Race Rules

The Championships will run races on only Thursday evenings using Assetto Corsa as outlined in the #GettingStarted page of the Virtual Velocity Sim-Racing Discord Page. The full active calendar can be found in the #calendar page.

We will run individual series which have their detailed info in the relevant discord series page under “ACTIVE SERIES”. The format for a given series will be consistent unless a change is needed and this will be communicated in the relevant series “info” channel as well as during the driver briefing for each race.

We will total the championship points from all series to give a yearly “overall championship”

The point structure shall be set per series and detailed in the series “info” channel. Each “Event” evening shall have a maximum achievable points score of approximately 100 points with a sliding scale based on finishing position.

Points may be available for qualifying and fastest lap.

In series with multiple “car classes” the point structure for each car class will be identical and count equally towards the overall championship points.

All races in a series will count towards the series standings and the overall standings (no drop rounds).

A class system will be run with a permanent ballast rule. Each driver will be assessed by the stewards prior to the season based on overall performance in previous race series and awarded one of 3 classes. This class will be carried across the whole year and will dictate the ballast applied to each car. The ballast will be different for each series depending on the car characteristics, the intention being to close the gap between classes and promote close racing through the field.This will be detailed in the series regulations in this document. In exceptional cases, the stewards can move a driver to another class at any time with the points carrying into their new class.

The Classes are as follows:

Class Pro: Regular podium finishers often racing for wins

Class PRO-AM: Multiple podium finishes consistently racing within the top 8

Class AM: Occasional podium finishes, regularly racing outside the top 8

Only points scored for overall finishing position will be used for championship totals.

New drivers are asked to drive several laps on the practice servers, after which the stewards will make a judgment call for the current series. Any new drivers joining after the start of a series will be subject to a class change at any time prior to the start of the next series based on results

All the championship/ race info, standings and other topics will be on Discord, or linked from discord in the relevant channel.

Entries and any custom skins for each race/ series should be made at least 2 days prior to the race (to allow the admins time to allocate car etc) in Discord

https://discord.gg/T9VCvsYdMJ

The club is run without profit. The cost breakdown is covered within the Patreon page.

Please feel free to donate as much or as little as you like. Any outstanding cost is being paid by the admin team so help them out if you think your racing experience with us is worth it.

The entry system is directly on the relevant server championship page, linked from the championship “info” on discord.

Each series will have an individual championship sign up and this will be made live upon completion of the previous series. Anyone wishing to race may then enter via the Emperor server (Enter immediately, the admins will accept entries in the order below and will then show on the entry list).

Entries will be accepted on a first come first served basis inside of the following priority order:

• Admins will accept entries from Patrons.
• Next, entries from verified drivers who have already taken part in this series.
• Then all remaining entries will be accepted.

The main goal for the club is to be a friendly and supportive environment for like minded people to have fun and improve their sim racing experience. Members should remember that there is no such thing as a silly question and there will always be (at least 1) answer from those more experienced. Plenty of the experienced drivers are happy to help and will go out of their way to teach new members about driving technique, racecraft, car setup or anything else. Simply post in the relevant Discord channel, remember we’re all friends here.

There are no official awards assigned for our championships however we will aim to highlight particular achievements throughout the championship to encourage good racing and participation in the community. Winners will be added to the #hall-of-fame so you’re racing for pride and bragging rights!

Driver briefing shall take place at 8pm UK time and precede qualifying unless specified in the specific series info.

Qualifying will start with 98% track grip and this will increase dynamically through the evening.

Fuel usage and Tyre wear will be enabled for all sessions. Fuel rate and Tyre wear rate will be set for the series and communicated in the series specific rules. Fuel fill rate and tyre change time will vary based on the car.

Setups shall be open, fixed, or partially fixed based on the specific series info. Setups can be requested at any time and should be shared where possible. Most members are very happy to help teach newer drivers about setup.

