- Rules - 

1.      Overall

a. Series Format:  HPCORS runs two ProCup divisions, the North division and the South division.  In addition, HPCORS runs the Touring Series that has three classes, street stocks, modifieds and late models.  The format of the two series are outlined in the series overview.  Generally speaking, the Touring Series is targeted towards beginner to intermediate drivers and the ProCup at intermediate to veteran drivers.  However, there is a lot of crossover participation.

2.      General

a. Software: HPCORS uses the NASCAR Racing 2OO5 Season software (NR2OO5) on OLR servers.

b. 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: HPCORS entertains a wide range of driver skill levels.  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 skill level of slower drivers.  Recognize their braking points and don't run them over on turn entry.  Don't crowd them in the corner.  When passing, give plenty of room in case they bobble it.  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.

c. Race Reviews: All ProCup races will be reviewed by non-driving, in-race officials during the race.  Calls made by HPCORS officials during the race are final for the race; however they may be protested after the race (see Section 4 below).  Touring Series races will reviewed only on an as-needed basis.  In either case, if you see an infraction that you feel is significant enough to have an effect on the race, or if a particular driver repeats the same infraction several times, please notify HPCORS officials (this need not be a formal protest).

Note: It is impossible for race officials to review every car for the entire race.  Do not expect that race officials will notice every infraction.  If you see an infraction that you feel is significant enough to have an effect on the race or if a particular driver repeats the same infraction several times, please report it either informally or as a formal protest.

d. Rules Infractions: Rules infractions will be dealt with in a per-incident basis as judged by HPCORS officials.  Infractions that result from repeatedly ignoring recommendations (as outlined below) will be judged more severely.

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

3.      Race Rules

a. Driver Meetings: Prior to the race, a “driver’s meeting” will be distributed by e-mail that will include all race settings and any special rules or notes for that race.  Please make sure HPCORS officials (Tony Stevens or Mark Royer) have your e-mail address.

b. General Rules: All rules from NR2OO5 will be used as is.

c. Black Flags: Penalties levied by NR2OO5 are final.  Race admins will NOT clear black flags during the race.

Exception: NASCAR 2OO5 does an excellent job of incorporating the rules of racing.  Occasionally at some tracks (far less often than popularly believed), NR2OO5 will issue a bogus black flag.  For ProCup races (with in-race officials), such a black flag may be cleared at their discretion.  Do not expect it to be cleared; it will only be cleared if race officials can positively determine that it is a bogus black flag.

For Touring Series race (no in-race officials) driving admins cannot be expected to judge these rare situations in real time and black flags will not be cleared.

Exception: (ProCup only) During a restart, if a driver slows unexpectedly causing drivers behind him/her to pass to the left before the start/finish line thereby getting a black flag from the game, in-race officials may clear it.  Do not expect it to be cleared; officials will only clear it if they believe it was unavoidable.

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

e. Final Standings: The final standings determined by NR2OO5 are official. 

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

Note: NR2OO5 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, 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 (See Section 4 below).  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: 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, the 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.

Note: This procedure is only used for the race session.  For example, the qualification session is not delayed if a driver is disconnected; if the driver misses the qualification run entirely, he/she will need to start the race at the back of the pack.

Note: This procedure does NOT cover manual disconnections; it only covers disco's due to internet connections or other reasons out of driver control.

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: (Touring Series) During the last ten laps of a race, drivers are allowed to race back to the start/finish line.  (ProCup) Do not race back, even during the last 10 laps; the lucky dog rule is in effect.

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. Causing Cautions: Two-caution system is used. The first time a driver is at fault for causing a caution in a race, he must go to the end of the longest line on restart.  If the same driver later causes a second caution, the driver must retire from the race.   For the Touring Series (no in-race officials) the system is self-policing; races may be reviewed later for compliance.  For ProCup divisions (with in-race officials), the in-race official will call the number of the driver who is at fault.

Note: To avoid black flags for fellow drivers, when you must go to the end of the longest line (EOLL) drive thru the pits (at pit speed, of course) during the third or fourth lap of the caution.  In addition, to avoid confusion, indicate that you must go to EOLL via chat message.

Note: During the Touring Series, which runs several short races in a row, a driver that parks his car for causing two cautions is free to enter the next race of the evening.

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 their respective lines; lead lap cars on the outside and lapped cars on the inside.

Exception: If the caution restart will occur with ten or fewer laps to go in the race, then the restart will be single file; lapped cars do not go to the inside line.  In addition, 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. Lucky Dog:  (This rule is used for ProCup races only) When a caution is thrown, the first car one or more laps down will be the lucky dog.  The in-race official will announce the lucky dog driver as soon as possible during the caution.  It is then the responsibility of the lucky dog to safely get an end-of-longest-line (EOLL) game penalty before the restart.  Failure to get EOLL will cause forfeiture of lucky dog status.  After the restart, the in-race official will add one lap to the lucky dog.

Suggestion: To get an EOLL penalty speed (safely) in the pit area.

q. Rear of Lead Lap: (This rule is used for ProCup races only) During a caution, cars on the rear of the lead lap but immediately behind the pace car will be directed by the in-race official to pass the pace car and proceed to the tail end of the longest line.  The in-race official will clear the resultant black flag(s).

4.      Protests

a. Procedure: To protest an in-race call or any other issue, e-mail the details of your protest along with any supporting documentation (replay clips, chat logs, etc...) to Tony Stevens or Mark Royer. A protest must be filed within three days of the date of the issue being protested.