Welcome to the rules page! The rules govern the NASCAR Heat Racing League and ensure fair competition. League members and substitute drivers are expected to read and understand the guidelines on this page. When a competitor violates the rules, the league administrators may assess penalties as well as other punishments. Please remember, if you're ever confused about something on this page, then you should contact the administrators or post a question on the forum.
The NASCAR Heat Racing League seeks to promote a positive environment, good sportsmanship, and close competition. We will not hesitate to remove disruptive or disrespectful drivers from the league. As a result, everyone should think twice before acting out their frustrations or insulting other competitors. In the end, the league administrators simply want to assemble a polite group of NASCAR Heat drivers. If this objective sounds unnreasonable, then you should not participate in our league. I. General League Rules
A. Secondary Reviews I-A 1. The league administrators try to enforce the rules fairly and consistently. If you believe we've made a mistake, then you may request a secondary review for a penalty. In order to dispute a penalty, you must send us a private message on the forum within one week after the appropriate race results have been updated on the website. I-A 2. In your request for a secondary review, you must be prepared to supply the following items: 1) an explanation about what happened, 2) a counter-argument derived specifically from the rules, and 3) your replay of the race (if we request it). If these requirements are satisfied, then the administrators will consider your reasoning and come to a secondary decision. B. Installation Requirements I-B 1. Every competitor should install the appropriate patches and updates for NASCAR Heat. A driver will be unable to connect to the league server without installing the 1.1e and 1.80 patches. For convenience, we also recommend installing the optional no-cd patch. I-B 2. From time to time, the league competes on addon courses which are not in the original installation of NASCAR Heat. League members should check the appropriate series schedules to determine which tracks must be downloaded for each season. If you're searching for addon course, then we recommend checking out the The Mod Squad's Tracklist. C. Custom Paint Schemes I-C 1. Drivers can use custom paint schemes in league races. During a season, each league member is limited to three custom paint schemes per series. You may swap or update your paint schemes, but you may not exceed three at any given moment in time. I-C 2. After submitting a new paint scheme, a league member must wait one week before using it during an official race. Drivers who ignore this guideline will automatically give away 10 points in the championship standings. Please note: this rule does NOT apply to the opening race of a season or to rookies who want to submit a paint scheme before competing in their first event. D. Miscallaneous Rules I-D 1. Before a race, the league administrators may announce special guidelines or procedures. For a road course, for example, the administrators may decide to implement a pace lap and set specific rules that must be followed. Drivers who ignore these pre-race announcements will be subject to league discipline. We recommend that you regularly visit the forum and pay attention in the server. I-D 2. The NASCAR Heat Racing League does not restart events for accidents. League members who crash and demand a restart can expect penalties. However, drivers may request restarts for clear problems with the starting grid: alignment, pace speed, and damage issues are all legitimate restart requests. Please inform us about problems immediately; do not wait until the race is underway. I-D 3. During a race, only the league administrators should enter commands into the server. Drivers who take matters into their own hands and enter commands will be subject to league discipline. Penalties may involve large point deductions and even suspensions. II. Server Information
A. League Server II-A 1. The IP address for the league server can be found in the Server Information section of the forum. Occasionally, the league administrators may post alternative addresses on the forum for races and practices. II-A 2. Due to recent abuses and misbehavior, we've set a password in order to protect the league server from troublemakers and intruders. League members can find the current server password in the Server Information section of the forum. II-A 3. Before entering the league server, every competitor should select "ISDN" on the NASCAR Heat multiplayer screen. The server performs optimally when every client has selected this option. Please make this a habit; do not force us to ask you! II-A 4. The league also has a Ventrilo server. League members often communicate on this program during races and practices. The information for the Ventrilo server can be found in the Server Information section of the forum. B. Race Requirements II-B 1. At least 10 league members must be present to constitute an official event. Substitute drivers do not count towards this requirement. If the minimum field size is not