3 Wide Racing League
2017 Cup Series Rules Package

Preface

These rules apply to the 2017 3 Wide Racing Cup Series Events. Each member of the league has been provided access to the 2017 rules, and is deemed to have full awareness, understanding and has agreed to abide by and personally responsible for compliance with the rules. These rules are to keep the racing at a high standard and to be sure there are no grey-areas in any way. The races are meant to be fun and enjoyable, but also taken seriously, therefore, there’s a need to be as organized as possible.

Further information or clarification of the rules may be obtained by contacting the league administration.

  1. 3 Wide Racing Charter System

1.1.Charter System Financials

A-Car Series Charter (26 Events, plus Practice Sessions)

  • $60.00 per season; per driver ($1.05 per event with individual practice sessions)
  • Includes broadcast, Playoff purse, All-Star event prize and entry to all series special events.

B-Car Series Charter (20 Events)

  • $25.00 per season; per driver ($1.25 per event)
  • Includes broadcast, Playoff purse, All-Star event prize and entry to all series special events.

Dirt Car Series Charter (10 Events)

  • $15.00 per season; per driver ($1.50 per event)
  • In the event dirt has not been released, a substitute series may be used
  • Entry to all series special events, No broadcast at this time.

Max Charter (80 Events across three series)

  • $85.00 per season; per driver ($0.98 per event)
  • Full charter access to all divisions of 3 Wide Racing League.
  • $5.00 of each Max Charter goes to charity (TBD)

(Race amounts subject to change)

1.2.Chartered and Non-Chartered Members

1.2.1.Chartered Members

1.2.1.1.Guaranteed starting spots in selected series

1.2.1.2.Playoff eligible with 70% participation

1.2.1.3.Eligible for special 3Wide events

1.2.1.4.Eligible for 3Wide Prizes

1.2.1.5.Granted three provisional per series. (Additional provisional(s) may be allowed after Admin Committee vote)

1.2.2.Non-Chartered Members

1.2.2.1.No guaranteed starting positions in races

1.2.2.2.Top three qualifying non-chartered members will be added to the race field.

1.2.2.3.Only eligible to participate in three races per series

1.2.2.4.Not Playoff eligible

1.2.2.5.Not eligible for 3Wide Racing Series’ special events and prizes

1.3.League Charter Administration

1.3.1.Administration Committee

1.3.1.1.The Administration Committee will be responsible for setting rules, regulations, assessing penalties, and the setting of racing schedules. The League President will set the committee with exception to Drivers Committee Liaison (DLC).

1.4.

1.4.1.Driver’s Committee

1.4.1.1.The Driver’s Committee will be made up of 3Wide drivers of all series. Each team will have one representative. A single Driver Committee Liaison will be voted on by team to be appointed to the Admin Committee. The DCL will be tasked with voicing concerns, topics of interest (racing improvement, driver problems, ect.), and general discussions with Admins of 3 Wide Racing.

1.4.1.2.Multi-Car Teams will designate one person to be on the Driver’s Committee; single car teams will be represented by the owner of the team. Any other additions to the Driver’s Committee are purely by the league President’s discretion.

  1. Racing Events Overview
  2. Official League Racing Points Event Sessions
  3. All races sessions will start with a 50-minutepractice beginning at 9:10pm ET.
  4. Drivers are encouraged to use this time to get pre-race laps, and verify racing equipment is in working order.
  5. Qualifying follows practice at 10:00 pm ET.
  6. Drivers meeting will be conducted at 10:05pm ET, drivers are encouraged to ask for any clarifications to on track procedures at this time. No racing vehicles will be allowed on the racing surfaces until gridding.
  7. Gridding of the field will start at 10:15pm ET. This will be the final chance for drivers to join the server to race.
  8. Race lengths will be approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. Cautions laps may cause fluctuations in length.
  9. Rolling Starts will be used in all races, along with double file restarts with lappedcars in the back.

Introduction of the 6/11 rule.

2.1.8.On oval tracks 1 mile in length or greater, any vehicle 6 or more laps down will be unable to continue in the race and be considered parked for the remainder of the event.

