1. General Rules
1.1 Drivers must have a stable internet connection. This means they must maintain a ping no higher than 150ms (as viewed on the race server). Drivers that are above 150 may be asked to leave the server.
1.1.1 WIFI and GSM/3G/4G connections are known to cause extremely high ping and lag – do not use these types of connections.
1.2 Drivers must use their full name within rFactor 2 – any driver failing to do so will forfeit all points for that car and will not be allowed to participate in following events until the issue has been corrected.
1.2.1 Drivers must not use any special characters in their name in-game, to avoid any mismatches when gathering results and data.
1.3 Patches and plug-ins are allowed as long as they do not affect the functions of the simulation, create an unfair advantage, or affect other drivers.
1.4 Each car is allowed to register between 2 and 5 Main Drivers.
1.4.1 Each team is allowed to register an engineer, who cannot be registered to any other team or car. This engineer is not a driver and must not drive during a race.
1.4.2 The deadline for driver line-up changes is 48 hours before the start of the event’s official qualifying session, as per the race’s schedule.
1.4.3 A maximum of 6 changes to the driver line-up will be allowed during a season. A change is counted each time a driver is added or removed from an entry.
1.4.4 A driver who is not registered for the car will not be allowed to race unless permission is given by the race director.
1.5 This is an endurance championship where each car is shared among various drivers. Each car is required to do at least 1 driver swap during a race.
1.5.1 Using the rFactor 2 driver swap feature is mandatory – this specifically means drivers of a team are not allowed to participate using the same computer.
1.5.2 A single driver must not drive more than 70% of the total laps that his/her team completes in a race.
1.5.3 Once a driver drives a particular car in a race, they are not allowed to drive any other car (in any class) for the duration of that race.
1.6 Races usually start at 13:00 local time in Copenhagen unless posted otherwise in the forum for each specific race event. Copenhagen uses Central European Time (CET) and Central European Summer Time (CEST) These are GMT+1 and GMT+2.
1.6.1 A 24-hour race may have a different start time. The race thread on the forum will give details.
1.7 If a team knows they will not be able to participate for an extended period, the team’s manager must notify the SRC Staff via the Contact Staff section on the forums.
1.7.1 If a team misses a race, the entry will be removed and replaced by another team. However, exceptions may be made if SRC staff are contacted in advance.
1.8 Exceptions to any rule will be posted in the specific race thread, and will only be an exception for that given race.
1.9 The admins reserve the rights to change the rules.
1.10 The admins reserve the rights to change the mod.
1.11 Any content SRC release, such as car update, track updates are OUR content and we have the right to use these in any way we see fit.
1.12 Any content SRC release will only be allowed on SRC servers, do not host our car updates, track updates or any other updates on your own server.
1.12.1 Any breach of the rule will have serious consequences of the team doing this.
1.13 VEC require teams to submit video or live feed on a race to race basis. List and deadline is posted in managers forum
1.13.1 Should teams fail to submit a live feed (on raceday), nominate a driver (before deadline) or video (before deadline) a DT will be applied to the car during the race
1.13.2 If a team fails to do this twice the team will drop to a lower division after 2nd offense
2. Car identification, livery and carmake
2.1 Teams will be required to provide an approved livery for their car before they are allowed to participate.
2.2 Profanity, nudity, or anything VEC stewards deem as offensive is not allowed as part of a livery.
2.2.1 Teams are responsible for the content of their liveries. Names, logos, websites, slogans or other information related to any real company, organization or association must be used with the consent of their respective owners.
