OBRL League Rules

Old Bastards Racing League Rules – Revised 2/18/24

OBRL LEAGUE RULES

Old Bastards Racing League Rules

Welcome to the Old Bastards Racing League, amicably known as the OBRL, featuring four nights of racing in many of the most popular styles of NASCAR vehicles. All applicants and members are required to read and be familiar with the league rules to ensure proper racecraft and a friendly environment so that everyone can enjoy the action on track.

GENERAL INFO

  • NASCAR league featuring the ARCA/Gen4, Craftsman Trucks, ’87 Legends, Xfinity, Gen6, and NextGen vehicles spread over four (4) different series offerings.
  • Drivers must have a current iRacing license and an iRating under 3,500 to apply for the league.
  • Applicants are accepted to the league by admin review and subject to a probationary period where they are assigned a triple-digit number.
  • Participants are required to join the OBRL Discord server with an active account.
  • Admins reserve the right to make rule changes as necessary for the betterment of the league at any point.
  • Clean racecraft is the foundational expectation of the league (accidents do happen).
  • Respect of fellow competitors on track and in Discord is required.
  • A driver can be removed from the league for actions unbecoming of OBRL standards at any time.
  • Vehicle numbers are assigned by request based on availability on the active league roster once a new driver completes his probationary period and is approved by the admin committee.
  • A vehicle number can be released back into the available pool if a driver does not remain active during the season – driver is assigned a 200-level number until re-entry.
    • Please contact an admin to discuss any extenuating circumstances (or medical).
  • Drivers may run any paint scheme per the sponsor rules below so long as it is not deemed offensive by admins or identical to another vehicle.
  • All drivers must use their iRacing first and last name on our league roster and Discord channel.

NEW DRIVER PROCEDURES

  • Newly accepted members will be on a minimum 6-race same-series probation or 12 total-race probation across all four series as a tryout to the league.
  • New drivers are assigned a 100-series triple-digit number.
    • Triple-digit drivers do not qualify prior to races.
  • Members not conforming to OBRL Rules or who prove to be a bad match for the OBRL community will be dropped.
  • After completing the probationary period, a driver may apply for any two-digit number not already assigned to an active driver.

TECHNOLOGY EXPECTATIONS

  • A microphone is mandatory to race & practice for driver communications.
  • A steering wheel and pedals are mandatory (no joysticks or controllers for steering allowed).
  • All driving aids are turned off, except for clutch assist.
    • Clutch – set up a paddle or button for the clutch
    • Ignition – set up a switch or button to turn on & off
    • Starter – set up a switch or button to turn on
  • Internet connection must remain stable during a race session.
  • A driver that blinks three (3) different times may be asked to pull to pit road to address the issue.
    • If it continues after that, the driver will be asked to park the car and exit the event.
  • It is highly recommended that drivers use an advanced spotter pack for racing (Jimmie Johnson pack, Dale Jr pack, Dre, etc.).

RACE SETTINGS

  • Fixed setups matching the track in all series
  • 100% fuel load (90% in our truck series)
  • 4 total sets of tires (3 tire changes)
  • No driver assists (clutch only)
  • No fast repairs
  • 9x maximum (unlimited on road courses)
  • Rolling starts after a pace lap at every event.
  • Full course yellows (local on-road), Lucky Dog rule, and wave-arounds are in effect.
  • Black flags are not cleared by admin for any reason during the race.
  • There will be one attempt at a green/white/checkered finish if a caution comes out at the end of the race.

LEAGUE SESSIONS

  • Race sessions go LIVE at 8:00pm ET on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with Sunday’s events going LIVE at 7:00pm ET.
  • 50-minute practice
  • 10-minute Drivers’ Meeting
  • 5-minute (2-lap) qualifying (10-minute for superspeedway/road)
  • Green flag drops following a 2:00 gridding period for all races.
  • Distance per vehicle type intended to provide 70-90 minutes of racing.
  • Race results and season points updated weekly on SimRacerHub.com.

RACE PROCEDURES

  • All drivers must enter the race session 15 minutes prior the Drivers’ Meeting in Discord to race the event.
  • New triple-digit drivers must attend the Rookie Meeting 20 minutes prior to the main Drivers’ Meeting, therefore must be in the session at least 15 minutes prior to their meeting.
  • Drivers’ Meeting is mandatory to race – competitors should be parked in their stall on pit road to listen to weekly rules, specific track info, and updated league matters.
  • Any driver who does not make 15 minutes of practice and attend the Drivers’ Meeting is not permitted to race that event.
    • We understand that life and or work take priority, so please advise the admins of your situation if you have a specific circumstance that week.
  • Drivers must be in the OBRL Discord “Race Comms” channel during the race for on-track communication and should use the iRacing “Drivers” channel in the SIM for race messages.
  • All races are reviewed by admin privately after the event for on-track conduct, and post-race penalties may be assessed based on the safety guidelines outlined below.
  • Racers with an EOL penalty from a previous event may qualify for pit stall placement but will receive their EOL at grid.

BEHAVIORAL CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS

  • Treat everyone with respect – If a driver can’t be respectful on the track and in our Discord community, admins reserve the right to remove that driver from the league immediately.
  • No heated arguments, cussing out, or disrespecting another driver during the race communications or in discussions on Discord.
  • Drivers wishing to continue a discussion about on-track incidents or racecraft can use the Woodshed voice channel in Discord after the race.
    • Always show respect to each other while discussing an incident, even in the Woodshed.
  • No arguing with Admins’ rulings in a public space, please be respectful of our volunteer leadership.
    • 1st offense – a driver will receive a verbal warning by Admins to tone it down.
    • 2nd offense – a driver will be ejected from the race.

