In Open Wheel racing we have rules written on paper for all to read and rules we learn as we progress in the sport. I have watched a lot of racing in my day and I can tell you driving etiquett is very different in every form of racing. It seems like drivers with fendered cars and go-karts look at passing very differently than those who race without any wheel protection. Fendered drivers feel it is perfectly natural to lean on the other racer when making a pass, or boot them in the rear if they won't move over to let them by. In the world of open wheel racing these practices are inviting disaster.

There is no book of etiquett out there for the young wanabe open wheel racer to read and they must rely on input from other racers to put them on the right pathway to becoming jurneyman open wheel racers.

I grew up racing quarter midgets back in the 50's. I have never been too happy with their over blown rule book. However they are about the best around when it comes to making rule on good and bad driving habits. If a kid starts out racing Quarter midgets at age 5 or 6 these rules become a part of their thinking and they will carry these rules forward in his or her racing career. Un fortunately not all racers come up racing QMA.

We race in an entry level open wheel class. I like to call them "1000 cc Midgets". We race with drivers with year and years of experience and families grounded in racing as well as those that are still wet behind the ears so to speak. The things you or would I take for granted as only natural the newer racers may have never even thought about before, or they came from a style of racing that did not inforce good open wheel driving practice.

I would like to come up with a list of commandments for open wheel drivers as well crew members.

1 Thou shalt not pass by using your front bumper.

2 Thou shalt watch out for the driver in front of you and not worry about the driver behind you.

3 Thou shalt always hold your line on the race track and not block.

How many more can we come up with?

Honest Dad himself

I also like Thou should try to never use the brakes, nothing better than a smooth flow. Thou should also try to keep up ones momentum. Keeping up your momentum can make a slow car fast, and keep you out of the way of those behind you. A young smooth driver is more likely to make a good impression than a real fast driver that tears up others equipment.

When all else fails, it seems the "chrome horn" will get the job done when seeking a pass.

It's really quite simple.....show the drivers around you the same respect you would like them to show you.

Two sayings we used to have in Quarter Midget racing come to mind.

1. "Smooth is fast"

2. "If the driver in front of you can't see you then you're not there"

Is that why they don't put brakes on them Speedway Bikes? Couldn't get the riders not to use them, so they just took them off all together. I can just imagine 80 MPH and no brakes!

Honest Dad himself

I got to add to this one from what i saw saturday night at a little track in ohio named Hilltop Speedway. There was a guy who has driven for a few years, a low dollar car. He has driven like an arrow without feathers more often than not. He won his heat race and was running in the front in the feature when contact with another car on the backstretch broke his front end and ended his night, sliding into the infield.They didn't stop the race, so he gets out of his car and throws stuff when the guy that made contact with him would go by. The other guy eventually got into another skermish and spun to a stop. Well, the low buck driver made a run towards the spun out car and with the driver strapped in, just started beating away. The low buck driver really earned my respect for his on track driving this night but his actions that followed negated all of that. My point is, if your a driver and want to do some butt kickin'...at least have the guts to let the other driver out of the car so he can put up or run! I saw the same with two guys at Mercer Raceway Park a couple weeks earlier...I don't condone fighting, but if its going to happen, do it like a man!

Thou shalt not block: If another racer gets his front wheel up even with your cockpit before entering the turn you will back off a little and give him racing room. (not cut down into him or pull out on him to prevent the pass) This does not hold true in NASCAR racing because they have fenders. Ever wonder why Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon do so well, they learned to keep their race car under control in very tight places many years ago.

Honest Dad himself

Always thought Thou should have a boxing ring that sits next to victory lane.

Its not as bad as it sounds, honestly Honest Dad I've never even given thought to them having brakes or not. Throttle gets you out of trouble and once you ride for awhile laying the bike down at speed comes natural or you dont last long. You can go from 60 to zero in a matter of feet and if you do it right, dont hurt none at all. The tricky part about speedwaybikes is that if you back off the throttle it hooks up and you get a burst of speed. Gotta keep it spinning up good, especially if you got to stop, lol.

Thou shall go as fast as possible at all times, while refraining from being a dick.

Thou shall come into the stands and sign autographs for kids during the night.
Never taketh A. J. Foyts name in vain.

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