Salt Lake Mini-Z Club Forum

Pointers on Racer etiquette, and just things to know.

This is a correlation of many opinions and points from racers of the mini-z community. For the beginner to those who just need to be reminded..  ;)

Remember the one thing that's most important is to enjoy this sport and the people that share your enthusiasm of RC Racing!

- Be respectful of others in your language, attitude and driving.
- Never criticize a turn marshal.
- Never lose your temper at yourself or others, it brings everyone down.
- Do not handle other people's equipment without permission at any time, stay away from a drivers pit if they are not present.
- When holding any car, never ever-ever touch the tires.
- During practice sessions you should drive reserved, keep a good distance from other cars on the track.
- Do not stop or set your car anywhere on the track that it may be liable to a collision from on-coming traffic on the track.
- Strive to pass cleanly or to be passed cleanly.
- If you wreck, don't reverse into oncoming traffic, wait for traffic to pass before backing up from the rail, re-join without causing a collision.
- If you are clearly slower than someone trying to pass, and you are a few laps down you should move off line and allow the pass, if it's for position then hold your line, it's always better to be passed than wrecked, so use Good Judgment.
- Come prepared with everything you will need.
- Be ready for your race or heat, nobody should have to wait to start a race.
- Do not use up pit space, there is no reason someone should ask you to size down.
- Bring your own power cords and power strips.
- Always bring a pit towel to protect surfaces provided to racers.
- When you are turn marshalling, always give rightaway to the racers running, stand on the tracks edges not the surface. Try to stay out of driver's views best as possible, and move at a controllable speed !!!? we don't want a turn marshal to fall down and causing injury to themselves, cars, or the track.
- It is important to acknowledge when you unintentionally bash into other cars on the track. "Sorry", goes a long way. ;)
- If you have stopped or crashed in the straight away,  call out "straightaway" to warn others that your car is there.
- When you experience mechanical problems, you should pull your car of track..  if you are intent on completing the race as is; do it without interruption to your fellow racers.
- Never walk in-between a driver and the track during practice or racing.
- If you're having a bad day, don't ruin it for everybody else.
- Above all else have fun !!

Thanks brian I needed that, I think I need to say sorry to everyone for last night, I was rude and inconsiderate, as punishment I won't go to the enduro race. Okay enough carasim, but seriously sorry brian for backing into you, and luke I wish I hit you more jk.  This is a good reminder, I can benifit from it. I agree what matters most is that people come and have a good time, its fun to win a race but its more important to pass cleanly and be passed cleanly IMO, I will be better about it.

this isn't for anyone in paticular.  Just a general reminder to keep in mind.   I have my share if incidents on the track same as everyone else.

if everyone can strive to improve some on those things it really will make it a more enjoyable time and you would be suprised at how waiting for on coming cars to pass can actually make you and everyone else faster.

this is especially important when we are racing the HFAY races as you are racing the clock.  a weck can cost you and others alot of time (and points).  A clean race is always faster for everyone.

Let get Ryan, 1st place 16 and under this go around.  ;D  Simply cleaner races would do it.  he's plenty fast.  if we can work on keeping the races cleaner we will all benefit from it.

Yeah that make sense clean races can be good I will do better sorry. So lets make a 'ryan heat' where two other cars just pull over like police cars rushing by, and when he gets first place he will share the spoils jk.

I think the endurance for me should be my practice run of clean passes, one full hour of practice ;). I will work more on not touching anyone rather than going too fast and trying too hard to win (is there such a thing as going too fast? :D) I'd say most of the wrecks at online races that include me are caused by me. :-[

We all guilty of it at some time or another.   it's best just to keep it in you mind that a wreck will always cost you more time than not getting involved in one.  Sometimes pushing to hard can slow you down and cause more problems than simply accepting a pace you can control.

the only time you really should fight hard to keep someone behind you is when it's for a postion.  If you are already laped, run the best you can without interfering with the other racers.  I'm not saying stop and let a car by, but if they are clearly faster it's best to allow the pass to happen, with the faster car out of the way you don't have to worry about them always trying to pass, and you can relax more and run your race.  You will find out that in turn you will also be faster.

I know that not everyone has the skill yet to control their cars perfectly, even the best of us can't avoid hitting someone, or bumping another car.   the overall goal is to just improve on it the best you can and gain the awarence from experience and practice.

one of the most important things is to just watch for oncoming traffic before backing up. if traffic is coming let it by the resume.    nothing is worse than getting involved in a wreck, then backing up into more cars and being caught up in another.   It's all lost time and laps in the end.

 

Well despite what you may say that exact thing happened last race, when I backed into you Brian, I'm sorry and now I see why this all was brought up again lol. My bad I will look out when I back up no hard feeliings? Sorry you didn't win your race cause of me.  On a nother note I think the most important thing is to come to a race and have fun at the same time as racing nicely, if you are trying to improve on racing clean and not intentionally hitting people then all is well, at least thats what I am trying to do....with the exception of Luke I try to catch up to him at all cost.... jk.

Nic,  this is nothing specific,   it happens.  I've done it as well.  it's just something for eveyone to work on, including me.

Absolutly to most important part is to have a good time....

No matter how much we work on this we will almost always have wrecks. rubbin's racin' ;D That is one thing you can't change.

I know there is no such thing a clean race,   a little bumb and rub here and there is all part of racing.  so is having luck both good and bad. 

the point is: to do your best and learn what it takes to become faster.

I'll use Ryan as an example.  he finished the HFAY down from 1st place by just 1 point in the Under 16 catagory. if he finished only 1 place higher in 2 races he would have won a RTR Mini-Z  (the winner got a 2.4 RTR).    So buy running a cleaner race he could have easily made up those positions.   all it would have taken would have been 1 or 2 less avoidable accidents.

I would say that's easily accomplished just by having the awarance of where the other cars that would be coming up on you were, and not wrecking them or yourself again.

I agree with all that has been said I am excited to go forward trying my best in compeition and running clean races being curtious and maybe even winning a heat or two not that that will happen lol.

Open track, Practice or Qualifiers.

Move out of the way for faster drivers. There is no point of holding them back as they are not trying to race you. I see this all the time. A fast driver will come the the track, to try to set-up their cars and another driver on the track will start either chasing him or blocking him. If the level of driver is not the same, you should just let him pass rather than slowing him down. Reason being is that the faster guy has a different line and he will be much faster no matter what motor you have. What will happen is that the faster driver will then end up hitting you not because of he wants to hack you but because you're lines are not the same as his.

Also, for sportsman drivers. Don't try to learn how to chase or pass. Right now, seriously what you guys need to work on is to NOT hit the wall.

Great website Brian! It's been a while!

great input Tjay,   that's for posting the info and welcome to Salt lake mini-z forums.   For those of you that don't know TJay from MZR he is the 2008 PN Modified AWD Champion.  :flex:

I was reading again and I'm glad I did, I really needed the reminding of some of the items I am guilty of  :angel: . I suggest everyone do the same  :police:. I cleaned up the formating a bit but didnt really change anything as all are good points.