100% Damage will be used in all sessions. The effect on car performance will vary based on the car. The time to fix during a pitstop will also vary based on the car.

Drivers must have discord on and listening throughout all official sessions in order to hear instruction from the stewards.

PC issues are treated the same as a technical issue in your car. If you have an issue on the night prior to session start don’t be afraid to ask for help in the discord call. We will do our best to accommodate and help to fix the issue. If there is a technical issue during a race, unfortunately there isn’t anything the Admins can do. Please state briefly on the chat that you are retiring due to a PC issue and leave the session. After the session we will try to help once more.

High ping makes close racing very difficult. A wired connection is highly recommended. If you are a new member or modify your setup at any time, attempt to do some close driving with someone in practice to ensure a stable ping. If ping becomes too high temporarily during a race/quali session please pull off the circuit. If it becomes stable again you may rejoin. It is your responsibility to make sure your connection is stable and if you continue with high lag you will be kicked. Don’t be offended if this happens, the Admins will aim to provide you as much advice as possible to get you back racing in the future.

Qualifying duration shall be specified in the series information

Escaping to pits from outside your pit box (Detection within 5m of your pit box) will end your session automatically (controls will be locked). If you have undrivable damage, you should escape to pits to clear the track.

There is to be minimal talking during this session If you are on an out lap we expect you to be aware of drivers on a hotlap. If you yourself are on a hotlap you are not required to move. Blue flags are to be respected, if you are on an out lap and a driver is catching you fast then move off the racing line and slow down gradually. If you get impeded during a hot lap by a driver cruising on the racing line then it is the responsibility of the impeded driver to report it to the stewards following the process outlined in this document under Driving Standards.

Drivers may begin a hot lap at any time prior to the clock expiring. The session will end once all drivers have completed their final lap. After taking the checkered flag it is permitted to jump to pits. Please refrain from talking until all drivers have returned to pits.

• Race 1 will start within 5 mins of the end of Qualifying and the length will be determined by the series specific regulations.
• The Grid order for race 1 will be based on the qualifying session overall positions. The grid order for race 2 will be the reverse of the finishing order of race 1. Non-classified drivers (less than 95% race completion) will start in order of most distance completed, behind the winner of race 1.
• Race start procedure will be either standing start or rolling start depending on the series specific rules.
• Any pit stop requirement will be  communicated in the series specific rules.
• You may start the race on any tyre compound

All race starts will use the in game countdown and start lights display. All drivers must be in the server prior to the start of the session. The session starts with a 2 minute countdown. Within this countdown drivers must ensure any setup is selected then hit the in-game “Drive” button to take their place on the grid. From 10 seconds remaining it is possible to select a gear and drivers should be ready for the race start. Once all 5 lights are illuminated there will be a random hold time prior to the lights going out and any movement of the car prior to this will result in a Jump start. Jump starts will be enforced by the server as detailed in the Server Penalties section of this document.

Standing Start:

• Race start is dictated by the 5 lights going out. Drivers are free to race immediately.

Rolling Start (Automated):

• Single file during formation lap
• The front row of the grid will pull away as the lights go out and follow the safety car. All other drivers will pull away once the row ahead has pulled away to avoid collisions.
• Overtaking is not permitted on the formation lap unless the driver ahead has spun. If a driver overtakes on the formation lap then driver to driver communication should be used on discord to politely request and organize re-ordering.
• Drivers should keep together and follow SC instructions through the formation lap with no sudden braking and accelerating. Weaving is permitted if done safely.
• Overtaking is permitted from the moment drivers get the green flag.
• Starting procedure as outlined in video below.

During the Race:

• Racing by its nature involves driving closely to competitors. Please remember that all drivers are here for fun and mistakes, including those that end someone’s race, are part of racing. Any contact will be reviewed by the stewards and intentional or malicious contact will be punished appropriately.
• Talking is permitted but should be relevant to the race and respectful to other drivers concentrating.
• Anyone my request less banter if they are finding it overly distracting. Although, we also advise mapping mute and deafen buttons for such moments. Remember to come off deafen in order to hear race control instructions.
• Management may request you use push-to-talk if you have a noisy environment.

