Pack at the Track

 

Passing rules for Drivers Education Events

 

The main reason DE events are so safe is that there are strict passing rules which prevent car-to-car contact. The Prime Directive is that a slower car must let an approaching car pass it – you must not hold up faster traffic. Here are the rules:

1.      No passing is permitted unless the car being passed gives a passing signal. (No passing is permitted in corners [see below for important note], unless this has been expressly approved for Advanced Drivers at the Drivers’ Meeting.)

2.      All drivers are obligated to look in their rear-view mirrors often, and to give a passing signal to cars which have caught up with them. If a corner is approaching soon, it is ok to delay giving the passing signal until just after the corner. As a courtesy, the car being passed should make it easy for the passing car by lifting off the throttle momentarily and not crowding him as the next corner approaches.

3.      The driver of the car being passed gives the passing signal by putting his left arm fully out the window and points with the second finger to the left, meaning “pass me on the left,” or bends the left arm and points over the roof to the right, meaning “pass me on the right.”  (It is very important that the signal meaning “pass me on the right” not look like the “I am pitting” fist-straight-up signal!)

4.      The car being passed stays on the racing line. Accordingly, the passing car goes off-line. (Restating this, the car being passed stays on the racing line and does not move to the right or the left – do not do it; it is very dangerous. You might collide with the passing car.)

5.      The driver of the passing car is not obligated to accept a pass invitation if he does not feel comfortable making the pass at that moment.

At any given event there may be minor deviations from the above – they will be explained at the Drivers’ Meeting. Pay Attention! It could your car (or you) which gets damaged by failure to heed the rules.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since there is no passing in corners, this means that a car in a turn OWNS THE TURN. Its driver can pay complete attention to driving the turn properly, without any concern for other drivers.