I have a question...

[fig8wife]

I am not a driver just a spectator. I have been hearing a lot about slower drivers having to get out of the way of other faster drivers in a lot of the threads on this forum. Maybe I don't understand the rules or something, but if the other drivers are faster, then why is it that they can't pass correctly? I understand that a lot of drivers mirror drive, but isn't the point of racing to try and pass other cars CLEAN to gain a position? I hear of this all the time in all divisions, I just can't see racing being racing if all the drivers are just moving out of the way. Please enlighten me....

[LongIslandJam]

This is an interesting topic of national debate (not only to Riverhead).

If a car is going a lap down or more, then by all means they should pull over, as that's common courtesy. If not, as they say, they face the consequences.

If it's for position, then it's another story. The idea is for one to protect position. Some philosophies are to leave an outside groove open for the faster car to take (if they are so fast, then take it).

However, the agreed consensus is that if a guy is under you or above you, you should respect his line and not drive him/her into a wall or below the line. Some drivers have been guilty of that, and it's not racing, that's just plain dirty driving.:-|

[Richie]

WOW! Real racing.

[W. J.]

The reason a driver would move out of the way for a faster car is if the driver knew they missed their set-up on a given night, and the car is not working for them up to its potential. It is done by smarter drivers as a courtesy to their fellow competitors, in the hope that the favor will be returned.
Unfortunately, it is not used much, and that is why the complaints show up on here. I know, I know, you're going to say that it is said about drivers that are just slower, and they are there to race. I agree. My example really just applies to someone turning a 15 second lap, when the majority of the rest of the field is turning 13.5's. The driver doing 15's should realize that the car is a hazard to others and stay out of the way. It is done, mostly by rookies who are still learning. They don't mirror drive, but smart ones look in the mirror to see if someone is behind them and needs to get by, so they can, in fact, move out of the way.
The true complaint should be about two slow cars that are racing each other for a position as the leaders come to them, and they don't pay attention to the move over flag that the starter usually shows them. That's a problem.

But, just plain "get out of my way, make it easier for me" is a request that shouldn't be made so easily, if we are truly talking about racing. I'm guessing that's what you are referring to. The answer to that is much more complex than what I can tell you.

[RickFigure8]

I think for the most part the mention of this problem lately has been due to a few cars we have that are just totally off the pace and not just a little slower. Sometimes they try going to the outside which only messes things up worse but even staying low there has been problems with others running into them, locking up to avoid running into them, and making last second dives to miss them, all of which have been causing pileups. I haven't a clue how to fix this. You really can't just tell people they can't run. They could run the heats where there's a limited number of cars so it's not such a problem and not the feature until they are up to speed, but that also isn't right, expecting someone to keep coming knowing there's no payoff whatsoever for them. Maybe starting in the rear until they show they can run with most everyone else. If there's a cuation with a double file restart they go to the rear again if they are not on the lead lap. W.J. mentioned another very rough situation that happens alot, two cars racing each other when the leaders come up to pass them. My feeling is whichever car is the lead car stays while the other has to drop back behind, but what if a driver has worked for the last 6 laps and is up pretty much even on the outside, who gets to stay and who drops behind?. Maybe they stay side by side and it's up to the skill of the leaders as to just how and when they get past them. After all is said and done I have seen people say so and so really knew how to use the lappped cars to his advantage, while others are saying the lapped cars really screwed so and so. Now when the leaders can't be patient and they start beating on and pushing these slower cars that's when things go bad fast. Maybe most of all this is just called Racing. Whatever it is there might just not be any fast easy cure.

Rick