satisfied, then the event will either be rescheduled or cancelled. II-B 2. If the server crashes before the midpoint of a league race, then the event is not counted and will either be rescheduled or cancelled. However, if the race is more than 50% complete when the server crashes, then the event will be deemed official and the finishing positions will be tallied through a "freeze frame" when the leader crosses the finish line on the final lap before the crash. II-B 3. If more than half of the field is dropped from the server during a league race, then event is not counted and will either be rescheduled or cancelled. This rule only applies to disconnects; over half of the field can fail to finish an event due to more common problems like crashes, withdrawals, engine failures, running out of fuel, and steering wheel and pedal malfunctions. C. Server Connection II-C 1. The league usually hosts practices before races. During this time, league members should test their connections and ask the administrators questions about rules and procedures. If you're having trouble with your connection, then the administrators may prohibit you from competing in a race. Drivers who are instructed to leave will be scored in the race results and receive points for the event. In order to test your Internet connection, we suggest visiting: PC Pitstop - In Association with CompUSA.com II-C 2. The NASCAR Heat Racing League is not responsible for disconnects. A competitor who is unexpectedly disconnected from the server during a race should not return and argue with the league administrators. Strange things often happen; sometimes drivers are disconnected without any apparent cause. More often than not, however, the individual's connection, not the league server, is at fault. III. Behavior and Conduct
A. Sportsmanship III-A 1. Foul language directed at other competitors is prohibited. League members are expected to demonstrate respect towards one another in the server and on the forum. For guidance, please read our supplemental guidelines about expected behavior and conduct. III-A 2. The league administrators should be notified about conflicts that arise between drivers. We do not accept excuses for revenge scenarios that take place on the race track. Everyone should evaluate whether intentional contact is worth the serious and lasting consequences. Penalties can involve point deductions, suspensions, and even permanent bans. III-A 3. The NASCAR Heat Racing League does not accept the convenient "heat of the moment" excuse for prohibited language or intentional contact directed at other competitors. The league administrators will not even consider this reasoning when determining penalties for these infractions. A league event should never descend into a firestorm of chaos and disrespect. III-A 4. Competitors should minimize disturbances during league events. Do not start arguments or write commentaries through the NASCAR Heat chat interface. You should always discuss your problems in private with the league administrators. Drivers who cause pointless disruptions before, during, or after races will be subject to league discipline. B. Cheating III-B 1. The NASCAR Heat Racing League does not tolerate cheating. What is our definition of it? We consider cheating to be editing NASCAR Heat in order to gain a competitive advantage. However, certain files in the game may be modified for fun, such as menu screens, spotter sounds, and tire colors. These modifications are acceptable because they do not alter the core physics of the game. III-B 2. The league administrators possess reliable tools to detect cheaters. Drivers with modified car and track files, for example, are identified with a streaming cheating message in the league server: "player X may be cheating." If this message appears, then the administrators may prohibit the driver in question from participating in a league race. III-B 3. Once in awhile, cheating messages appear due to innocent installation problems. If you're concerned about your NASCAR Heat installation, then you should come to the server ahead of time and test whether this message appears. III-B 4. Drivers caught cheating are banned from the NASCAR Heat Racing League. The league administrators will permit secondary reviews for cheating bans, but do not expect the outcome to change if the facts remain obvious. C. Racing Tactics III-C 1. Every competitor should recognize that cars are traveling at different speeds. A driver must use caution and patience when encountering traffic on the race track. The race leader, for example, should be willing to cruise behind a lapped car before forcing a dangerous passing maneuver, enabling the slower driver to see the faster car and make the appropriate adjustments. The league administrators may assess penalties when drivers are overly aggressive or initiate unnecessary contact. III-C 2. Lapped drivers may compete with and pass the leaders. However, a slower car may not block faster cars lap after lap without moving aside in appropriate time. Both frontrunners and backmarkers should be courteous and recognize their surroundings, demonstrating "heads up driving." An aggressive, impatient driver who slams cars out of the way without allowing