Circuit Races:

• Second half of video above shows .
• On SC call out all, all drivers are to follow on screen instructions, unless countermanded by stewards for any reason.
• You may pass the SC only if instructed to do so. This will happen if you are behind the SC but ahead of the race leader on track - "lucky dog" / unlapping oneself - if you are behind the race leader, you must fall in line and follow no overtaking instructions.
• Pits are open at all times.
• Once SC board is active there is no overtaking.
• SC ending is automated based on race data during call-in thresholds (between 50% and 75% of the track distance)
• Drivers in pits are excluded
• Drivers taking too long to catch the pack are excluded.
• If pack is too spread, the SC car cannot be called-in and will do another lap to a maximum of 1 out lap + 1 full lap + 1 in lap), at which point it will return to pits regardless of on track data.
• It is possible for the SC to be called-in on the same lap as it was deployed, provided the conditions are met.
• Only the leader is restricted to 100mph, other cars must follow the car ahead. Single file while under yellow and no more than 2 car lengths between drivers.
• If the leader pits, car behind inherits lead and should follow instructions.

Ovals Only:

• Pit entry and exit are via the back straight only (between turn 2 and 3)
• In addition to the automated SC callouts - if any driver spins, regardless of severity it is their responsibility to immediately call "yellow" over Discord chat loudly and clearly. Other Drivers can also call “yellow” if witnessing a spin. This call is to alert Admin to call SC as soon as possible. You are free to continue racing until the SC board is shown but be aware of potential dangers.
• Once SC is engaged, the race leader must reduce speed gradually and safely to 100mph/160kph to catch the SC.
• If the leader pits, they must remain below 100mph until they drop below the apron at the pit entry start of turn 3. The next car only inherits the lead once the leader has crossed into the start of the pit lane below the apron. the new inherited leader must remain below 100mph/ 160kph.
• On pit entry under SC yellow drivers must not overtake the leader.
• On pit exit, you may race to the blend line (Apron crossing exit turn 2). If you cross the blend line ahead of the leader then you can continue to catch the pack. If you are behind the leader in the queue, you must join the queue in the position you cross the blend line. If you inherit the lead still, you must reduce to 100mph upon crossing the blend line.
• At least 1 full lap will be run under the safety car (line to line) AND the hazard is clear.
• After 1 full lap if you are in the queue keep looking at the Yellow flag display
• Safety car cannot be called in if the pack is too spread
• SC display will turn GREY - this means return to racing speed. Drivers must remain single file with no overlap until the green.
• No passing until GREEN - as the leader crosses the line.
• If a yellow is called and the leader is on the final lap, the safety car will not be called and you may race to the line.
• Any false calls of yellow to gain an advantage or intentional spinning will result in disqualification by the stewards

• All races are race time plus one lap. Once the race time expires and the leader crosses the start finish this will start the final lap.
• The race leader will receive the checkered flag first and every driver should then complete their final lap to receive the checkered flag. After taking the checkered flag, drivers may jump to pits.
• Please keep talking to a minimum until all drivers have finished the race.
• For both technical reasons and courtesy, please stay connected on track or in pits till all drivers have finished.
• Deliberate contact after the race finish is not allowed as it is dangerous and will result in penalties.

• Real Penalty app is enabled in all server sessions and the following penalties are applied automatically within the session:

Jump Starts:

• Jump start will result in a drive through penalty to be served on the first pass of the pits. This includes pull away prior to a rolling start where it may be served at the end of the formation lap, however the offending driver must not overtake prior to entering the pits.

Cuts:

• Cuts are detected if all 4 wheels pass beyond the edge of the track. A cut can be avoided by slowing sufficiently while the yellow cut graphic is showing, turning the graphic green. This must be done safely. The detailed boundary varies corner to corner so it is important to learn these prior to race night. 5 cuts are permitted and will be displayed on the drivers screen.