2.1.9.On oval tracks .99 of a mile in length or less, any vehicle 11 or more laps down will be unable to continue in the race and will be considered parked for the remainder of the event.

2.1.10.On any road course track of any length, any vehicle 11 or more laps down will be unable to continue in the race and will be considered parked for the remainder of the event.

2.2.Official League Racing Points Session Vehicle/Track Setup

2.2.1.All races will use a “Fixed Setup”, these setups will be a default iRacing setup, or in some cases a league official prepared setup. League prepared setups will be verified prior to the racing event.

2.2.2.Max fuel will be set at 75% to promote pit stops during the racing event.

2.2.3.Fast repairs will not be used in 3 Wide Racing events.

2.2.4.Dynamic track rubber starting point will be set randomly the morning of the race event. It will range from 0-75%.Unlike past season, the starting point will no longer be posted on Twitter before the session begins.

2.2.5.All events will be run with acustomized dynamic weather system in place.

  1. Racing Communications
  2. All drivers should have race communications, via voice or text; voice is the preferred method.
  3. Chatter is to be kept to a minimum during qualifying and race conditions. This is to allow drivers to focus on their races and to keep a clear channel for official race communications.
  4. “All Team” Channel will be used by officials to announce any rulings (ex. Black Flag under restart conditions).
  5. Obscene language or derogatory comments toward another driver, official or league event will not be tolerated. Penalties will be given as result based on the severity.
  6. Chartered members/teams will have free access to the 3 Wide Racing Team Speak Servers.
  7. On Track Rules and Procedures
  8. Starts and Restarts
  9. All starts and restart will be double file with lapped cars in the rear of the field according to iRacing auto-positioning.
  10. The leader has control of the restart and may restart where ever they choose after the pace car leaves the racing surface. All other cars must allow the leader to cross the starting line first. If the leader has not taken the green flag by the time the spotter calls green, all drivers are free to go.
  11. In the event of a car passing the leader before the start line, they must give back the position before turn 1.
  12. All vehicles must maintain pace speed. Failure to maintain pace speed may result in warnings and/or penalties.
  13. “Jumped Starts” are not allowed. Coming to the green flag, all cars are to remain in a double file order, staying in their lane until they cross the start/finish line
  14. The leader must stay behind the pace car, passing the pace car is not permitted, and any penalties assessed by iRacing will not be cleared.
  15. “Wave Arounds” are permitted if all lead lap cars pit under caution. The “Wave Around” will occur on “one lap to green”.
  16. Wall riding is not permitted in any 3 Wide Racing session. Any driver found to be using tactics that result in an advantage by using the outside wall may be removed from any league session, with an additional penalty following the race event.

4.2.Cautions, Pace laps, and Pit Road Procedures

4.2.1.Once a caution is out, all cars are to slow to safe speed, catch up to the pace vehicle, and follow at proper pace speeds.

4.2.2.All 3 Wide Racing League Points sessions will follow the iRacing caution rulings, in some circumstances a caution may be thrown by a league official.

4.2.3.At road courses, a 25-Minute Caution Clock will be put in place by the league’s off track official(s). At the beginning of each start/restart, the clock will begin. No caution will be thrown if the 25 minutes runs out within 10 laps to go.

4.3.Under 10 to Go and Shoot-Out Procedures

4.3.1.In the event of there being a "One Lap Shootout" due to the way the caution and amount of laps happen, the race will not be going back to green flag racing and will finish under yellow.

4.3.2.In the final 10 laps of any event league officials will not be allowed to call cautions manually. iRacing cautions will be the only cautions used in the final 10 laps. The one exception to this will be to avoid 1 lap "shootouts". In this situation, the one to go will be thrown off and the race will finish under caution.

4.4.Post-Race Procedures

4.4.1.After completion of the race, each driver is expected to slow to a reasonable speed for the “cool down” lap and return to his/her pit stall.

4.4.2.Significant contact with any car after the checkered flag will result in a P2penalty (See Section 5 for Penalty Definitions), with exception of accidents happening coming to the checkered.

