**SCARTS Rulebook 2010**

SCARTS - STOCK CAR AUTO RACING ON TURBO SLIDERS - 2010 RULEBOOK

This is the rulebook for the 2010 SCARTS Racing season on Turbo Sliders Version 2.0. SCARTS stands for Stock Car Auto Racing on Turbo Sliders, a league formed to simulate the NASCAR touring series. Our series are entitled the Full Throttle Cup Series, Phenom Series, and Racin' Edge Truck Series. The following standards are to be followed by EVERY racer during scheduled league events to help keep the races flowing smoothly and accurately to realism.
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ENTRY LISTS
Entry lists will be posted for each race 'at least three days before a raceday.' Some lists will have a poll included inside for the SCARTS community to give their input on what days to race on as listed in the poll options. The choice that wins will be made the official raceday by Noon the day before the race.

Every driver should reply to the entry list with their entry into the race and the car sponsor they would like to drive in the race. If drivers fail to post their entries, we may decide to mandate it for qualifying or something.

SCARTS may choose to mandate entry lists in effort to increase site attendance, and would be a GREAT way to do so. But I won't for now, but encourage you all to post them out of conveinence for the admin.
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RACE EVENT FORMAT
All of the SCARTS series follow a common race format: a practice session, qualifying, and the race. Each of these are described in detail below.

-PRACTICE-
The time announced for each race will always be when practice starts (i.e. 7:30pm EST). This session allows drivers to practice qualifying, fuel runs, and close quarters racing before the race. Practice is to be respected which means, if you are goofing around on the track like hitting people on purpose, or sitting idle anywhere where your car can be an obstruction to others, you will get in trouble or perhaps a refusal to qualify or even race.

*Practice Format:
-Once practice starts, late arrivals will be refused entry. NO restarts allowed.
-Each practice will be 15 minutes in duration.
-Fuel will be activated to test fuel runs. Startfuel changes are allowed.
-Ghost mode is off.
-The fastest time you hit in practice will reflect your qualifying order. See below.

-QUALIFYING-
Following the practice session, qualifying will be held to determine the race starting order. Each driver will be given 'two full laps' to hit the fastest laptime possible. The quicker of the two laps will be accounted for as the qualification time. Qualifying will follow practice directly after. Noone may leave to run additional laps.

*Qualifying Format:
-Fuel off
-Two qualifying laps, faster of the two counts.
-Warmup lap begins as you leave your pitstall. The next time by the start/finish line starts the two clock.
-The order to qualify will be dependent on your fastest lap from practice. The slowest car will qualify first and go in order of next fastest, to next fastest, to fastest. Then afterward, those who missed practice may take time.
-One car on the track at a time. Everyone else must wait in pit lane. Those not supposed to be on track will be DQ'd from qualifying.

If for some reason qualifying ever gets cancelled due to server problems, the starting order would always be set by current series points from most to least. The first race would use 2009 final standings.

-RACE-
The race will follow exactly five minutes after qualifying concludes. This is a time to change your startfuel for the race and do any last minute tasks before the race begins. Admins will not tolerate people trying to rush the race start. Make sure to get in your starting order from qualifying. It will be announced in the server more than once before we start. More details on the race in an upcoming section of this rulebook.
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KEY THINGS TO KNOW FOR RACES
Before racing, there are some important things to discuss before entering into a race.

-RACING STYLE-
SCARTS is a racing series you can't take lightly and immaturely. We are a fairplay league which thrives on players who love competition and can live without cheating and rough gameplay. This unique community of players allows us to be able to simulate NASCAR in many ways. If you are someone who likes to bend the rules, cut people off, and cheat your way to victory, you won't last in SCARTS and won't be welcome.

-ADMINS-
Admins in SCARTS races will be notated with asteriks ** around the player name. These guys are considered role models of SCARTS and vow to uphold the rules of the league by punishing those who bend the rules. Admins have the right to issue out black flag penalties as well as judge racing behavior for penalties following each race. No retaliation on admins will be tolerated in the races at any time for any reason. The only retaliation allowed is for on-track situations only, never administrative decisions you are upset about.

-FLAGS-
There are several colored flags we will use during each SCARTS race. They are detailed below.
- Green Flag: When green is out, we are racing for position.
- Yellow Flag: When yellow is out, we are pacing on the racetrack as a result of somebody wrecking and calling 'YEL'
- Red Flag: When red is out, we are stopped on the racetrack waiting on somebody.
- Black Flag: When 'Black Flag' is called, it is directed at one particular driver as a penalty for an action on the racetrack. More details about black flags in an upcoming section.
-White Flag: When white is out, its time to let it all hang out, ONE TO GO!!!

