SIModified.com Online Racing League Rules

1. Eligibility
Any driver who wishes to race with us must submit a written history of online racing experience before being admitted into ANY SIModified.com Online Racing League event. There may be times when an actual modified driver will race in the division, but it will be as a guest of the administration unless he is a regular competitor in our racing leagues.

After the 2008 Spring Season open registration is closed, all new drivers must compete in 3 Sunoco SK/SST modified division races to fully evaluate a new driver's skill level.

2. Points
ALL SIModified.com Online Racing League events will use the standard NASCAR Series points system. The only exception to this rule is the Sunoco SK/SST Modified divison where the championship will be decided by the Driver's Rating Index.

3. The Penalty Points System
The Penalty Points System is based on a similar system used throughout online racing. A driver must park after causing two incidents in a single event. An incident is charged as a driver having contact with another driver, thus causing a caution. If a driver is asked to park in two consecutive weeks of competition, that driver must sit out a week. Depending on the severity of the incidents, a driver may be asked to sit out the rest of the season, or drop down a division.

The League Admin has final judgement on any and all incidents and those decisions are final.

4. Car Number Selection
Drivers may request a car number that is not already taken by a current member of the SIModified Online Racing Leagues Driver's Roster, or a SIModified.com League Admin. Once a car number is assigned, you MAY NOT ask for another car number until the following year. All car numbers will be unique to the registered driver and no car number may be duplicated between different league divisions.

5. Attendance
1. You CAN NOT have a substitute driver.
2. You CAN NOT ask for last place points. 

Drivers must attend and compete in at least 75% of the Spring Season's events in order to retain the rights to the car number assigned to them.

6. Provisonal Points
Provisonal points are earned after a driver has made a start in two consecutive events. This prohibits drivers from scoring "Free Points" for not showing up, while rewarding drivers who make an attempt to attend league races. If a driver is going to miss an event, he may ask for a Provisonal. A Provisional may be requested before, but not after an event has been run. A Provisonal is 75 points.

7. Server Handles
Any driver who logs into a SIModified race server IS REQUIRED to use their real first and last name when racing in ANY SIModified.com league event. Our points tracking program is designed to recognize driver's names and not Sierra ID's. This also prohibits a driver from "hiding" behind a false alias and becoming a problem to the league.

All drivers competing in ANY SIModified Online Racing League must also set up a forum account with their real given name as well. That forum account must be used for all league related issues.

8. Carfiles
 Drivers are required to use the carfile they submitted to the league admin for that season's races.
Drivers are only allowed one carfile (or paint scheme) per season.

When submitting a carfile for league events, we ask that you label your carfile with your car number, first initial, last name, season and year.

For example: 1_C_Brown_SP08

(SP=Spring, SU=Summer, FA=Fall)

9. Race Emails
All race servers will be locked with a password that each driver will receive in an email prior to the race. The race password will change on a weekly basis. It is the responsibility of each driver to remember the password from the email. If a driver is found to be sharing SIModified league race server information with non-league members, that member will be terminated from the league.

10. Cautions Caused and Accidents Under Yellow
You will be asked to park for the rest of the race by the Admin of the race if you cause 2 accidents or 1 accident and 1 self spin or 2 self spins either under green or under yellow which causes the caution to be bought out or extended during the race. 

Self spins that do not bring out a caution or extend the caution flag will not count. A driver who causes a caution or an accident under yellow, deemed by the Admin, must do a "Drive Thru" the pits on the 2nd lap under the caution. The driver then must start at the tail end of the longest line.

If you have caused a caution, intentional or not, you will need to drive thru and restart at the end of the longest line. If you are caught on replay not obeying this rule, the series admin will "pull your scorecard" at the lap of caution and your finishing position will not count.

Drivers involved in an incident by no fault of their own, may blend back in line WITHOUT RACING BACK TO GAIN LOST POSITIONS. The league admin will inform all drivers who must drive thru and restart at the tail end of the longest line. 

11. After race Celebrations and Wrecking
We ask every driver to take a 'cool down lap' after the race. Due to the way the scoring is done by the sim at times when the winner crosses the line the race does not end until the last car involved in the race crosses the start/finish line. Every driver in the race should take this 'cool down lap' and the drivers in the race should go directly to the pits after the cool down lap. Be aware that if drivers do not heed this warning and something does go wrong the sim's Official Standings, they WILL NOT be changed so act foolish at your own risk.  Drivers who feel they have to "pay back" a driver for an incident during the event be forwarned, unsportsmanlike conduct is the easiest and fastest way to find another league to race in.

