NASCAR Rulebook
Qualifying Procedure
For the Truck Series race and the Nationwide Series race will be using the Group Qualifying Procedure. All drivers will be released onto the track at the same time in groups of 5 as decided by practice speeds. Qualifying will be run immediately before the race.
- The first session is open to all cars and lasts 10 minutes. Drivers that do not advance will set positions 6-10.
- The fastest 5 cars in the first segment advance. Their times are reset. The second round will last 5 minutes. This will set positions 1-5.
1. Qualifying will be done in a “race”. The room will be set to 25 laps. We shouldn’t be able to complete 25 laps in 15 minutes worth of qualifying with 3 pace laps, but we should come close. The first segment will have 2 pace laps in order to activate the Pit Road bug.
2. Drivers will be lined up on pit road based on a random draw from Random.org.
3. There will be a five-minute break between each round.
4. The timer for each round will start once the first car crosses the Start/Finish Line.
5. Once time ends in a session and a driver is still on their lap, they will be allowed to complete it.
6. Lap speeds for drivers that advance to the next round reset after each round. Drivers that advance to the next round are locked-in ahead of drivers that did not advance, even if their next round speed is slower that a non-advancing driver’s prior round speed.
7. Drivers that advance to the next round will line up at the exit of Pit Road in preparation for the next round of qualifying. Drivers will not go through Pit Road to get there.
8. Drivers are not allowed to make repairs on Pit Road. If a vehicle is involved in an incident and goes to the Pit Road, it is not allowed to return for qualifying. A car that goes to the Pit Road will be positioned in the starting lineup based on its top lap speed in the last round it completed. Once a driver enters Pit Road, their qualifying session is over, that driver may not advance to the next round.
9. Drivers cannot exit the track and go to the garage. If a car leaves the track, it is removed from qualifying and positioned in the starting lineup by its top lap speed in its last round competed.
10. If there is an incident during qualifying, the qualifying timer will be stopped for the session and we will resume the allotted time when the track is clear. it can also be stopped at the discretion of the managing director of the series.
11. Drivers will be limited to one set of tires for qualifying
12. Drivers are allowed to draft in qualifying session. Drivers are not allowed to tandem draft during qualifying. For any lap in which tandem drafting was involved, the lap will be disallowed for both drivers involved the drivers must serve a drive-through penalty. Drivers are allowed to bump each other, but drivers are not allowed to stay glued to each other.
13. A driver does not have to compete for the entire duration of a session, but the vehicle must complete one lap in order to record a qualifying time. This is a good strategy to avoid being involved in a wreck. Once a driver is satisfied with their lap, they are to pull over in the skid pad area before Pit Road. Drivers are allowed to resume driving if they find that their lap time is no longer good enough.
14. If multiple vehicles are tied with the same top lap speed, at the end of a round, whichever driver set the duplicate time first would start in front of the other.
15. If qualifying is ended prematurely and one or more qualifying sessions are completed, the starting positions will be determined based on the most-recently completed qualifying sessions.
Qualifying for the Daytona 500
The Qualifying for the Daytona 500 will be split into two stages, initial Qualifying and the Daytona Duels. For the initial Qualifying, all drivers will receive 1 out lap and 2 timed laps. Placement order will be determined by the fastest lap lap time for each driver. This initial Qualifying will be run immediately before the Daytona Duels. The first Daytona Duel will include the drivers that placed in the odd positions from the initial qualifying. (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) The results of this race will determine the inside starting grid for the Daytona 500. The second Daytona Duel will include the drivers that placed in the even positions from the initial qualifying. (2nd, 4th, 6th, etc.) The results of this race will determine the outside starting grid for the Daytona 500. 1st and 2nd place from the initial qualifying will start in 1st and 2nd positions in the Daytona 500 regardless of where they placed in the Daytona Duels.
Caution Procedure
A Caution will be called if there is a wreck or if there is debris knocked onto the track. There will be absolutely no passing during a Caution, from the moment that the Caution is called, unless otherwise directed by a Race Director. The field is frozen instantly. We DO NOT race back to the line. In the event of a Caution, drivers will slow down carefully, to the pace speed of the track. When a Caution is thrown, do not slam on your brakes to slow down. If you slam on your brakes, and it causes an accident, you will be penalized.