them to move can expect dangerous driving penalties. At the same time, a backmarker who drives dangerously or causes pointless accidents while attempting to block faster cars can also expect league discipline. III-C 3. Deliberate blocking or contact between cars is prohibited. Drivers may still "trade paint" while competing in close battles for position, but the contact should never become retaliatory. Drivers may protect a position, but may not cause damage to faster cars attempting to make reasonable passes. Undoubtedly, blocking can be a complicated situation in which fault is ambiguous. As a general rule, once cars are alongside one another (fenders overlapping relative to the track surface), the leading driver no longer has an opportunity to protect a position. Protecting a position and instigating a dangerous block are two different things. III-C 4. On road courses, drivers are required to keep at least two tires on the racing surface. The checkered rumble strips bordering certain corners are considered part of the racing surface. Overall, please use caution when driving on road courses. In the heat of competition, it's very easy to forget that you're also placing three or four tires off of the track. A driver who consistently violates the two-tire rule to gain an unfair advantage will risk significant penalties and an adjusted finishing position. III-C 5. Drivers may not pass cars by leaving the track and diving onto the apron. However, a competitor who completes a pass on the apron and then recognizes the mistake may return the track position gained without suffering any penalty after the race. IV. Championship Format
A. Season Standings IV-A 1. The NASCAR Heat Racing League compiles the championship standings for each series based on total points accumulated throughout a season. After the final race of the season, the league member with the most points earns the series championship. IV-A 2. If multiple drivers finish tied in points for a season, then the following tie-breaking criteria will determine their positions in the championship standings. The league administrators will proceed down this list until all ties are broken: a. fewest number of scored races IV-A 3. In our standard championship format, the worst finishes of every driver are dropped in progressive segments of 4 races throughout a season. After a driver is scored for 4 races, his lowest point total from an event is dropped and not counted in the championship standings. After 8 races, the lowest 2 point totals are then dropped from the standings. After 12 races, the lowest 3 point totals are dropped. After 16 races, the lowest 4 point totals are dropped. After 20 races, the lowest 5 point totals are dropped. This system enables drivers to miss an occasional race and remain competitive in the championship standings. IV-A 4. Your lowest point totals will more than likely shift throughout a season. A mediocre 15th-place finish in the opening race, for example, may not remain among your lowest point totals at the end of the season. Additionally, all "Did Not Start" and "Did Not Race" finishes are also eligible to be dropped. Therefore, you should remember to notify the league administrators when you expect to miss a race. A driver who misses a race without notification is not scored, forfeiting a potential point total that could have been dropped. IV-A 5. Occasionally, the NASCAR Heat Racing League may use alternative standings systems in series with shorter schedules. The standard system in these series will be a cumulative points race for the championship. The league administators will announce when a special system will be implemented for a particular series. B. Bonus Points Drivers can earn 5 bonus points for leading one lap, leading the most laps, starting in the pole position without leading one lap, and capturing the Hard Charger or Die Hard awards in a race. Drivers are recognized but do not earn bonus points for starting in the pole position while leading one lap or capturing the Move of the Race or Headache awards. Substitute drivers can earn 5 bonus points for leading one lap and leading the most laps but are not eligible to capture the Hard Charger or Die Hard awards. Pole Position: The fastest driver in time trials captures the pole position. If the driver does not lead one lap during the race, then he receives 5 bonus points for capturing the pole. If the driver leads one lap during the race, then he does not receive bonus points for capturing the pole. Substitute drivers cannot participate in time trials and therefore are not eligible for the pole position. Lead One Lap: Drivers who lead at least one lap during a race receive 5 bonus points. A driver can earn 5 additional bonus points for leading the most laps in the race. Substitute drivers are also eligible to earn bonus points for leading one lap. Lead the Most Laps: The driver who leads the most laps during the race receives 5 bonus points. If two (or more) drivers are tied for leading the most laps then each will receive 5 bonus points. A driver who achieves this feat collects 10 total bonus points because he satisfies the requirement for leading one lap. Substitute drivers are also eligible to earn bonus points for