12. Protests and Penalties
A member may protest an accident or the behavior of another driver at the conclusion of the race. They may send in a protest up to 24 hours after the race is completed. The protesting member must submit a clipped replay of the incident to the SIModified.com Competition Committee. Upon receipt of the protest, the SIModified Administrators will review the incident and levy any penalties deemed necessary. Members may file unlimited protests per season.
Penalties will result in point deductions, depending on the severity and nature of the infraction. If a driver accrues multiple penalties, he/she may be subjected to suspension.
A replay must accompany the protest or the protest will not be reviewed by the administration. In special circumstances, where the member cannot retrieve the replay, the member then must supply enough information for the administration to review.

12a. Chatting
The rules governing chat will depend on what session the race is in. 

Practice Session:
Chat as much as you want.

Qualifying Session:
Absolutely no chatting allowed. 
Any congratulatory remarks (such as Great Lap, Nice Lap, Congrats, etc.) should be made after the Warm-Up session begins.
Any chatting before the Warm-Up session begins will be considered a violation and you will be asked to leave the server.

"Happy Hour" Session:
Chat as much as you want. 

Race Session:
During green flag runs the use of chat should be limited to Auto Chat only, with the exception of relaying important race related information that the Auto Chat does not cover (Example: "I lost 3rd gear, Wreck in turn 2."). ONLY RACE RELATED INFORMATION SHOULD BE RELAYED TO THE ADMIN, ABSOLUTELY NO CHATTING WITH THE ADMIN DURING GREEN FLAG RUNS. 

During Yellow flag runs, members will be allowed to chat, but this chat can not involve accusations against another driver who a driver may believe may have done something that may have bought out the yellow. If a driver feels he has been done wrong this is not the place to 'vent' please see rule 12. If a driver feels he must do this the Admin will show you the door and you may find you are talking to yourself.
The chat rules also apply to members who use Team Speak or Ventrillo. Drivers will not be allowed to use Team Speak or Ventrillo during the Qualifying Session and they may not be allowed to use Team Speak or Ventrillo during green flag runs, unless it is race related.
If a driver is found to break this rule, the Admin will send the member to the back of the field on the first caution of the race.

14. Lucky Dog
When a caution comes out, the first driver scored 1 or more laps down will be asked by the Admin to do a drive thru the pits with one lap to go during the caution. The member then must start at the tail end of the longest line. When the race goes green, the admin then will score a lap to that driver.
With 10 or less laps to go the Lucky Dog Rule no longer applies.
If a driver is in line for the Lucky Dog (He/She is the first car a lap down) and they cause a caution, they will not receive the Lucky Dog. In this situation, the next car a lap down will be rewarded the Lucky Dog. If there are no other lapped cars, then the Lucky Dog will not be rewarded. The Lucky Dog rule applies from the time the yellow comes out and not the time the green flag green flag flies. Therefore if a yellow flag comes out on lap 11 and the race doesn't go green again until lap 18 the first driver one lap down would still get a lap back at the green flag start. 

15. Racing Back To The Start/Finish Line
SIModified.com DOES NOT allow drivers to race back to the Start/Finish line when a caution comes out, unless there are 10 or less laps remaining in the race, REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE 1 OR MORE LAPS DOWN. As soon as the yellow flag drops, all members are required to back down from the throttle and continue to the Start/Finish line at a reasonable pace speed.
If a driver who is a lap down breaks this rule, that member will be placed back a lap down. If a driver who is on the lead lap breaks this rule, that member will be told to start at the tail end of the line. A driver, who is leading the race, may not brake check to allow a lap car to pass him/her. If that situation happens, then the lap car will gain his lap, the next car a lap down will be rewarded the lucky dog rule and the leader will be told by the Admin to start at the tail end of the longest line.

16. Pace and Caution Laps
All drivers must pace in a stagger formation and maintain the pace car pace speed. All members must be within .1 to .2 seconds interval behind the car in front of them at all times. To see your distance in time between you and the others on the track, press the F2 key and then press the spacebar on your keyboard. The screen will then show the distance between you and the car in front of you. It is requested that you stagger your vehicle under yellow. Odd position cars down low, even position cars up high. This will help prevent unnecessary contact in the event someone is not paying attention.

17. Weaving Under Caution
Some drivers like to weave under caution as if they are keeping their tires warm. While it has no true effect to your tires in the sim's written code, we will not write a rule against it. It is up to the driver weaving to do so in a safe manner. All weaving will stop and the driver will resume his single file line when the lights go out on the pace car and the "One To Go" is given at the Start/Finish line.