When the Caution comes out, the Pit Lane is immediately closed. Entering Pit Road when it is closed is a penalty of restarting at the end of the longest line. If a driver is already on Pit Road when the Caution comes out, that driver will not be penalized. Pit Road will be closed until a Race Director announces that it is open. Drivers are allowed to pit even if Pit Road is closed if they have excessive damage that is making their car too difficult to drive. However, if any driver pits while Pit Road is closed, they will start at the back in the restart. (On the outside of or behind the car the caused the Caution.) In addition, that driver will be ineligible for a Wave Around that Caution.
During a "Quickie Yellow" all cars may enter pit road the first time by when it is opened. After the pit stops, the first car a lap down at the moment of Caution (known as the Free Pass car) will get to go around the Pace Car and start the race at the end of the longest line.
During a full Yellow, only Lead Lap cars may pit the first time by Pit Road. Once the Lead Lap cars who have decided to pit have entered Pit Road, the Free Pass car will be sent around the Pace Car to earn their lap back. The next time by, all cars (including the Free Pass car) may pit. (The Free Pass car MUST pit.)
Cars may pit as often as they wish at the expense of track position.
Aggressive driving and retaliations under Caution will NOT be permitted and drivers will be penalized accordingly. Drivers who hit other cars and cause damage during a Caution will be penalized with a drive-thru penalty right before the restart. The Caution will be extended to allow the driver that was hit to pit again if pit stops have already occurred. That driver will be allowed to regain their position.
If a driver spins out during a Caution, racers will be allowed to pass that driver. (If drivers are already formed up behind the Pace Car, then racers will only be allowed to pass the driver that spun out as long as they do not exceed the pace speed.) Racers will not be allowed to pass the driver that spun out once that driver is back up to pace speed. If the driver that spun out is damaged as a result of their spin out, the Caution WILL NOT be extended. The driver that spun out WILL NOT get their position back.
During a Caution you may signal other drivers to pass you by moving off of the track and slowing your speed. If you do this, you will only be allowed to take your position back at the call of the Race Director if you were typing something important in the in-game chat.
The field will remain under Caution until everything is set to resume racing under safe and fair conditions.
At the one to go signal, any car that is ahead of the leader of the race will be waved around the rear of the field. These cars are not permitted to pit until after the Green Flag comes back out and the race has resumed.
Pitting
Approaching Pit Road there will be a turn off point to enter Pit Road. After a certain point there will be a Commitment Line where drivers will not be able to change their mind and they must enter Pit Road, which will be announced by the Race Director.
Under Caution drivers may pit as many times as they would like. However, the first time by Pit Road will only be open to the lead lap cars. The second time by, everyone may pit. Cars a lap down pitting with the lead lap cars will be send to the tail end of the longest line. See Beneficiary Rule: (Also known as Free Pass or Lucky Dog Rule.)
When there is a Caution, after the pit stops, the first car a lap down at the moment of Caution (known as the Free Pass car) will get to go around the Pace Car and start the race at the end of the longest line. After the Pace Car comes out, the Lucky Dog will carefully pass the Pace Car at the call of a Race Steward and take a lap around the track. After the Lucky Dog takes his lap, he will get back in line behind the lapped cars. The Lucky Dog must pit with the lapped cars instead of the lead lap cars for this Caution. If the Free Pass car is judged to have caused the Caution (intentionally or not) there will be no Free Pass car. If the driver is a lap down because of a penalty, the driver will not be eligible for the Free Pass. The "Lucky Dog" rule does not apply during the last 10 laps of the race.
Starts and Restarts
Starts and Restarts will be Double File. The leader will get their choice of lane for the front row. For the rest of the rows, even positions will be on the outside and odd positions being on the inside for all of the rows. There is to be no changing lanes until after your car has passed the Start/Finish Line. If you're on the inside row and the outside row gets a better jump, you're stuck on the inside row until your car passes the Start/Finish Line and vice-versa.
The Restart order is always this: Lead Lap Cars > Disconnect Caution Cars > Cars 1 or more laps down > Free Pass Car > Wave Arounds > Cars that have received a penalty. Once the Pace Car has pulled onto Pit Road, the leader will have control of the field at Pace Speed. There will be a Restart "Box" at a point on the track that will be marked by the Race Director in the drivers meeting. Once the front row has entered the Restart Box, both cars are free to accelerate to take the Green Flag.
