• From: Hayward, CA
  • Registered: 2010-03-23
  • Posts: 1,762

Topic: The drivers Code.

Some interesting comments in this article. The drivers code. Go talk to the guy you just F*&^ed over and work it out like civil humans. So there isn't retaliation later. I've always tried to to do that, take the other driver a beer (a good craft beer, not a coors light), and say sorry.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-fr … 31645.html

I've been let down by lots of drivers whom have hit my teams cars. I got slammed really hard my 2nd stint ever in Lemons by a civic, tossed 40' across track and 10' off into mud. And did the guy show up with a beer to talk? Nope, When confronted in his pit, he wanted to hide. So much for talking about it like men.

Remember the guys with the cop radios at Sonoma who caused the race to get stopped for ~35 min while they searched for the guilty radio. They "bought everyone beer" for the end of Saturday,.... yeah that was like 4 cases of Coors Light for the 180 car field at Sonoma.

So do we have a code? does it work? Do you know about it? Do you care?

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2 Reply by OnkelUdo (edited by OnkelUdo 2015-11-05 11:56 AM)

  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: The drivers Code.

I keep thinking this is a Coastal thing. 

Although I had to once apologize for my (arrive and drive) driver because he was too chicken and I once could not find the team, generally we all seem to meet in the Penalty Box and invite each other over for a beer after racing stops.  Occasionally to sign their "tattoo" on our body work.

If a car is taken out for any period of time by damage, you will usually see a swarm of other teams' drivers there with hammers and come-along to help get them back on the track even before they have finished coming in on the hook.  Even seen one team give up their last two spare tires on Saturday night (with a strong chance of needing them Sunday) to make sure another team could get back on the track.  Most teams that admit fault (if there is obvious fault) offer to run for parts, loan out team member for wrenching, etc.

Without this sense of community, I would still be in Lemons but I would not be nearly as committed to it.

  • From: Seattle-ish
  • Registered: 2011-06-16
  • Posts: 654

Re: The drivers Code.

We definitely make an effort to track down other teams we've "offended" (luckily it's only happened once (that I'm aware of)).  If I make contact with someone, I'll radio into the pits and tell them to write down the car number so I don't forget.

Like most teams, we have no intention of making contact, and we certainly don't want another team to lose track time because of our dumb mistakes.  If we caused damage, we always offer to help out any way we can to get them back on track.

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  • From: Portlandia
  • Registered: 2014-08-08
  • Posts: 1,035

Re: The drivers Code.

When I punted and spun the Rustbucket Ranch Duster, I went over and apologized after we were done with our Judge's punishment (even though I HAD THE LINE! It was mine and he took it. MINE! MINE! MINE!). Lemons is cool because the Driver's Code is simple: "DON"T BE A DICK!" There is very little money at stake and the Judge's do a good job of punishing everyone. I don't miss fights breaking out and people holding life long grudges against people because of racing incidents. I don't think from a safety standpoint what MK did was in good form, but multi-million dollar egos are hard to control. In Baja, it was a little like Punt, Pass, & Kick, though not necessarily in that order.

'18 PNW-Organizer's Choice '17 PNW-IOE '15 PNW-Judge's Choice '14 PNW-Heroic Fix
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5 Reply by stimpyvan (edited by stimpyvan 2015-11-09 07:49 AM)

  • From: Very Rainy Washington State
  • Registered: 2011-06-27
  • Posts: 1,157

Re: The drivers Code.

Shit, wrong thread.

13X losers (or is 14 now?) refusing to learn from our failures.
Organizer's Choice!  Trophy should have a bottle opener on it.
  • From: Austin
  • Registered: 2010-09-13
  • Posts: 1,478

Re: The drivers Code.