-YELLOW FLAGS (CAUTIONS)-
When someone gets in a multicar crash or momentum stopping wall impact, drivers can call a yellow flag to slow down the field into pace laps. Once yellow flag (YEL) is called, the field is frozen in their current running position. Whatever position the caution caller is when he gets back up to speed is the running position under caution, it isn't necessarily last place. Drivers must slow up as soon as yellow is called, no racing to the line.

Once the field is caught up single file, the race admin will call out 'PIT'. This represents pit lane being open for pit stops. The field may choose to pit or not to pit, however the driver who called the yellow flag will be required to make a stop in pit lane and take 'at least' a splash of fuel. It will be ok to gain position in the pits if you are the yellow caller.

If a driver makes a pitstop before pitlane is announced as open, the driver will get a lap down penalty.

After pitstops conclude, the field must form in a double file restart formation. First place will be granted lane preference at the start, and second place will line up opposite. Odd positions such as 3rd, 5th and 7th are required to restart in the inside lane while even number positions (2nd, 4th, 6th) restart in the outside line. People 'may' dip back down into pitlane for more service if desired.

The race admin will announce a restart (RS) once he judges that the field is in formation. Once announced, the race will restart green the next time around to the line. You may NOT pass the guy in front of you in line until after the start/finish line. Doing so will result in a lap down penalty handed out during the next caution or end of race.

New for 2010, you are NEVER allowed to call two cautions in a row. If you do so, you will go a lap down, no exceptions to it. If you call a third caution when you are already a lap down, you get booted. Think of it as a three strike rule for anybody calling multiple cautions in a row.

Cautions are now legal the entire length of the race except for the final lap.

-BLACK FLAGS-
As mentioned above, black flags are issued to drivers who commit a violation to the rulebook or make unsportsmanlike moves around fellow racers. Only a race admin with asteriks next to their player name (i.e. **Burnout**) are allowed to give out black flag penalties. If a player chooses not to honor a penalty, he WILL get banned.

Here are some examples of what will get you a black flag penalty:
-> Passing the car starting in front of you before the start/finish line at the race start.
-> Passing the car restarting in front of you before the start/finish line on each race restart.
-> Shoving somebody below the apron cutting off their driving line.
-> Failing to pit while under caution if you are the caution caller.
-> Pitting while pits are closed or right after a person calls YEL.
-> Ramming other racers in pitlane at full speed. Accidents will not be penalized.
-> Miss the committment cone (if present) and caught doing so.
-> Calling multiple cautions in a row (2-in-a-row, lap down, 3-in-a-row, kick)

-RED FLAGS-
Occassionally, a driver may call a 'red flag' during the race. These are allowed during the entire race except for Green-White-Checkered finishes. These are ONLY TO BE CALLED for having to leave the computer for a brief period of time or accidental server disconnection. Of course for accidental disconnection, someone else will need to call the RED out of common sense. Positions are frozen the moment RED is called in the server, and we will all halt on the racetrack, NOT pitlane. Anyone who calls a red flag to fight or complain will get kicked, no exceptions.

Reds do not count as cautions in a row to get you lapped, as long as the reason is legit.
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THE RACE
As stated above, the race will follow qualifying FIVE MINUTES after qualifying's conclusion. Being on time is important as we will start the race punctually. During this five minute time frame, you may make adjustments to your Startfuel for the start of the race. This section describes the format for each SCARTS race.

-PACE LAP-
The first lap of the race will be a pace lap in the starting order set from qualifying. Competitors are required to stay in line during the first lap and not accelerate until the race leader gets around near the start/finish line. You may NOT pass the guy in front of you in line until after you pass the start/finish line. Passing the guy beside you is legal if your line gets a run. The polesitter will have lane preference at the start. The outside polesitter will start in the lane opposite the poleman.

Those taking off at the start ignoring the pace lap will be booted from the server. YOU MUST pace.

-FIRST 20 LAPS-
The first 20 laps of each race, regardless of race distance, will be an opportunity for every driver to earn five bonus points for the championship by leading one of the first 20 laps. Changing startfuel before the race is your chance to strategize for how to get up front by the Lap 20 mark to earn five bonus points. Once 20 laps are completed, the lap bonus will no longer be up for grabs.

-HALFWAY BONUS-
Racing for halfway is a race in itself as somebody can earn another five bonus points for leading that lap. The official halfway mark will be announced in the race if its unclear as to when it is in a 201 lap race for example.

