Be pleasant to other drivers
Nobody is trying to do badly, most drivers are probably doing the best they can, and they’re probably just as excited as you are about racing. By saying “No problem, buddy!” shows more about you than the guy who tapped your car.
We have a very eclectic group
We have sim racers who have handled performance sports cars at high speed in HPDE events but have minimal or zero experience in wheel-to-wheel racing.
We have some drivers who have gone wheel-to-wheel for a very long time in regional and national competitions within PCA, and in fact with IMSA, SCCA, and other major racing organizations.
We have some drivers who have never driven competitively at all and want to get going in sim racing as their starting point.
According to the survey taken after the inaugural Series, 50% of the drivers have never participated in a sim racing series before.
Multiple real-world racing drivers in our group have voiced previously the challenges of making the transition from the g-force feedback of real racing to sim racing cockpits.
Be patient with other drivers
Don’t dive bomb. Nobody likes dive bombers and their frantic last-second attempt at racing glory usually means they take out not only themselves but one, two, or more cars.
Rejoining the track
Don’t rejoin the track by…
- backing onto it unless there is no alternative
- driving in front of another competitor and ruining their race
- darting back onto the track without a clear, long view of the racing surface behind you.
Compliment
When someone does a classy pass, tell them post-race. Same with a smart move in heavy traffic. The best of bench racing is the post-race discussion and sharing the stories with others.
Our PCA Sim Racing Discord server has good discussions on racing. Join in!
The Gentleman’s Rule
Also known as The James Huth Rule after his gentlemanly move in Series 1 at Watkins Glen. It is safe to say James set the tone for PCA Sim Racing in one brief moment. We all owe him a debt of gratitude.
These are elective for a competing driver. The only criteria are if a driver chooses to enact any of these, make sure it does not endanger another driver’s race in attempting to be a good sportsman.
There are three parts and any of the three may be used at the driver’s discretion, or not at all.
Part 1: If you believe you have gained a position on a competitor unjustly, pull off to the side in a safe spot and allow them to take the position back.
Part 2: If you turn (spin) a competitor or cause an incident with their car, pull off to the side in a safe spot and allow them to take the position back.
Part 3: If you crash a competitor that causes them to retire from the race, electively retire your car from the race.
PCA is a group of like-minded enthusiast’s and you show respect and honor to your fellow PCA’er by applying these rules if and when necessary.
As you do in real life, drive fast safely!