Rules of life:
1. Don't be a dick
2. No, seriously: don't be a dick

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  • From: St Louis
  • Registered: 2011-10-20
  • Posts: 2,611

Re: The drivers Code.

ninjacoco wrote:

Rules of life:
1. Don't be a dick
2. No, seriously: don't be a dick

This^^^^

And it's covered well in the rules:

"6.1: It's Always Your Fault: Lemons is an all-fault environment. You are 100% responsible for what happens while you're at the wheel. Think you're the hittee, not the hitter? We don't care. Think you've been wrongly accused? See the part where it says "we don't care." Your job is to stay out of trouble. If trouble finds you, take responsibility like a grownup and figure out how to avoid it the next time. This ain't the damn SCCA."

If you go to chat with another driver with this in mind it always ends better.

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  • From: Houston, Texas
  • Registered: 2013-01-07
  • Posts: 222

Re: The drivers Code.

If something goes wrong, confront it with compassion for yourself and for those involved.

Lemons breeds comraderie which can breed compassion. Other series, not so much.

Captain of Virtuous Authority and Tool Underdevelopment: Escape Velocity Racing
- Ten+ Time Loser
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  • From: Tustin, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-30
  • Posts: 3,275

Re: The drivers Code.

NASCAR is it's own animal.  A lot of the time they race pretty clean and other times not so much.  To me, anytime it's okay to "move the guy out of the way", it's not really racing anymore.  If you have to hit them or spin them to make the pass, then it's not really racing to me.  I understand that the box NASCAR has put themselves in aero-wise makes it almost impossible to pass so they encourage that crap.  I don't really see any difference between what happened at the two races (Kansas & Martinsville).  In both cases the leader got crashed by the car behind and in both cases the chances for advancing in the contrived points format was ended or severely dented.  The only difference between the two is perception and they should either have punished them both or let it go as entertainment.  I felt they both should have been punished.

But like I said, that's a different animal and none of that should apply here.  They are pro racers being paid to entertain the butts in the grandstand seats.  We're amateurs racing to entertain the butt in the driver seat.  Just don't be "that" guy and learn from those who do it better than you.  And never convince yourself that you are better than everyone else.  Cause you're not.

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  • From: Portlandia
  • Registered: 2014-08-08
  • Posts: 1,035

Re: The drivers Code.

cheseroo wrote:

Just don't be "that" guy and learn from those who do it better than you.  And never convince yourself that you are better than everyone else.  Cause you're not.

But I had a faster car.

'18 PNW-Organizer's Choice '17 PNW-IOE '15 PNW-Judge's Choice '14 PNW-Heroic Fix
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  • From: SF BayArea/Land of Enchantment
  • Registered: 2012-01-22
  • Posts: 904

Re: The drivers Code.

CPT_Trans_Continental wrote:
cheseroo wrote:

Just don't be "that" guy and learn from those who do it better than you.  And never convince yourself that you are better than everyone else.  Cause you're not.

But I had a faster car.

But I had the line.....

45+x Loser.....You'd think I would learn......
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(Still a Class B driver in a Class A car)
  • From: Shippensburg, PA
  • Registered: 2010-11-18
  • Posts: 1,963

Re: The drivers Code.

cheseroo wrote:

NASCAR is it's own animal.  A lot of the time they race pretty clean and other times not so much.  To me, anytime it's okay to "move the guy out of the way", it's not really racing anymore.  If you have to hit them or spin them to make the pass, then it's not really racing to me.  I understand that the box NASCAR has put themselves in aero-wise makes it almost impossible to pass so they encourage that crap.  I don't really see any difference between what happened at the two races (Kansas & Martinsville).  In both cases the leader got crashed by the car behind and in both cases the chances for advancing in the contrived points format was ended or severely dented.  The only difference between the two is perception and they should either have punished them both or let it go as entertainment.  I felt they both should have been punished.

But like I said, that's a different animal and none of that should apply here.  They are pro racers being paid to entertain the butts in the grandstand seats.  We're amateurs racing to entertain the butt in the driver seat.  Just don't be "that" guy and learn from those who do it better than you.  And never convince yourself that you are better than everyone else.  Cause you're not.


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