4.4.3.Winner may celebrate on track, any other competitor celebrating with burnouts, Polish victory laps etc. etc. will be assessed a P1 penalty.

4.5.Connection Issues and Courtesy

4.5.1.All drivers must have a decent internet connection with a proper ping. If connection starts to dissipate, the driver is expected to move to the apron or to the pits until the connection stabilizes.

4.5.2.An off track official may be present, if the directs you to move to the end of the field you must do so immediately until your connection clears.

4.5.3.If a driver loses connection, it will be treated as if a mechanical issue has occurred and driver has failed to finish the race.

  1. Black Flags, Penalties, Reviews/Appeals, and Penalty Breakdown
  2. Black Flags
  3. In most cases black flags will not be cleared, except in cases of: Illegal pit road entry to avoid an accident, and speeding on pit road while avoiding an accident.
  4. If avoiding an accident and using pit road, drivers are expected to slow to a reasonable speed. (Approximately double of pit road speed max.)
  5. Black flags that are cleared will be reviewed post-race; any erroneous request for black flag clearing will be penalized heavily.

5.2.Penalties

5.2.1.Penalties will vary based on the offence, all penalties will be reviewed post-race, if substantial evidence is found; a penalty will be issued.

5.2.2.3 Wide Racing League will use the following chart for penalties. Some instances may not be reflected in the chart.

  1. After a penalty is issued, the penalized driver has two days to appeal the rulings. To appeal please use the protest feature on the 3 Wide Racing Website. Appeals without driver info will be denied, and penalty appeals beyond two days will be dismissed.

5.3.3 Wide Racing Penalty Breakdown

5.3.1.Penalty Definitions

5.3.1.1.Probation: A 3 Wide League Member who is under probation will still be able to participate in 3 Wide Racing Events. Members under a probation period will be under strictermonetarization.

5.3.1.2.Championship Point Reduction: Infractions or repeat infractions that result in a predetermined amount of championship points.

5.3.1.3.Race Suspension: A league member receiving a/multiple race suspension will not be allowed to participate in the predetermined amount of races. No championship points will be awarded.

5.3.1.4.Removal from the League: P-4/Multiple P-3 Infractions will result in removal from the league after a 2/3rds majority vote from the 3 Wide Review Committee and a final approval from the league President.

5.3.2.W Level Penalties-Small infractions that will equal a 1 race probation period and 0-point loss.

5.3.2.1.Driving through to many pit boxes (3 box max).

5.3.2.2.Failure to maintain speed on pace lap.

5.3.2.3.Jumping the restart; and giving the position back (Position must be given back by turn 1)

5.3.2.4.Changing lanes prior to start/finish line.

5.3.3.P1 Penalties-Probation for 2 races and loss of 5 championship points.

5.3.3.1.Warnings while during a probationary period.

5.3.3.2.Celebratory actions while not being the race winner.

5.3.3.3.Loose lug nuts in post-race inspection.

5.3.4.P2 Penalties-Probation for 3 races and a loss of 10 championship points.

5.3.4.1.Secondary P1 infractions.

5.3.4.2.Post-race excessive contact with another vehicle.

5.3.4.3.Excessive negative/derogatory comments detrimental to others race enjoyment.

5.3.4.4.Jumping the leader and not giving the spot back before turn 1.

5.3.5.P3 Penalties-Probation for 6 races, 1 race suspension, and a loss of 20 championship points.

5.3.5.1.Secondary P2 infraction.

5.3.5.2.Willfully disregard for other causing damage to league members racing vehicles.

5.3.5.3.Willfully and purposely causing a yellow flag condition.

5.3.5.4.Purposely wrecking a competitor while under pace speeds.

5.3.5.5.Actions detrimental to the 3 Wide Racing League, broadcasters, or league name during a race, on broadcast, or on social media networks.

5.3.6.P4 Penalties-Probation for 6 races, 3 race suspension, loss of 50 championship point or removal of from the league.

5.3.6.1.Secondary P3 infraction.

5.3.6.2.Intentional wrecking of the leader while being multiple laps down, under green or caution flag conditions.

5.4.Boys Have At It.