• On the 6th cut of a single race a drive through penalty will be awarded and must be served on this or the next lap.
• Exceeding the cut limit on the final lap will result in a time penalty added to your race time.

Pit lane speeding:

• The pit lane has a maximum speed of 80kph which is maintained by the game. There is a speed check at the entry to the pits where drivers must have decelerated to below 100kph. Minor speeding infractions will result in a time penalty added to the race time. Major speeding infractions will result in a drive through penalty.

Our panel of stewards have experience in sim and real racing. The Stewards will review the races from the replays, collision logs and any reported incidents.

The stewards review will take place after the race and will aim to have reports and results published by the same Sunday night.

Everyone makes mistakes. There is no shame in receiving a penalty for making a mistake and the sole aim of highlighting it is to help our members to improve their racecraft which will make the racing more enjoyable in the future. If you are keen to learn more about an incident on the incident report then contact a steward directly and they will take the time to discuss it with the help of a replay. The penalty system also serves to keep the race and championship result fair.

The stewards have the following terms available and will be applied as they see fit to any of the driving standards listed above:

• Advisory - a note to assist the drivers involved to avoid similar incidents (usually a note to keep awareness of a certain situation in future without any fault being apportioned)
• Racing incident - a collision where neither driver is judged to be primarily at fault. Usually accompanied by notes on what each driver could have done differently to avoid contact.
• Warning - Driver primarily at fault for a minor incident with low consequences. Multiple warnings can result in a penalty
• Penalty - Driver primarily at fault for a significant incident involving another driver/ssome text
  • Penalties will be accompanied by on or more “Penalty Point”
  • Penalties can include on or more of the following:some text
    • Time penalty added to race time.
    • Disqualification of this or another race/ qualifying session.
    • Drive through carried to the next race.

Race start:

Drivers should take particular care in the early laps to avoid contact. Making any sudden movements while the pack is bunched is likely to cause contact. Make sure to leave additional space in braking zones and tight corners as the bunching will cause the car ahead to slow more than usual.

Poor driving standards in early laps will be penalized in the same way as any other incidents where a driver is judged to be primarily at fault.

Wheel to wheel racing:

The responsibility for collisions or other racing infringements will be judged by the race stewards based on their experience and common racing practices. Some additional reading around wheel to wheel racing can be found here https://f1metrics.wordpress.com/2014/08/28/the-rules-of-racing/comment-page-2/ .

It is important to remember that many factors may come into determining the responsible driver including but not limited to type of car, track layout, driver intent or outcome.

Any poor driving standards should be reported to the stewards for their awareness (contact will be automatically detected in the server logs and reviewed)

IMPORTANT - A driver knowingly at fault should NOT slow to wait for another driver as this can cause further incidents but should continue to race forwards.

Spinning Cars

• It is every driver's responsibility to make every effort possible to avoid an out of control or stationary car. Of course sometimes contact is still inevitable and part of racing so no-one would be at fault.
• It is the responsibility of a driver to remain as predictable as possible once they have lost control. The best way to remain predictable is to hold the brakes on. This will force your car to slide in a straight line and reduce the chances of you being hit. Drivers out of control who make no effort to remain predictable will be responsible for a resultant collision.
• Drivers who hit a spinning or stationary car where the stewards deem it to have been avoidable will be deemed at fault.

Track Limits

• A driver must not gain a “lasting advantage” while outside of track limits. Receiving a Real Penalty “cut” warning or penalty does not affect this, drivers should still not gain an advantage. Lasting advantage refers to passing a car or stopping a car passing you. Real Penalty will dictate the track limits for a given track. It is usually safe to assume that keeping at least 1 tyre within the white line is within track limits.
• Qualifying times only count within track limits and are enforced by the server.

