Rules Infraction System

Today is

2006 Road Runner Rules Infraction System (LPIP)

I. Goals:

1. To promote drivers to race competitively but yet clean, patient, courteous, and within their capabilities.

2. To minimize cautions.

3. To discourage early dropping out of races when the driver’s car becomes slightly damaged.

4. To be as efficient but as productive of a system as possible.

5. To recognize drivers who:

a. Race clean

b. Show league commitment by not dropping out early when car becomes slightly damaged

II. Fundamental Ratio used in Penalty System:

Total Race Laps Completed for Season

LPIP = Laps per Infraction Point Ratio = --------------------------------------------

Total Infraction Points for Season

III. Theory:

Drivers will need to maintain above a certain LPIP value in order to not receive a one-race suspension. Season Point Standings are completely separate so infractions will not directly affect a driver’s point ranking. However, a driver’s point ranking could be affected if his infractions became too commonplace; his LPIP value could drop below the league standard and could be suspended for the following race. No points for a race can seriously hurt a driver’s total season points. In summary, repeat infraction offenders would represent the only drivers who might be affected/suspended and should hopefully help encourage drivers to drive within their limits and drive as many laps as possible in every race.

IV. Mechanism:

The Road Runner administrator will review each race and assess Infraction Points based on the Infraction Point System in the table below. Race exports will be updated after each race and will provide an updated total of laps completed for the season for each driver. Each week will therefore immediately yield up-to-date LPIP values for each driver. Remember, the purpose of this information is really to penalize the most infraction causing drivers who constantly disrupt the normal flow of racing. LPIP values along with incident/infraction reports for each week will be posted. Starting with the sixth race of the year for each driver, this LPIP value for each driver will be evaluated after each week’s races. If values are below the required LPIP value then a one race suspension would be assessed for the next scheduled race.

Once the race suspension is served, the driver’s worst race would be eliminated from the LPIP equation. After racing three more races, if his LPIP would drop below the necessary value once again he would once again be suspended from the next week of racing. If a driver needs to be suspended for a total of 3 times in the season, the driver would be disallowed to run in season events in Roadrunner until he shows definite improvement in our practice races.

Also, if a driver commits more than 40 infraction points in a given one race, he will also receive a 1 race suspension that will count towards his total of 3 for the season.

IV. System

Infraction Point System

** Note: Any infraction causing a race to end under caution will result in double the penalty value.** New as of 2005: If an incident causes a race to end under yellow, the penalty, as classified in the table below, will be doubled. ( e.g. If a car self spins to bring out a caution to end the race, the 6 point Penalty 1 will be doubled and will result in 12 infraction points. If a car wrecks another and causes damage to the other car, the normal 12 point Penalty 2 will be doubled to 24 total points. This 24 point penalty does count toward the 40 point maximum allowable penalty per race before a suspension is issued.)***

Penalty #	INFRACTION	Infraction Points
1.	During green, spin/wreck causing caution but not involving or damaging any other vehicle(blown tires/engines exempt)	6
2.	During green, spin/wreck/bump damaging at least one other vehicle	12
3.	During green, spin/wreck/bump causing no damage but involving at least one other vehicle (caution or no caution caused)	8
4.	Under caution, spin/wreck/bump causing damage to at least one other vehicle	10
5.	Under caution, spin/wreck/bump causing no damage but involving at least one other vehicle	6
6.	On Pit Road, spin/wreck/bump causing damage to at least one other vehicle	8
7.	On Pit Road, spin/wreck/bump causing no damage but involving at least one other vehicle	6
8.	Excessive slowing/stopping on track during caution resulting in others receiving Black Flags	10
9.	Slowing Excessively when taking the caution, prior to turn 2, directly resulting in incident	10
10.	Violent / Inconsiderate driving as determined by RIC	30
11.	Restart infraction / Aggressively passing a car prior to turn 1 completion without consent/legitimate reasoning	10
12.	Inconsiderate Lagging on Starts / Restarts, including lapped cars	10
13.	TEN TO GO Rule disregarded	12
14.	Stopping on track/apron without mechanical reason causing a caution to drop (e.g. exiting race from position other than pit road which causes a caution)	4
15.	Three-Wide Penalty - Going low( or through middle) to create 3 wide while others create the contact that results in damage to others.	10
16.	Three-Wide Penalty - Going low( or through middle) to create 3 wide while also creating contact resulting in damage to others.	6 + (Penalty 2)
17.	Flaming	30 and ejection and or removal
18.	Reconnecting more than once during the race	15 and ejection
19.	Inconsiderate passing of another car after caution flies.	1 Lap Penalty
20.	Illegal pass under a yellow line	1 Lap Penalty

V. Method of Review

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 who is leaving line.
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.

Because all drivers have different views of what is going on, WARP is something we really cant penalize. The views are too different for everyone. So it is up to drivers to email the admin that night over specific incidents that may have involved warp on their end if they feel it was to blame. If a driver feels that warp was an issue in an incident they were part of, then they need to save replay and notify the admin. Remember, for the sake of efficiency, no infraction committee will be used, and since the major point of the LPIP system is to filter out consistent negligent drivers rather than to debate over petty infractions involving infrequent infraction-causing drivers, infraction listings will not be made public, just the LPIP numbers.

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 for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yes, I guess you can consider the LPIP to be one driver’s opinion. However, as admin, I will tell you that I pledge consistency and absolute impartiality just as I have demonstrated in being RIC admin of STRL starting with the 2002 season and continuing to the present.

VI. Penalty Assessment

Starting with after the driver’s sixth week of racing, if a driver’s LPIP value falls below the required 13.00 LPIP value, the driver will be suspended from the next race. The worst race for LPIP would then be also eliminated from the LPIP equation the rest of the season.

If a given driver obtains more than 40 infraction points in one race he will also be suspended from the next race and the suspension counts toward the 3 total for the season.

Road Runner 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.

VII. 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.