Network Disconnect Cautions
When a driver has a network disconnect and is forced out from the lounge of an event race, a “Disconnect Caution” will be waved. NAT Type 1 or 2 are required to race, NAT Type 3 is prohibited. If you wish to retire from the race, enter Pit Road, do not click "OK", or if you do IMMEDIATELY hit Start. This will ensure that you car stays in it's pit stall for the remainder of the race. If you need to leave the room, make sure we know that you are leaving so we know that you haven't been disconnected. You still need to drive yourself to Pit Road before leaving the room.
A. Disconnect Cautions resemble mechanical issues/failures, this MUST be the said driver’s first network disconnect of the race.
B. The standing Race Director will call for the Caution when noted that the qualifying driver has left the room.
C. Standard Caution procedure will be observed until the first time by when Pit Road would be open, at that time a Red Flag will be called.
D. All drivers will gradually come to a stop on the track.
E. The disconnected driver will then have 5 minutes, from the moment of the Red Flag, to re-enter the room. If the driver has not returned within the time limit, standard Caution procedure will resume.
F. If the driver returns, all drivers will enter pit road and fill up on fuel, after this the Red Flag will resume and Official’s will take a tally and placement of current drivers for the Restart.
G. Drivers will then back out of the race and the host will set the laps to the remaining amount. (Additional Pace Laps may be needed if there are lapped cars.)
H. The disconnected driver will restart at the rear of the field.
I. If there are lapped cars, the lapped cars will pull over to the side of the track on the backstretch and will rejoin the lead lap cars when they are the correct amount of laps down. The field will remain under Caution until all cars are the laps down they should be before the disconnection occurred.
J. If a car was positioned to receive a wave around, they will not receive the wave around.
K. Standard restart procedure will be followed on the final Pace Lap.
L. Disconnect Cautions will not occur with 10 or less laps to go.
M. If a driver is disconnected a second time, a second Disconnect Caution WILL NOT be granted, the driver will record a DNF, and may remain in the lounge area.
N. Exception to "M." Drivers will be able to re-enter a race if there is another Disconnect Caution. If another Disconnect Caution is called later in the race, and the field is reset along with the room, that driver will be granted re-entry to the race. It is as if their car was taken behind the wall for repairs. Drivers who re-enter this way will restart the race 5 laps down in relation to the last place car. (Unless they were less than 5 laps down in relation to the last place car, in which case they will be the number of laps down that they actually were.) Lapped drivers will pull off to a designated spot and wait for lead lap drivers to pass them additional times until they are the correct number of laps down. Drivers who re-enter the race in this way, and are more than 5 laps down, will not be eligible for a Free Pass or a Wave Around until there has been enough times where they would have been waved around, where they would actually be 5 laps down. (Help from Officials will be available if necessary.)
Wrecks on the Last Lap
If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. The race is over. The field is frozen at the Moment of Caution. For scoring purposes the Moment of Caution will be official 6 seconds after the wreck begins. However, if there is an incident during the final lap behind the leaders, and the run to the finish line is clear for the leaders, the Caution may be delayed until the leader has taken the Checkered Flag. This allow an opportunity for the leaders to race for the win.
For cars that are involved in the wreck, the cars must be back on the track and moving at a fairly reasonable speed comparable to the track and the Caution Speed Limit in order to hold position. Drivers will be allowed to pass cars that are still recovering from the wreck.
Penalty Procedure
To perform a drive-through penalty, enter Pit Road in while going backwards; this will force your car to reset and drive-thru Pit Road without pitting. Running a Pit Stop when you are required to do a Drive-through Penalty will result in another Drive-through penalty when you arrive at Pit Road after going around the track.
The following is a list of NASCAR penalties.
Restarting at the End of the Line for the Ensuing Restart
1. Pitting before Pit Road is open. This includes drivers pitting when they are a lap down when Pit Road is only open for the Lead Lap Cars as pit road would still be closed for Lapped Cars.
2. Pitting out of order.
Pit for Heavy Damage
3. Driving a car with heavy damage, to the point where it is difficult to control the car, or with engine damage, will result in the driver having to pit.
