MARS RULES

Refer to the specific division for the current rules in each division

The following rules are very basic rules for the MARS Racing. Reading and abiding by these rules is mandatory, if you are going to register with this series and participate in our events, you must know our rules. We reserve the right to change and or adjust the rules as needed should a problem or issue arise.

 Each division within MARS may or may not have more specific rules related to there division. It is up to each division administrator to determine the rules for that division and they will place the rules on the division home pages. Please check under the division you signed up for more information regarding all rules and updates.

Your Driving Frame of Mind:

Drive within your limits. When you over drive or have in your mind that you have to be faster then everyone on the track is when you will get yourself in trouble. The MARS concept is first be safe, then be fast. Keep your car in your lane at all times. Your number one goal in this league should be never to wreck anyone else. If this is your number one priority then you will do well. We know mistakes happen and in our style of racing wrecks are going to happen. Do your best to make as few mistakes as possible and we will have great races.

1) General Rules

1.1 HAVE FUN!! We all do this for fun. Let's not forget that.

1.2 Be prepared for your race. It is your responsibility to control your car at all times. This applies during all green and yellow flag conditions. If you can’t control your car don't bother applying to this league.

1.3 Situational Awareness: Everyone needs to practice this. Know it. Live it. Breathe it...at all times.

1.4 Wrecking a fellow driver while you are trying to re-enter the racing groove or line of traffic after you leave pit road is careless and unacceptable.

1.5 Respect others and they will respect you. If they don't respect you, the Board will deal with that individual.

1.6 Use your F2 indicator to constantly monitor the position of the cars in your vicinity during green flag conditions.

1.7 If you decide someone needs to be taken out (wrecked or smashed) because you don't like the way they drive or race, YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE LEAGUE! We will have zero tolerance for retaliatory maneuvers.

1.8 All problems between fellow members should be handled in a professional, adult manner. If you are not capable of this, do not apply to this series.

1.9 If you are unable to attend a race, notify your administrator.

1.10 Some events will run in 'hardcore' mode...(Forced Cockpit and/or Driver Aids Off)

1.11 All drivers will be required to have different car numbers. Car numbers are given on a first come first serve basis. Car #'s beginning with 0 are not permitted. A car set containing all of the driver's online cars is available for down load. Having this car set is driver’s choice.

1.12 2011 Rules

a)    NASCAR Racing 2003/2007 Season and ARCA Sim Racing will black flag or penalize you if you violate the rules. This includes improper pitting, merging, pace lap and caution flag procedures. Black flags will not be cleared.

b)    Penalties handed out during a race are final. No complaints regarding penalties given during the race will be reviewed.

c)     You can't clear a black flag on a restart. You must clear the flag under green flag conditions.

d)  If it is determined that a driver speeds down pit road in order to lead a lap, that driver will lose 5 points for that race.

2) Chat/Auto-chat

2.1 NO FLAMING OR NEGATIVE CHAT WILL BE TOLERATED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!! THAT INCLUDES RACES, PRACTICES, AND QUALIFYING. A chat log will be kept for each race.

A) Flaming is ANY badgering, swearing, sarcasm or constant chatter in reference to an incident on the track. If you want to put in an "I'm sorry " or "no problem" that's fine - "Thank you Moron" or other such derogatory remarks are unacceptable and can be considered grounds for league suspension. This includes emails as well.

B) Simply put, NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR IT! Not during the races or after the races.
If you FLAME you will be ejected from the server and/or suspended. You will not return until you write a formal apology to the league. Repeat offenders will be removed from the league.

C) Flaming:

a) First Offense: 100-point deduction, 1-week suspension and formal apology to the league. Yes, we are serious about this.

b) Second Offense: Immediate League Expulsion

3) Pre-Race Practice

3.1 Practice time will be posted in an email before each race.

3.2 Drivers are encouraged to participate in Pre-Race Practice as much as possible. BE PREPARED!!

4) Qualifying

4.1 There will be NO chatting allowed during qualifying. Please wait until the clock has reached ‘0’ before congratulating the pole sitter.

4.2 If you use Game Commander or other voice recognition software, please consider turning your microphone off during qualifying in an attempt to prevent inadvertent messages during qualifying.