18. Restarts
*ALL* cars must obey the pace speed set by the pace car and are not allowed to accelerate or decelerate before the green flag flies. All cars must maintain a distance of no more than 1 car length GAP to the car in front of them. There is NO PASSING until after you cross the Start/Finish line. A pass is defined as improving your position before the Start/Finish line. There are no high line passes on the right unless the field slows in front of you or the driver in front of you is allowing you to pass due to mechanical difficulties. All cars catching up to the field after a long pit stop must use care not to pass anyone before the Start/Finish line, the same rule applies to them as to the cars already in racing formation. Drivers found to be in violation risk a black flag if caught during the race or will be put 1 lap down per incident if there is a complaint received and it bears out in replay after the race.

WARNING! The new Driver's Rating Index will penalize you heavily for incidents and accidents during a start or restart and one lap after a restart. Keep in mind, the DRI is the rule of the land this year and it will dictate which division you race in. So do not make foolish decisions on starts and restarts.

19. Under 10 Lap Rule
On any restart with less than 10 laps to go ALL LAPPED CARS must "Drive Thru" the pits on the 2nd lap of caution. NO PASSING IS ALLOWED WHILE IN THE PITS (unless someone stops in their pit stall). Lapped cars are to stay in the same order. This is not a time to gain spots; it is simply to allow the lead lap cars to race for the win amongst themselves.

20. Restarting a Race 
During any race event, the practice, qualifying round and Warm-Up Session will never be restarted. Unless a problem occurs out of the Admin's control, where they would have to restart the server.

The Race Session will only be restarted ONCE at the Admin's descresion to ensure the entire field is on the track and ready to race.
The Race Session will NOT be restarted for cars that do not start or strip a gear before the green flag drops.
Once the green flag drops, the race will NOT be restarted.

Drivers who "fall through" (or lose their connection to the race server) right before the race session starts, will not have the server restarted for them nor will they receive their laps back from the Admin (Unless they become the Lucky Dog, then they will receive one lap back). The disconnected driver may choose to rejoin the server and they will be allowed to race. But the lapped cars rule will be in effect for them.

21. Lapped Traffic
Because some of the races are fairly long, some members may be lapped by the leaders.
When the leader catches a driver who is still on the lead lap, but is in jeopardy of going 1 lap down, that driver is allowed to race the leader in a safe manner to stay on the lead lap, unless the lapped car is damaged and is considerably slower than the leader.

When the leader catches a driver who is already 1 or more laps down, the lapped car is required to move to the low side of the track and yield the high line to ALL cars on the lead lap. Lapped cars may also go to the low-side on straight-aways, or use the apron to give room to the lead lap cars. 

Members one or more laps down must not block the lead lap cars. It is up to the passing car to make a clean safe pass. If a lapped car does block a lead lap car, then the lapped car will receive a black flag from the Admin. 

In the event the lapped car cannot move for the leader due to traffic, the lapped member will be required to move to the high-side as soon as safely possible. 

A Lapped car does not have to move for lead lap cars, if the lap car is racing for position. Lead lap cars must not "make a hole" simply because they are faster. Lead lap cars are required to wait for the lapped cars to finish battling for their position. Once the lapped cars are lined up, then they are required to move to the low-side for all lead lap cars. 

If a caution comes out with 10 or less laps to go, all lapped cars must do a "Drive Thru" the pits. They MUST STOP BEFORE the pit exit line and allow all lead lap cars to pass them. No lap cars are allowed to pass each other while doing the "Drive Thru" the pits. This will ensure that all lead lap cars are in front of the lapped cars at the restart. If you are a lapped car, DO NOT stop right in front of someone. ALSO WATCH F2 AND BE AWARE! Let people lapping you pass by holding your line and speed, and gently easing off the throttle on a straight and pulling low off the racing line. DO NOT SLOW DRASTICALLY!

22. Blocking
Blocking is not allowed at any time during the race. 

If a member is caught blocking or "Mirror Driving", they will be warned by the Admin that they are blocking. If the blocking continues, then the Admin will give a black flag to the member. Blocking shall be defined as anytime you run an abnormal line in order to block a pass or make a sudden line change in order to block another car from passing.

23. Flaming
Flaming is absolutely not tolerated. A member who is flaming will be ejected at the admin's descresion. Period.
Flaming is defined as any racial slur, insult, abuse, swearing at or harassment of another driver or Admin. This also applies to “WTF”, “WTH”, and even “TY” when used in a negative way.

24. Intentional or Malicious Incidents
Incidents that are deemed intentional or malicious will be subject penalty and can result in immediate removal from the league.

25. Warping
We all understand that warping is a part of online racing and that a driver, who is warping badly, really can't do anything to prevent the warp from happening.
However, the admins are tasked with providing the entire league with a relatively hazard free racing environment. Therefore, the following procedures will be followed when dealing with warp issues. 

During the Practice Session:
If other members and/or the race Admin notice a car that is warping excessively, that member may be asked to skip the qualifying round and start in the back of the field, in order to ensure a clean start.