Alright guys, time for a little group chat about driver etiquette. We are a laid back group and I try not to take things too seriously but we do expect everyone to adhere to the basic rules of clean driving. I had several complaints in my inbox about several different drivers after Saturday's races.
First, let me say that I believe everybody is here because they want to race with other gentleman and I expect that you do your best to drive as gentlemanly as possible. None of us are professionals and none of us have 100% control of our car 100% of the time, especially at a track like Daytona Road Course. I don't expect everyone to be perfect, but I do expect everyone to use their heads and be considerate of the other drivers in the race. Anticipate what the driver in front of/behind you is going to do and try to react accordingly, always on the side of caution. When other cars are around you it will effect how you drive, your braking points are going to change as well as your entry/exit points and you need to try to adapt for these things. You may not be able to take the same line that you practice during hot lapping, and there's nothing saying you're entitled to that line. However, the lead driver has the right to take WHATEVER line he wants (as long as it's legal and not deliberate blocking). The trailing driver(s) MUST respect this and act accordingly.
I was not in the races on Saturday so I don't have access to the replay and can't really analyze the incidents. Most of the complaints were about unsafe track re-entry from drivers who had spun. A spin results in frustration and we all want to get back on track asap to minimize any lost time but you MUST NOT pull onto the track in front of other drivers. Yes, it's frustrating to sit there and watch positions go by but it is the proper thing to do, both in sim racing and real world racing. So please, in all future races check that the track is clear before you re-enter the racing surface, and if you see other cars coming be a gentleman and let them by without trouble.
There were a few other complaints about people trying to pass through the bus-stop chicane. This is where using your head becomes important, we all know it's very tricky to get through there even when you're by yourself so why somebody would try to make a pass there is beyond me. Yes, it's possible to have a lot of extra speed from drafting which theoretically makes the pass feasible but it is ill-advised. Use your head, back off a bit and get a good run through the chicane so you can have maximum exit speed and overtake on the oval banking. You don't want to be in the lead after the bus-stop anyway as you will then be a sitting duck to anybody in your slipstream. Think ahead and plan accordingly.
Meeting adjourned.
after this week 