5) Warm-up

5.1 There will be a 5 to 10 warm-up before every race. If the administrator decides to have a driver's meeting at the start of warm up, do not enter the track during this time...be considerate, the less chatter...the sooner the meeting is over the sooner you hit the track.

6) Racing

6.1 There is to be no chat, other than auto chat, during our events. If you want to say sorry or thank you that's fine. Members violating this rule will be subject to being booted from the server at the discretion of the league administration.

6.2 "Bump drafting" or "moving" another is risky in this sim racing and will not be tolerated.

6.3 It is the responsibility of the driver behind to execute a clean, safe pass. If you are not 100% certain this can be accomplished it is your responsibility to lift, and wait for a better opportunity to complete your pass. If you are running slower than the car behind you, you are expected to hold you line, while faster traffic passes you. Give them the ‘preferred’ racing line. Blocking is not allowed and is a punishable offense.

6.4 If at any time you should see a car in front of you get in trouble, your first response should be to back off. Remember our goal is clean races. After someone has gathered it up from a close call auto chat that you want to pass low or high.

6.5 Keep your eye out for race chat pertaining to cars near you such as signs asking you to pass.

6.6 If you get disconnected  you may reconnect. There is no limit however if you are having connection problems, you may want to consider retiring so you do not cause problems for you fellow racers.

7.0) All individual division rules will be enforced by the division administrator and penalty points assessed on a case by case basis as conduct unbecoming a MARS League Member.

7.1) The self-spin rule is in effect in all divisions. You  must park your car if you have 2 self spins that results in a caution in any event. This includes stopping on the track that results in a caution. Violation of this rule will result in being disqualified and losing all points for that event.

8) Starts/Restarts

8.1 Starts and Restart's will be decided by each series.

8.2 The driver on the pole will lead the field and must start on green. The race leader must maintain pace speed & accelerate only when the green flag flies.

8.3 There is to be NO lagging back on the starts/re-starts. There is to be no more than .5 between you and the car in front of you.

8.4 ALL DRIVERS GO ON THE GREEN FLAG ONLY!! There will be ABSOLUTELY NO ANTICIPATING THE START!! A “flying” restart will be determined by anyone >5 mph over the pace speed when the green flag drops, AND they use that additional speed to gain positions. If you are too fast, but fall in line, no penalty will be assessed.

8.5 If you are off the pace at the start or restart...pull low and ask other's to pass you high. DO NOT RIDE THE HIGH LINE FORCING DRIVER'S TO PASS LOW BEFORE THE S/F LINE!

8.6 It is against the rules to PASS OR PULL ALONGSIDE TO PASS ANYONE prior to CROSSING the start finish unless:

a) You are "waved by" by the car in front of you, i.e., "pass me High".
b) You are avoiding an accident or a car with a blown motor.

9) Resetting the server

9.1) If for some reason the races can not be started within 30 minutes of the original start time the race will be considered a rain out and rescheduled. If your race is not up check your email for info.

9.2) Also, should the server mass boot us a restart of the event will take place, provided it occurs within the first 10% of a race and that 50% or more of the starting field gets booted.

10) Pitting

10.1) KNOW THE TRACK PIT SPEED. There is no excuse for not knowing.

11) Cautions

11.1) When you take the yellow flag at the start/finish line do not slow down suddenly. Please ease off gradually until you've reached the back straight.

11.2) All drivers will agree that when the yellow flag comes out they will hold their position without passing until they cross the line taking the yellow.

11.3) It is acceptable to race back to the line if a yellow flag is displayed with 10 or fewer laps left in a race.

11.4) If you are in the midst of a passing attempt when the yellow flag is displayed, then try to finish the pass safely. If you haven't started your pass, then wait until the restart.

11.5) You may pass another car if they are off the pace or grants permission to do so.

11.6) The Leader has the option of allowing lapped cars to get their lap back if it is appropriate and can be done safely. THIS IS THE LEADERS DECISION

11.7) There is absolutely no excuse for crashing into another car while under caution. Anyone violating this rule will be dealt with severely.

