-If you see someone pushing a car, help.
-Don't rev your engine at 6 am because chances are people are sleeping 30 feet away.
-Give way to people coming off track. Chances are they can't wait to get out of their car/gear and don't want to cook things waiting for you.

[Evan]

For the record, Ive never changed my oil at the track.

Waiting until at the track, right before a session to change his oil? Thats totally Gerald :lol:

[G.Irish]

For the record, Ive never changed my oil at the track.

Waiting until at the track, right before a session to change his oil? Thats totally Gerald :lol:

Oh yeah, definitely more likely to have been me than Evan.

[Apoc]

Also for the record, I was 95% sure it was you... I just didn't want to call you out so directly. :-P

[G.Irish]

Fredo, I know it was you.

[BLINGMW]

Looks good

How about

Introduce yourself to others paddocked near you and offer to share your shade and tools with the newest and least prepared of them.

and in addition to waving at corner workers

Identify flag stations on the warm up lap and keep an eye out for them so you're not the ass who blows the red flag or nearly hits the tow truck under yellow.

And you could probably embellish on what should be done to pass, ie, instead of riding their bumper, back off a get a run on them at the next exit. And if they still don't let you buy, do it again. Think about why they're slower, what mistakes are they making? Don't let it frustrate you, use it as racecraft practice and estimating the time/speed/distance between you and others. It's not as intuitive and easy as some might think to time it right.

And for motos, pass on the damn INSIDE if you're going to pass entering a braking zone. Don't squeeze yourself onto the gators and scare the sh*t out of the slower guy as he's on the brakes or about to bend it in. If you don't know the line yet and don't know where riders are likely to go, then don't pass yet! Jeezus I HATE that. You have a whole freaking track over THERE--->

[G.Irish]

Some other track etiquette subjects that I have no answer on:

*Paddock space

*How to ask for a ride-along the right way

[TorinoCobra070]

*Don't be a dick to grid workers

This. Contrary to popular belief, we are not there to hassle you lol.

Please don't try to bring a passenger onto the track without a ride-along bracelet, because somebody is going to make them go get one, and you are going to be angry :thumbup:

[Mike]

that thar is a paddock space.