RACE ETIQUETTE

  • “Take care of your equipment and it’ll take care of you.” – Dwayne McArthur
  • “Race people the way you want to be raced. If you race them clean, they’ll race you back clean, but if you race ‘em like a dick, they’ll race you back like a dick, that’s how we do it.” – Brian “The Bull” Glass
  • “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” – Dwayne McArthur
  • Quality racecraft is expected in OBRL!
  • No overly aggressive driving, getting into the rear bumper, dive-bombing corners, or slide-jobs are permitted.
  • Excessive and dramatic blocking that causes a wreck or unfairly impedes a competitor is not allowed.
  • Your actions not only affect you, but also your fellow competitors, so failure to control your car is handled under the safety guidelines and penalty system below.
  • Intentional wrecking or retaliation of another driver will lead to expulsion from the league.
  • No deliberate action to bring out a caution by any means or to manipulate the outcome of a race by nefarious terms will be tolerated.
  • It is the responsibility of lapped cars to know the traffic situation and drive safely while leaders pass.
  • A driver may safely defend or try to stay on the lead lap, but once the leader has position (alongside) it’s time to let him go.
    • Just breathe the throttle and allow the passing car an easier time to complete the pass.
    • Lucky Dog Rule exists to allow you to get your lap back.
  • Leaders should make every attempt to initiate passes of lap cars on corner exit.
  • OBRL also allows wave-arounds during a caution to get a lap back.

PAINT SCHEMES & SPONSORS

  • Drivers will be permitted two (2) sponsors for use in any series.
  • Drivers can alternate between their two approved sponsors as they deem fit.
  • Permanent sponsor change requests are allowed during the winter offseason.
  • OBRL uses sim-stamped numbers – no custom numbers under the sim-stamped digits.
  • No duplicate paints schemes or sponsors (be respectful of the other members, keep your designs unique).
  • Any new driver that has a duplicate paint scheme of another driver MUST change to an unused paint scheme and sponsor the following week.
    • Failure to comply in future races will lead to disqualification and removal from the race.

 RACE COMMUNICATIONS

  • Drivers should use the iRacing “Drivers” channel for on-track race communications.
  • For general talking use the “In-Car Audio” channel on the OBRL Discord (keep to a minimum).
  • Discuss on-track incidents when the race is over, or in the Woodshed if necessary.
  • Leader or first car should announce the pace car position on the track during a caution.
    • Use the iRacing relative box to understand the traffic situation.
  • Drivers are expected to use good communication to promote safe racecraft during an event.
  • Pitting IN – Clarified at the Drivers’ Meeting for all tracks:
    • Hot pit off turn 3 or 4 is the most common, but some tracks use the access road.
    • Always stay to the right on pit lane except when passing or moving to your pit stall.
    • Blend in no more than 2-3 stalls before your pit box.
  • Pitting OUT – Clarified at the Drivers’ Meeting for all tracks:
    • Always enter the track in the middle of the backstretch and stay low going into turn 3.
    • Never enter the track before the blue exit line or in turns 1 & 2.
    • Cars on the track have the right of way; stay low until you reach race speed to merge.

START/RESTART RULES

  • All starts/restarts are double-file back, with pole sitter or leader taking the inside lane.
  • All other drivers follow iRacing grid instructions.
  • No weaving back and forth or “warming tires” during the pacing laps.
  • The leader dictates the start of the racing by going on the drop of the green flag.
  • All other cars go on green, only when safe to do so based on the car in front of them (Xs are not cleared for rear-ending the car in front on a start/restart).
  • Every race is started in 2nd gear, with cars tightened-up on the backstretch of the pace lap.
    • You should not be able to see the logo on the bumper of the car in front.
  • Maintain a steady pace speed, no on & off the throttle.
  • There is NO laying back, changing lanes, or passing before the start/finish line.
  • Respect and safety are expected heading into turn one on every start/restart.

CAUTIONS

  • Drivers are expected to lift off the throttle and navigate safely with an incident ahead.
    • Drivers are not to improve their position aggressively as iRacing sorts the field.
  • Drivers that can’t catch the field right away should pull over and request a tow so that other competitors are not assessed an unfair black flag.
  • During an accident, crash, or spin all drivers involved are expected to hold their brake until the track is clear.
  • Use the relative screen to track other drivers’ position before pulling back onto the racing line.
  • Do not drive into oncoming traffic.
  • Cars pacing under caution should stay to the left single-file to allow the Lucky Dog and wave-around cars to safely navigate back to position.
  • Lucky Dog car must pass on the right cleanly and look ahead for other drivers.
  • It is the responsibility of all pacing cars to understand their track position based on their relative screen.

iRACING SPORTING CODE

  • Drivers should read and understand iRacing’s Sporting Code, as well as view iRacing’s Driving School videos 7A, B, and C.
  • A faster car has the responsibility to safely overtake the slower car.
  • A slower car has the responsibility to maintain a consistent and predictable racing line.
  • Both cars should make every reasonable effort to facilitate a safe pass.
  • com Driving School Chapter 7A: Race Craft & Passing – Understanding Race Craft (1:23).

 

Thank You,
OBRL Race Review Committee

Click Here To Join The Old Bastards Racing League