11.8) Any one plowing into a stationary car at full throttle will be dealt with harshly. If you are in the vicinity of a wreck when the yellow flag is displayed, ease off the pace slightly to give yourself room to maneuver in case you need to avoid a wreck.

12) Pace Laps

12.1) While following the pace car, maintain a constant pace speed. If the pace speed is 70, do 70. Do not speed up & slow down repeatedly.

12.2) The leader is to maintain the pace speed from the time the pace car leaves the track until the green flag flies.

13) Lapped Cars

13.1) Lap cars are encouraged to let cars on the lead lap pass. Lap cars are defined as cars "not on the lead lap". The only exception is if lapped cars are racing for position. Racing for position means you're within 2 car lengths of a car either 1 position ahead or behind you. In this situation, it's the responsibility of the leader to make a safe pass.

13.2) “Blocking” will not be tolerated.

13.3) Blocking: Changing your line more than once in an obvious attempt to prevent a trailing car from safely executing a pass.

13.5) Free Pass ( Lucky Dog)

  The first car one lap down, determined after the field assembles behind the pace car, under yellow, will be given a free pass. As long as that Driver was not involved in the caution. After being informed , by an Administrator, of being awarded the Free Pass ( Lucky Dog ),the Driver will , with one lap to go before green, Safely pass the field, to the inside, and catch up to the back of the field. This will cause a black flag to the Driver, which will be cleared, by an Administrator, after the restart. Failure to be in the correct position, on the restart, will result in the forfeiture of the Free Pass. There will be no Free Pass awarded, with under 10 laps  to go. (Please see rule 13.4 above.)

 

14) Damaged Cars

14.1) Anyone crossing traffic while damaged and causing an accident will be subject to penalties.

14.2) If you spin out or are damaged in an accident, try to get the car off to the apron as quickly and cautiously as possible, this means WAITING for all racing traffic to get past you before doing so. Do not try to turn your spun car around in middle of the track in the middle of traffic. This almost always leads to a disaster!

14.3) When damaged and/or unable to move due to a blown tire, press CTRL+ T to get a tow back to your pits.

14.4) Stay low or off the track when trying to limp back to the pits for repairs.

14.5) If you're less than 75% of race speed, you should strongly consider retiring from the race.

15) Warp

15.1) Please use Control-C monitoring during races. This will give you a real time report of your latency, quality and skew. If you are in the “red”, your connection is poor and is likely affecting your fellow racers ability to compete safely.

15.2) During a race, if you notice you are warping (all the other cars disappear), or other drivers tell you that you are warping, you are expected to take appropriate action to ensure that you do not adversely affect other drivers.

15.3) You should either pull into the pit and wait for your connection to improve, drop to the back of the field, and/or let any driver behind you pass without racing them.

15.4) If complaints continue about a warping driver and that driver does not take the appropriate action on his/her own, at the discretion of the board, you may be asked to pull your car out of the race.

15.5) If a warping driver continues to race despite a request to remove that car from the field the board may eject that driver. This may seem harsh, but again, the goal is to have a clean, fun, safe race, and it is everyone's responsibilities to make that happen. Real racers have technical problems. So can sim racers.

15.6) These rules regarding warping driver are consistent with the rules of this league. We are here to have a clean, courteous and fun racing experience.

15.7) Standard league penalties apply for warp related incidents, and heavier penalties or race suspensions will be levied for warping drivers who have been notified or warned, and do not take appropriate action or ignore the boards request to take the appropriate action.

16) Disconnects

16.1) If you are disconnected during a race, you may reenter the race.

17) Post-Race Procedure

17.1) The scoring provided by NASCAR Racing 2003/2007 and ARCA Sim Racing will be deemed final barring any penalties.

17.2) Connection problems can create situations where scoring may be altered without reason. In this case, all drivers must accept the changes and race on.

18) Protests and Reviews

18.1) If you are involved in an accident with a fellow driver and you feel the other driver is at fault, you may file a protest. If you decide to file a protest, you must file a protest and include a replay of the event in question.

18.1a) It should be understood that ONLY infractions that bring out the caution flag will be reviewed by the officials UNLESS you file a protest. In other words; if you are involved in a wreck that does NOT bring out the caution flag it will not be reviewed unless you, or the other driver, file a protest.