Restarting at the End of the Line (Caution) or Drive-through Penalty (Green Flag)
4. Cars must enter pit road in single file. If a driver is out of line, this will result in a penalty.
5. Speeding while entering Pit Road. The game may reset the driver for speeding, this is also an acceptable penalty on some occasions.
6. Passing on pit road from the inside on entry.
7. A Commitment Line Violation.
8. Going above the Blend Line exiting Pit Road. (Except under Caution.)
Stop and Go Penalty
9. Speeding on pit road during a drive-through penalty.
Drive-through Penalty
10. Accelerating before the Restart Line on a Start or Restart.
11. Under Caution, passing after the second to last turn on the "One to Go" signal.
12. Passing on a Start or Restart before the Start/Finish Line,
13. Not being bunched up with the group on a Start or Restart.
14. Changing lanes after the leader has entered the Restart Box on a Restart. This includes the lane changes caused by warming your tires.
15NT. (For Nationwide and Trucks only.) Tandem drafting. Drivers are allowed to bump each other, but drivers are not allowed to stay glued to each other.
-1 Lap Penalties
(Holds the car until all the cars have made one lap.)
16. Not serving a Drive-Through Penalty when required, or, in a more severe case, see the Out of Race procedure. (Penalty #29.)
17. Speeding on Pit Road while serving a Drive-Through Penalty.
18. Passing the Pace Car without specific permission from Race Control.
19. Pulling up to pit; drivers must maintain position in relation to the field under Caution.
20. Passing a car under Caution that is heading to pit until they are on Pit Road.
21. Damaging a car under Caution. A more severe penalty may be induced.
Penalties Under Race Director Discretion
These can result in a simple restart at the tail of the field, a multiple lap penalty, or disqualification.
22. Disobeying a request from the Race Director.
23. Intentionally causing a Caution.
24. Verbal abuse to an Official.
25. Disobeying a Black Flag or penalty.
26. If a driver is retaliating against other drivers they will be kicked from the room and then the Disconnection Caution procedure will then be followed so that the host may rejoin the race.
End of Race
27. If there are not enough laps left in the race for a driver to serve a penalty, then they will be penalized after the race by being dropped to the last position for the current lap that they are on. (Example: If a driver is on the lead lap and he doesn't have enough time to serve the penalty, they will finish as the last car on the lead lap, ahead of any lapped cars.)
Daytona's Yellow Line Rule
28. Driving below the yellow line to advance your position is subject to a drive-through penalty, or if the foul occurs on the last lap that car will be regulated to the last car on the lead lap in official race results. Drivers may not complete a pass if any portion of that pass was below the yellow line. Drivers will not have to take the penalty if it is determined that the car that driver was passing forced the driver below the yellow line. Cars are allowed to pass other cars when they are "out of bounds", (below the Yellow Line) if they are doing so to avoid a wreck that is in progress.
Out of Race
29. Failure to comply with a Drive-Through Penalty within 3 laps will result in a disqualification where the driver must go to Pit Road and wait there until the end of the race. Failure to do that will result in the Host leaving the race and kicking the offending driver from the room. The Disconnection Caution procedure will then be followed so that the host may rejoin the race. If a driver does not serve their penalty within 3 laps, but continues to finish the race and is not kicked from the room, the driver's last lap will be 3 laps after they received the order to go the pit road for the drive-thru penalty. This also applies for drivers that do not pit because of penalty #4. This only applies if the Race Director saw the penalty during the race and the driver was told about said penalty. Otherwise, in the case of a Drive-through Penalty not being served, the driver will be scored with -1 lap. (Penalty #15.)
Note: If a driver was supposed to be scored as 1 lap down and they earn their lap back for scoring due to a Caution, when the game (correctly) shows them as the leader. That driver will not scored as on the lead lap until the correctly scored leader passes them. Example: A driver leading the race in the game should actually be scored a lap down. When the Caution comes out, they are scored as getting a Wave Around getting back on the lead lap. The driver restarts up front. That driver needs to get passed by the driver who has been getting scored as the leader before they can be scored as on the lead lap.
Probation
Under certain circumstances a driver may be placed on probation. When a driver is on probation, if they are seen breaking any rules (this includes not following the
GTPlanet OLR and/or the
Good Racecraft Guide) they may be banned for 1 race.
