Challenger LPIP System

(Note the changes in LPIP number in the penalty table!)

LPIP numbers are in the Challenger menu.

  Goals of LPIP: 

1. To not have to adjust division season point standings throughout the 2003 season
2. To promote driving competitively yet clean, patient, courteous, and within abilities
3. To minimize cautions
4. To discourage early drop out of races when the driver’s car becomes slightly damaged
5. Increase driver attendance
6. LPIP   =   Laps Per Infraction Point ratio   =  Total  Race Laps Completed  for Season
                                                                              Total  Infraction Points for Season

    

  Theory:

Drivers will need to maintain above a certain LPIP (12.00) value in order to not receive race suspensions.  The fairly consistent, clean driver who infrequently makes a mistake will not be directly penalized in the season standings for each infrequent event.  The only way a driver would be assessed a penalty will be if his infractions became too commonplace causing his LPIP to drop below the league standard and is disallowed to race in the following race for that division.  This will result in a significant penalty for the season by losing many valuable season points by not being able to race that week.  Repeat infraction offenders would represent the drivers most easily being suspended and the implementing of this system should hopefully help encourage drivers to drive within their limits.

  Mechanism:

The RIC will do its race review and assess infraction points based on the infraction point system in the table below.  Race exports will be updated after each race by the Division Admin to the website which will provide an updated total of laps completed for the season for each driver.  The RIC will send the raw data of infraction points to the Div. Admin who will input the data into the website which will be processed and immediately yield up-to-date LPIP values for each driver on the website. Starting with the fifth race of the year for each driver, this LPIP value for each driver will be evaluated by the RIC after each week’s races for each division.  If values are below the required LPIP value then a one race suspension would be assessed for the next scheduled race date for that division.

Once the race suspension is served, the driver’s total laps completed and the # of total infraction points would be put to the value of the race prior to suspension.  After returning from suspension and racing three more races in that division, if his LPIP would drop below the necessary value once again he would once again be suspended from the next week of racing in that division. If a driver needs to be suspended more than 3 times in the season,  the driver would be disallowed to run in season events in that league until he shows definite improvement in our practice races.

Example:  A driver attends races #1 through #7, and in race #8 they accrue enough penalty points to be suspended. The driver will be suspended for race #9, and when they return for race #10, the driver's LPIP values will be back in place and set as of race #7, the last successfully completed event. The driver will have 3 races (#10, #11, #12) to build their LPIP value back to the required level.

  Infraction Point System :

  Penalty Assessment:

• Starting after the driver’s fifth week of racing, if a driver’s LPIP value falls below the required 12.00 LPIP value, the driver will be suspended from that division’s next race.
• LPIP values will be made public at all times in the Challenger menu.
• The individual infractions will be public and will be recorded.
• STRL Administration reserves the right to assess the effectiveness of the current LPIP required value and either increase or decrease the value at their discretion.  All changes would definitely be made public immediately.

  Additional Points:

By using an LPIP ratio rather than a total # of points allowable before suspension, we are….

a.        … comparing all drivers more fairly.  If you really think about it , the drivers who stay in the races the longest and race the greatest number of laps will always have a greater chance of getting a greater number of infraction points , simply because they are on the track more.

b.       … discouraging early exits of damaged/slower cars since when those drivers remain in the race on the track they can improve their LPIP by simply increasing the number of laps completed for the season.  And a higher number of running cars at the end of the race means more exciting racing at the end.

  Procedure To Determine Blame

Driver error, negligent driving, and over aggressive driving that results in damage/significant loss of position to others, or caution coming out is reason to penalize.

If reasonably proper response is taken in an incident and negligence has not occurred, then penalty will not be given. We aim for clean racing and green flag racing. We want to compensate the victims of other driver's mistakes/negligence.

        The most important views in all reviews are the helicopter view and the cockpit view: 
1. The helicopter view is the proper view to determine fault of the car that leaves its groove or enters the other car's line. The "dark groove" is always used as the reference point in reviewing which car is out of their groove.
2. The cockpit view is used to view whether the driver responds appropriately to an incident ahead of him; it also is used to assess braking/lifting, engine failure, driver's view ahead, and damage to vehicle.
3. Other views are used to assess whether cars have received damage or not.

Remember, driver error, negligent driving, and over aggressive driving that results in damage/significant loss of position to others, or caution coming out is reason to penalize.  If several drivers are shown to contribute to an incident, then the infraction will be split among them based on contribution.  In other words, if an incident involves 2 cars where it is too difficult to say one is more at fault than the other, then the penalty will be split equally. 

01/12/2004 08:33 PM