18.2) All protests must be submitted to the board no later than 24 hours after the race. Protests filed more than 24 hours after a race will not be considered.

18.3) The board will handle all protests in a timely manner.

18.4) If you are considering filing a protest you need to save a replay of the incident. A Committee member will contact you and ask you to send a replay if appropriate. All replays must include 2 laps before and 1 lap after the incident in question. If you don’t have the replay, don’t file a protest. Protests without replay evidence will not be considered.

18.5) Because of warp and other factors, one driver's replay may look completely different than the others. Keep this in mind when you decide to submit a protest.

18.6) If you submit a protest with a replay, your actions will also be reviewed. It is possible to receive a penalty for a rule or driving violation even if you are the person filing the protest. Choose your protests carefully. Make certain you play it by the book.

18.7) If a protest is filed against you, you will be contacted. You will be asked to submit a replay in your defense. Because of this rule, it is highly recommended that you save a copy of each race you attend for at least 48 hours. This is very important if you are involved in any questionable incident.

18.8) All decisions by the board will be final and binding. There is no appeals process. This is a game and we don’t have time for that. Some verdicts will be judgment calls, which will not be perfect, but you can be assured that we will execute the rules of this league in a fair and unbiased manner.

18.9) Not all incidents or infractions will result in a penalty. Inconclusive evidence may preclude the board from assigning guilt to any one particular driver.

18.10) Any problems should be taken up with your division administrator. No driver is to mass e-mail the league or division about disputes or other matters.

19) Rules Violations/Penalties

19.1) All of the above mentioned infractions are subject to change per the committee's decisions. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

19.2) All Infractions, Penalties and filed protests will be kept on record. All penalties will remain on your record for the remainder of the season.

19.3) Penalties will be determined from what was witnessed during the race, from replays, and from email explanations from those involved. All available evidence will be used to reach a fair decision. Penalties will be used to support clean driving and racing within the rules.

Penalties, of the Above, may include,

a.) Written apologies to the Drivers involved, and the League as a whole.

b.) Starting in the rear of the next division event.

c.) Forfeiture of points for the event in which the penalty occurs.

d.) Suspension from the next division event.

19.4) You shall be immediately expelled from the league if you are found guilty of any of the following infractions:

Intentionally wrecking another driver.

Entering races while you are on suspension.

Giving out our password to a non-league member.

If you are asked to leave the race and do not leave immediately.

19.5) If you feel you were treated unfairly by a committee member, please leave the race and we will discuss it later. Arguing with officials during a race is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

19.6) If you are suspended, take the time to reflect on why and what you can do different when your suspension is over. After you have served your 1-week suspension, you will serve a mandatory 2-race probation. You must complete at least 75% of each of the next 2 events you are a part of in order to be removed from probation.

19.7) While on Probation you may not cause damage to another car or bring out a caution for any reason.

20) Provisional Points

20.1) Provisional points will be awarded to all active drivers should they miss an event. Requesting provisional for race's that were prior to your membership is not allowed.

20.2) Once a driver has received 10 provisional points in a row, that driver will no longer receive a  provisional until after that driver has attended another race.

     1a) Also if you get suspended for a race or more you will NOT receive provisional points for that race.

Car Files and Screen Names

Drivers may select any car number that is not in use by another driver. All numbers are selected on a first come first serve basis. Drivers can submit their car files to the Administrator. The format for naming car files is as follows: WC car: Dmoore11.cup.car Truck file: Dmoore11.cts.car GNS file: Dmoore11.gns.car

Name Change

Drivers are required to keep there screen name they sent with there entry.

Any driver that changes their screen name after the season starts will lose all their points.To change a name we would have to go back and edit all the stg file

Attendance 

 

Drivers are not required to download the other driver’s car files. The Administrator will issue a number to drivers that do not submit a car number.

Paint schemes on the cars will be required to be in good taste. There will be no profanity or nudity allowed on any car. If you submit a car file with any of the above, it will not be posted.

Drivers are required to use the screen names that they signed up with. If a driver request a new screen name after the start of the season, it will be granted. But, except for penalty points, that driver will forfeit all points and race statistics. There will be no exceptions.