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Rejoins

• It is the responsibility of a driver off track to rejoin the track safely in any session.
• Drivers should aim to rejoin at the most shallow angle possible and keep close to the edge of the track where they joined until they are back to racing speed
• Drivers should not accelerate on grass or gravel and it is the responsibility of the rejoining driver to enter the circuit in control of their car.
• If multiple drivers leave the circuit together, they must prioritize rejoining safely and should not battle off track.
• If you see a driver rejoining the circuit ahead, in the interests of self preservation aim to leave as much space as possible for them to rejoin without sacrificing your own race.

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Yellow flags

• Indicates another car is off track ahead. Drivers should take care and be prepared to take evasive action. Drivers are free to overtake, however it is the responsibility of the passing car to do so safely taking into consideration that the other car could move unpredictably in order to avoid the hazards.

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Blue flags

• Indicate that a car is approaching to lap you. When a car is lapping, you should stay on the racing line and continue to drive in a predictable way. It is the responsibility of the passing car to do so safely, however it is advised that the car being lapped should reduce their throttle slightly on a straight to assist the lapping car to pass once the car has pulled alongside.
• In some race series, blue flags are to be ignored. Treat the approaching driver the same as any other battle for position. This will be communicated in the series specific regulations.

• Blue flags - to be ignored and you are free to race all cars. Note that based on strategy it could be in your interest to choose to battle or not battle cars on different laps.
• Yellow flags - as per section 2.3.2.
• Bump Drafting - due to connection lag, and the collision model it's possible that bump drafting could cause unexpected reactions. Bump Drafting is not allowed
• Use of Apron - The Apron is not part of the track. You may not gain an advantage on the apron, however you may use the apron in avoidance or if forced there by another car when already alongside.
• Some guidance on general oval etiquette can be found here and the stewards expect you to be familiar with this prior to taking part.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9b7VHG6fFE

Dirty driving

• Any intentional contact, blocking, punting or crowding will not be tolerated. The stewards will work with the offending driver to understand the reason why someone has acted this way and try to resolve the factors that have led to it. If no resolution can be found, the stewards have the power to temporarily or permanently ban a driver (don’t worry, this has never happened yet and we hope will never happen).

Unsporting behavior

• Unsporting behavior covers all aspects of race night including behavior outside of the race server. All drivers are expected to be patient and respectful in discord chat at all times and recognise each other member as a friend (treat others as you expect to be treated). Any bullying or targeted abuse will not be tolerated and will result in penalties (likely temporary or permanent ban).
• A key element of racing is keeping calm and persevering through adversity. During a race session drivers must speak in discord calmly and must not vent frustration or blame at another driver (report any incident to the stewards review). Any driver causing contact is encouraged to say sorry but not obliged.
• Push-To-Talk is highly encouraged to help stop any heated remarks being broadcast.
• The stewards/Admins are within their rights to apply any penalty to the race session or otherwise for any unsporting behavior.
• Drivers found to be driving in crocs, flip-flops or clogs will be instructed to tape their hand to the gear stick for the next round.

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Penalty point(s) will be given to a driver who is deemed to be responsible for an incident as set out in the driving standards. Points will be added to a drivers tally each round and this will be tracked on the drivers “license”. If a driver scores 0 penalty points in a whole evening of racing (A clean night) a single point will be removed from the license. It is possible to add multiple points per race based on incidents.

A driver must at least start a race to be deemed to have a clean night, otherwise this evening will be deemed a no-show and the license point score will roll on to the next event.

Any time a driver reaches 5 penalty points, they will have a penalty applied to the next race that they take part in (Penalty TBC but likely a drive-through). If a driver accumulates this amount of penalty points it is likely the stewards will discuss their driving standards with them directly to try to highlight areas for improvement. The stewards can take any measures they think are necessary to promote good fair racing within the club.

The aim is to reward consistently clean racing and assist drivers who find themselves regularly involved in incidents to see the patterns in their own driving to improve their racecraft.