leading the most laps. Move of the Race: The driver who is determined to have executed the best maneuver during a race captures the Move of the Race. A driver does not earn bonus points for capturing the Move of the Race but the distinction ranks among the most prestigious prizes. Hard Charger Award: The driver who a) completes at least one lap during time trials and b) gains the most positions during the race captures the Hard Charger Award. A driver who struggles in time trials but battles to a strong finish is a good candidate for the Hard Charger Award. Substitute drivers cannot participate in time trials and therefore are not eligible for the Hard Charger Award. Die Hard Award: If a driver struggles during a race, then he may get a little consolation by capturing the Die Hard Award. The worst-finishing driver who a) gains at least one position from the starting grid and b) stays running during the entire race earns the Die Hard Award. Although they may meet this criteria, substitute drivers are not eligible for the Die Hard Award. Headache Award: Although it's not Pearl Harbor all over again, it's almost always a day of infamy whenever a driver captures the Headache Award. The driver who loses the most positions from the starting grid during a race earns this dubious distinction. C. Missing Races IV-C 1. If you want to receive points when you're going to miss a race, then you must inform the league administrators about your upcoming absence. If a driver properly notifies the administrators ahead of time, then he will be scored as "Did Not Race" in the appropriate race results. A league member who does not inform the administrators about an absence will not receive points. IV-C 2. Informing the league administrators about an absence is not difficult. League members can send a private message to the administrators or post a message on the forum. If you experience a sudden emergency that prevents you from notifying the administrators, then please contact them after the fact and explain what happened. We're usually very flexible in these situations. IV-C 3. Occasionally, a driver comes to the league server intending to race, but experiences a technical glitch preventing him from competing in the event. In this situation, the driver will still receive points and be scored as "Did Not Start" in the corresponding race results. Competitors scored as "Did Not Start" in the results will rank ahead of competitors scored as "Did Not Race." D. Substitute Drivers IV-D 1. League members may employ a substitute driver to take their place when they miss an event. If your substitute driver is not already a league member, then you should make sure that he reads and understands the rules page. If necessary, the league administrators may prevent an inexperienced or unprepared substitute driver from competing in a race. IV-D 2. Substitute drivers may not participate in time trials. Instead, they must use a provisional and start at the rear of the field. A substitute driver who ignores this guideline automatically accrues a 10-point penalty for the regular driver. IV-D 3. Substitute drivers must use the same car numbers as their regular drivers. A substitute driver who comes to a race using a different car number automatically accrues a 10-point penalty for the regular driver. IV-D 4. During the 20-race regular season, league members are limited to 3 substitute drivers per series. The league administrators will announce special rules for series with shorter schedules. We may grant exceptions to this limit, but only in unique circumstances. IV-D 5. Where can you find a decent substitute driver? An excellent place is right in the NASCAR Heat Racing League! Drivers in other series are always the most trustworthy choices. We've even provided a section in the forum specifically about searching for substitute drivers. We're confident everyone can find an adequate substitute driver given the number of members in the league. V. Pit Road Procedures
A. General Pitting Rules V-A 1. Every driver should understand the proper procedures for entering and exiting pit road. Please read through this section and memorize the process for each course. Occasionally, the league administrators may also post tutorials on the forum. V-A 2. If you're by yourself, then you should always drive in the outside lane when cruising down pit road. On oval tracks, this is the furthest lane to the right from the pit stalls. On road courses, this can either be the furthest lane to the left or right from the pit stalls. V-A 3. If two drivers are side by side on pit road, then they may remain alongside one another as long as they follow the proper procedures. In this situation, both drivers share a responsibility to leave enough space for other cars between themselves and the pit stalls. The inner driver does not have to be entirely in the outside lane, but he should be positioned as close to it as possible. V-A 4. Do not needlessly cut through other stalls when entering or exiting your own pit box. The league administrators recognize that completely avoiding the stalls immediately in front of and behind your pit box can be challenging and that heavy traffic, awkward positioning, and incoming cars frequently