5.4.1.Contact between drivers will happen. Its racing, if contact occurs, be prepared for something in return. Blocking, Chopping, and dive bombing may occur, but a driver should be cautious with his/her actions, as they may result in a return gesture.

  1. 3 Wide Racing League Points System
  2. Points System
  3. Driver points will be scored based on finishing position.
  4. Drivers who lead a lap in a race will be given 1 bonus point.
  5. The race winning driver will receive 3 bonus points, and 1 bonus point will be added to their playoff berth amount should they advance.
  6. The driver who leads the “half way point” lap will receive 1 bonus point added their regular season total, and 1 bonus to their playoff berth amount should they advance.

6.2.Playoffs

6.2.1.The 3 Wide Racing League A-CarSeries will include anine race Playoff to decide the series’ champion.

6.2.2.The Playoffs will consist of 12 drivers total. A driver who earns a win in the regular season and competes in 75% of the season race events will advance. After wins, the Playoff Grid will be based off points. Participation will not be taken into consideration once the Grid is based on points. Playoff Round breakdown: Round One: 12 drivers; Round Two: 9 drivers; Round 3: 6 drivers; Championship Final Round: 3 drivers.

6.2.3.In the event of a tie in points, the driver with most wins, then poles, then top 5s and top 10s.

6.3.Provisionals

6.3.1.All drivers running for points are given a maximum of 3 Provisionals for the entire season.

6.3.2.A driver using a provisional will be given points based off the total number of Chartered Drivers there are. (Ex. 30 total Series’ Chartered Drivers = 30th place finish in that race (14 points per provisional))

6.3.3.After a driver has expended all Provisionals, no points will be given for missed races.

6.3.4.If two or more drivers use Provisionals in the same event, both will receive the same points based on total Series’ Chartered Drivers.

6.4.Participation

6.4.1.Once a driver commits to a full time schedule, paid his/her charter dues and is added to the series roster he/she is expected of them to show up regularly. Charter dues are non-refundable.

6.4.2.70% participation during the regular season is required to participate in the Playoffs.

  1. Teams, Manufacturers, Paint Schemes, and Car Numbers
  2. Teams
  3. Drivers are welcome to organize and form teams within theleague.
  4. A maximum of four cars/drivers are allowed for all 3 Wide Racing Series.
  5. All team cars are asked to use the same car number font and have no contradiction sponsors. (Ex. Coke and Pepsi)
  6. Team race communications are allowed and suggested to use in league races, but beware team race chatter may hamper one’s ability to hear race official communications. The “All Teams” channel is not an acceptable team communication channel.

7.2.Manufacturers

7.2.1.One manufacturer per driver in A and B series. (Example: Driver competes in a Chevrolet SS in A series, he/she must use a Chevrolet in B series)

7.2.2.Team members are required to run the same manufacturer.

7.2.3.No mid-season team manufacturer changes are allowed.

7.3.Paint Schemes

7.3.1.Custom paint schemes are welcome with the use of Trading Paints, but not required.

7.3.2.All schemes must include a number that can clearly read (ex. No black on black).

7.3.3.Custom paints schemes are not permitted that contain nudity, obscene language, racism, drug use, or offensive sponsors.

7.3.4.Replica paint schemes are not permitted in 3 Wide Racing Events (Exception Darlington Throwback Races, paints from year 2000 or older). Replica definition: Any close or exact copy or reproduction.

  1. Fun!
  2. FUN is the biggest and most important rule, so make sure you have some! When it comes down it, we're all playing a game. The league was made for entertainment. So enjoy the luxury of getting to race in not just your own home, but in such a great league 3 Wide Racing is! The league is taken seriously, but it's the fun of racing with other great racers and friends are why we do this week after week!

DISCLAIMER: There isn't a rule for every situation, but as 3 Wide Racing continues to race rules will be added to provide equal competition for every competitor involved. In the event of new situations occurring with no rules in place it, the decisions during an event will be considered final. After said event, a review of the situation will be done to determine what can be done to fix or improve the happening incident in the future.

Rules last updated on: May 16th, 2017 – Highlighted in yellow