-PITTING-
As the field is racing under green flag, drivers may choose to make pitstops whenever they want. New for 2010, you may make a pitstop at whatever speed you want to enter pitlane, as long as you aren't caught missing the committment cone. That penalty will be handed out by an admin on the next caution if you are caught. Drilling it into your heads now, YOU MUST ENTER PIT LANE WITHOUT MISSING THE COMMITTMENT CONE!!!

But as described in the yellow flag section, pit road will be closed when somebody calls the yellow flag (YEL). Pits will remain closed until the race admin gives the ok to open the pits saying PIT. Pits remain open after PIT is announced, so drivers can choose to pit after the main PIT statement while still pacing under caution.

-GREEN WHITE CHECKER-
New this year will be three attempts at a Green-White-Checkered finish (a two lap shootout to the checkered flag after a caution). If a competitor calls a YEL near the end of the race and we are not able to restart by 2 laps to go, we will pace the race to the checkered flag and then do our first GWC attempt. Pacing it to the line will keep check on people cheating their fuel expecting the race to go GWC before completing 100% distance. The caution caller will not be allowed to call another caution after that, but others may if they wreck. If the restart hits the final lap, yellows are again banned and the caution caller will be parked. The yel must be called on the first lap of the restart, and it will be reviewed on tape. The caution caller will be placed last car on the lead lap for every ensuing GWC restart. The GWC restarts will be planned ahead of time in the server so that we can race them if necessary, and they will be fuel free.

-LUCKY DOGS-
The first car one lap down of the leader may be granted a free pass to earn one lap back when the caution comes out. If a caution caller already a lap down calls a caution, even if he is the first one a lap down, earning a lap back won't be allowed. Drivers can only earn a lap back if somebody else calls the YEL. The 'lucky dog' driver must restart the race last car on the lead lap always, even if the driver doesn't pit.

-LAST LAP-
Once the white flag is drawn to signify the final lap, no cautions are allowed to be called. Those who wrecked may not block the racetrack to ruin the final lap for everyone else.
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POINTS SYSTEM
SCARTS has adjusted its point system for 2010 and it is common for each series in SCARTS. Whoever scores the most points during the course of the season will be crowned the season champion. So finishing well and earning bonus points may assist in helping win the championship.
For 2010, exhibitions will NOT earn you bonus points in any way. They are to be all-star races for the best of the best in SCARTS and that alone.
The Full Throttle Cup Series though has a special system which represents the Chase for the Full Throttle Cup. The first 14 races are the opportunity to position yourselves in the Top 5 in the series standings. Those five drivers will then compete for the championship with points reset for the final six races. Each driver's points will be reset to 2000 points with every win earned during the first 14 races being five bonus points added into the total. So if someone makes the Chase and has three wins, that person will have 2015 points to begin the six race playoff. The driver who earns the most points in the six Chase races will be the Full Throttle champion. The racers who missed the Chase will retain their points from the first 14 races and continue to race amongst themselves for 6th place to end the year.

If qualifying is ever cancelled due to time constraints to get the race started, we will start the races by points standing from most to least points. Drivers without points will start in the back in order of connection to the server. Only the first race of the season will be points set by last year's final standings in all three series.

For 2010, drivers are entitled to score EVERY point they earn unless there is a big issue with one driver's behavior brought up after the race. If so, a panel of admins will discuss the issue and ARE ABLE to dock points if the infraction is unanimous.
If you want details on the exact values earned for every position, visit the Points System in the SCARTS Information section of the forum.
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TEAM CHAT
This year SCARTS may start a team chat system for our races online. Popular demand has shown that administering a race over voice chat can be confusing and hard to hear over other drivers. So, SCARTS has taken this a new direction. Drivers on the same teams MAY connect to their own private channel to discuss race strategy and chat during the race. We will use Skype in 2010 as the preferred voice chat system. Race administration will be conducted through Turbo Sliders' chat system as before.

*This idea may be subject to change*
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SUMMARY
SCARTS may not sound like fun with all of the mandatory rules, but lemme tell you, you won't experience a more unique and true-to-life racing simulation in the Turbo Sliders community anywhere else. The rules are to create order in our series in favor of fairplay and competition. Rough racers in the Turbo Sliders community are not welcome if they choose to act as so. All we ask is to understand all of these rules and we will the best season yet of SCARTS!
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VERSION
-2010 SCARTS Rulebook, Version 1.0 (March 5, 2010)

Needs to be updated with Black Flags and Red Flags, Pit Lane.