proper starting etiquette

[shwah]

I play it straight. Try to form up as consistently as the car in front will allow and focus on reacting instantly to that green. No games until after that happens, there is enough worry about then - do you push the guy that was sleeping in front of you, or only leave half of your car on the racing surface as you pass him?

[raceita]

Evanwebb

To me, laying back and getting a huge run should be discouraged. But that’s hard to recognize until after the fact. And where does one draw the line between excessive or not? Were the three in front of him sleeping?

I normally start mid pack or worse, where it’s hard to see the flag. I key off of engine sounds and side to side movement if I can’t see the flag. Which means I’m already 1/3 second behind (reaction time).

I do try to have slightly more speed (1-2 mph) than the cars a couple of rows in front of me. But not so much where I’ll have to hit the brakes (brakes are bad for those behind me). If I see brake lights several rows up, I just ease up under the assumption they won’t be on the brakes long. I just hope the guy in front of me doesn’t do a big brake check from street driving habits!

After the green I put two wheels off, I stop trying to gain positions. Accept I’ve had a good start up to then, and try not to wreck anyone getting back on the pavement. (Two wheels off = high risk of spinning). If I have to put two wheels off to pass, I don’t. Too risky.

I feel if starters allow poor column alignment, it encourages disparity in speeds. If I’m in the twelfth row but I can see the starter clearly, I’m going to be concentrating on him (and trying to be faster than all those others in my peripheral vision!)

Steve
ITB MR2

[dave parker]

Evan
How about keeping up with the car in front of you on a single file restart? If you need an example I would be happy to elaborate.
cheers
dave parker

[SLUF]

Evan, I'm in your camp with this. Over the past two years I feel I have only made one "good" start in numerous races. I'm just not that good at it yet. I think I have not figured out the risk/reward ratio for being extremely agressive at the wave of the green flag. My son on the other hand has this start thing figured out. That little fart is fearless, cool, and calculating. He routinely makes four or five positions on EVERY start! I'm a better racer and he's a better starter!

[Ron Earp]

I feel I'm "average" on starts. I do try to stay glued on the bumper in front of me, but I don't play games with guessing flags and all that crap. I wood it when I see green or I've detected that everyone (not just one car) else is nailing it too. And I damn sure won't put two off in the grass to pass no matter how much faster I am than the folks in front of me. I'll use my brakes to check up, not the car in front of me, if I do need to choke up on a start.

I'm protective on the first few corners and would rather give ground than bend metal. Seems to me the risk of bending metal and getting punted off track is worth less than giving up a position. Especially if the give is to a car out of class. Sometimes that give screws me if I get say a IT7 car between me and another ITS car, but I still feel it better than getting a punt.

Etiquette is a learned behavior and some people are flat out not going to learn it. Those folks you simply remember and make mental notes when having a look at the grid sheets.

[erlrich]

I do try to stay glued on the bumper in front of me, but I don't play games with guessing flags and all that crap. I wood it when I see green or I've detected that everyone (not just one car) else is nailing it too. And I damn sure won't put two off in the grass to pass no matter how much faster I am than the folks in front of me. I'll use my brakes to check up, not the car in front of me, if I do need to choke up on a start.

I'm protective on the first few corners and would rather give ground than bend metal. Seems to me the risk of bending metal and getting punted off track is worth less than giving up a position.

^ What he said.

[jumbojimbo]

The question to ask is "What would happen if everyone did what I am doing?" If you don't like the answer then you shouldn't be doing it.

Just because it works out ok for you (most of the time) doesn't make it right.

edit: I mean this in terms of "pushing" the rules and taking advantage of other people who are actually following the intent of the rules. Not in terms of picking the correct thing to do and making good and correct decisions.

[StephenB]

I have almost always gained positions on a start at almost every race I have run. If I don't gain at least 1 position between the drop of the green and TURN 2 then I would consider it a poor start. I drive in ITB usually in the top 3 with ITS cars which accelerate faster than any ITB car... even the slower ITS cars have more HP! You simply CANNOT hang back and try to "anticipate" a green flag. That is like running up behind someone one you dislike and sucker punching them without them even knowing. We are all in this together and if you feel that "hanging back" and JUMPING the start is the only way you can do good at starting than re-think what you are doing and how you are doing it. I agree that stepping on that gas just as the green drops is great but intentionally trying to get a run on the field is dishonest and a "sucker punch" on the rest of your competitors. I would 100% agree that if you fall out of line you are considered in violation. Falling out of line is both popping out AND falling out of your Row. Even if your on the last Row anything more than 2 car lenghts back is really pushing what I wuld consider falling out of your Row.

Remember what I said in the begining a start is WAY more than getting to the first turn. It's all about your position coming out of the second turn that matters. Plan ahead and see what is happening up several rows... the accordian effect usually has it's greatest effect going into and through the first turn. think of it like a tollbooth. the fastlane usually has a longer line but it is much faster and your going to end up way ahead... or maybe that lane way way on the outside only has 1 car so even if you have to stop and pay you just passed everyone because no one is using it, but when you do this you take the chance that the person in front crashes and doesn't have the proper change and they need a damn receipt so they can write of 75 cents on their taxes!

Have fun and play fair. No sucker punches.
Stephen

[924Guy]

I'm pretty much like SLUF... the only times I seem to time it right and get going well, the guys in front of me don't, and I have nowhere to go...

[pballance]

I try to stay up with the group and like Ron, I will use the brakes instead of the car in front. I would like to think I have had one good start and it was a Barber last year. Midpack but we went into turn 1 3 wide and everyone gave racing room. I talked with Tom Lyttle after the race and he said he didn't think we would make it, but we did

if you care to see, here it is: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBsPoES2M-Q&feature=channel_page[/ame]

That said, I am still trying to learn racecraft. My start from DFL with Randy Shedd last year was an attempt to "catch" the field, not jump the start but we both were able to get a few positions [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA7G05Um0ls&feature=channel[/ame]

I conciously try to stay close and form up correctly but sometimes the gearing differences make it hard to stay "formed" without riding the brakes.

I have to add that I need this kind of thread as a relative newcomer. A long time friend and racer keeps telling me "that to finish first, you must first finish!" and that means careful, safe starts.

[trhoppe]

While I try to usually stay in line, I'll anticipate the green, and want to be on the gas before its waved, so I get a full head of steam.

In the last few races, I've been gridded right behind very fast straight line cars, so it was really easy for me. They were half throttle (ITS and ITR cars) and I was flat, and by the time they nailed the gas, I continued to be flat and they just pulled away