add further complication to the pitting process. As a result, a driver is permitted reasonable leniency given the situation. In the majority of cases, a competitor should never have to cut through more than three stalls in order to enter or exit their pit box. Driver who attempt to gain an unfair advantage by cutting through multiple pit stalls can expect penalties. V-A 5. At times, pit road can seem complicated and frantic, creating a challenging decision-making process. As a general rule, a driver should always try to avoid colliding with or damaging other cars on pit road with thoughtless moves. When exiting your pit box, for example, you should always check your rearview camera (F4) for incoming cars before returning to the outside lane. Pit road does not have to be complicated; most of the time, simple track awareness can prevent a lot of trouble. B. Pitting on Advanced Speedways Entering Pit Road: There are actually no entrance aprons on advanced speedways. When preparing to pit, drivers should signal their intentions, move to the left-most lane in turn 3, and decelerate on the pavement leading to pit road after clearing turn 4. Please demonstrate caution and avoiding hitting others from behind. Cars will be traveling at high speeds near the entrance to pit road. Exiting Pit Road: At Brickyard, drivers use the exit lane to reach the back straight, checking for incoming cars and remaining in the left-most lane until reaching turn 4. MP Pocono, however, has no exit lane. When exiting, drivers must merge directly onto the racing surface, check for incoming cars, and remain to the left until reaching turn 2. Please do not jump into the middle of the track. C. Pitting on Intermediate Speedways Entering Pit Road: When preparing to pit, drivers should signal their intentions, move to the left-most lane, and enter the apron before reaching turn 3. Drivers must maintain safe speeds on the apron and avoid sliding back onto the racing surface. As you approach the entrance to pit road, you should decelerate at a gradual pace. Please do not slam on the brakes at the last moment. Exiting Pit Road: When exiting pit road, drivers remain on the apron through turns 1 and 2 and merge onto the back straight. After merging, drivers must remain in the left-most lane until reaching turn 4. Please note: at Las Vegas and Miami, drivers leave pit road through the exit ramp. Do not attempt to leave the ramp and cut across the grass in order to reach the racing surface. D. Pitting on Road Courses Entering Pit Road: There should be nothing confusing about pitting on road courses. When preparing to pit, drivers must signal their intentions, move to the appropriate side of the track, and safely decelerate towards the entrance to pit road. Please note: at IndyRC T, drivers must enter the apron from the NASCAR oval in turn 2. Please click here to see a screenshot of the apron entrance at IndyRC T. Exiting Pit Road: When exiting pit road, drivers must merge directly onto the track. However, please demonstrate caution, check for incoming cars, and remain on the same side of the track as the exit to pit road. Please do not swing into the middle racing groove. You should only move to the middle when you have reached the first turn following the exit to pit road. E. Pitting on Short Tracks Entering Pit Road: Bristol, IRP, MP Memphis, and Richmond each have entrance aprons. At these tracks, drivers should signal their intentions, move to the left-most lane, and enter the apron before reaching turn 3. Drivers must maintain safe speeds on the apron and avoid sliding back onto the racing surface. Martinsville and nwilkesboro n do not have entrance aprons. At these tracks, drivers should signal their intentions, move to the left-most lane in turn 2, and decelerate on the pavement leading to pit road. Exiting Pit Road: At each track except Martinsville, drivers should remain on the apron through turns 1 and 2 and merge onto the back straight. After merging, drivers should check for incoming cars and remain in the left-most lane until reaching turn 4. At Martinsville, drivers should merge directly onto the racing surface, check for incoming cars, and remain in the left-most lane until reaching turn 4. Please do not jump into the middle of the track because someone is bound to be coming from behind. F. Pitting on Super Speedways Entering Pit Road: Drivers are not required to use the aprons at super speedways. When preparing to pit, drivers should signal their intentions, move to the left-most lane in turn 3, and decelerate on the pavement leading to pit road after clearing turn 4. Please demonstrate caution and avoiding hitting others from behind. Cars will be traveling at high speeds near the entrance to pit road. Exiting Pit Road: When exiting pit road, drivers should merge directly onto the racing surface. After merging, drivers must remain alongside the apron line through turns 1, 2, and the entire back straight. Drivers who dart into the middle of the track attempting to complete some ill-conceived maneuver will be subject to league discipline. If you swing to the right, then you can expect a penalty. 2002-2010 © NASCAR Heat Racing League
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