2.3 VEC will provide templates for car liveries and these will include a mandated numberplate design.
2.3.1 Teams are not allowed to change the location of the numberplate.
2.3.2 Teams are allowed to change the font on the numberplate.
2.3.2.1 Teams can design team numers, but the base color of the number must be #f5f5f5, so it is visible.
2.3.3 Prototype classes (Prototypes): The 3 class category decals must not be removed
2.3.4 GT cars: the class category decals must not be re/moved
2.3.5 LMH class color = Red (#c13131)
2.3.6 LMP2 class color = Blue (#0b48b4)
2.3.7 GT3 class color = Orange (#fe5000)
2.4 Liveries must be submitted using the menu on the main page (frontpage > VEC > Miscellaneous > Livery Submission)
2.4.1 Livery submissions must follow the rules as laid out in the Livery submission thread.
2.4.2 Liveries may only be accepted if submitted before the deadline given in the Livery submission thread.
2.4.3 New livery submission deadlines is offered by SRC staff during the season. This only applies to Team premium and Team deluxe.
2.5 Teams will not normally be allowed to change car manufacturer during the season.
2.5.1 On rare occasions, such as new official S397 cars being introduced, SRC staff may allow some teams to move to another car
2.5.2 On rare occasions, SRC staff may ask a team to switch to a different class based on the abilities of the drivers
3. Qualifying
3.1 A qualifying session will be used to determine the starting grid for the race by taking the fastest time for each car.
3.2 Teams must not allow more than 1 instance of their car to join the official qualifying session. If there are two or more cars from the same team entry on the server at any time, that car will not be allowed to start and the team will be disqualified from the event.
3.3 Subject to rule 1.4.5, any of the registered drivers of an entry may qualify their car. However, the driver that took part in qualifying must also be the first driver to race the car.
3.4 Qualifying will be an in-game session which will normally be split into two periods of 20 minutes in order to separate the car classes. However, teams should always review the race thread for the event’s qualifying schedule, as it may change from one race to the next.
3.5 Drivers may not deliberately use any car ahead of them to slipstream. If they do, the team will forfeit any qualifying times set and their car will start at the back of the grid.
3.5.1 Teams participating in the first 20-minute qualifying period are required to abort any laps which begin 20 minutes after the pit lane opened.
3.6 Drivers is not allowed to use ESCAPE at any time while they are on track. Meaning drivers will be REQUIRED to be in the pits if they use ESC. If any driver uses ESC qualifying is over for that entry.
3.6.1 Any and all penalties will be under stewards discretion and can vary from track to track.
3.7 After the qualifying session there will be a warm-up session before the race, unless otherwise stated on the race thread.
4. Race
4.1 Each driver must have the in-game chat option enabled so that the administration can use it to communicate to drivers in the race server.
4.2 It is mandatory for drivers to use our TeamSpeak server. Information on how to access it will be available via the forum once the required access has been granted.
4.2.1 The administration will use TeamSpeak to announce important information to all teams, such as Code 80, race warnings and penalties, and other information.
4.2.2 While online, all drivers (and their team-mates) must be in their respective entry channel.
4.2.3 It is recommended that the driver always has at least one team-mate present in their team channel. The team-mate can easily contact the race director through a direct message on TeamSpeak if any problem occurs before or during the race.
4.3 Races will start with a formation lap. The aim of the formation lap is to get everyone settled down prior to the race and also to ensure everyone’s frames per second (FPS) are at a safe level. If a driver notices any FPS issues on the formation lap it is recommended that they pull off safely to the side of the track and esc and start from the pitlane.
4.3.1 Drivers are responsible for their actions during the formation lap. In case of any incident involving damage to other drivers, increased penalties will be applied.
4.3.2 VEC will use two start methods
4.3.2.1 D1: Drivers shall maintain a safe but reasonable distance to other drivers, following the grid position, double file. Green flag will be called by the game
4.3.2.2 D2: Drivers shall maintain a safe but reasonable distance to other drivers, following each other in a single file based on starting position, green flag when YOU cross the s/f line.
4.3.2.3 D3: Drivers shall maintain a safe but reasonable distance to other drivers, following each other in a single file based on starting position, green flag when YOU cross the s/f line.
4.3.3 Drivers are expected to maintain a smooth pace under pit-speed limiter (80 km/h) around the track, unless told otherwise by race stewards or game.
4.3.4 Drivers should always be prepared for the accordion effect, especially when approaching any tight corners.
4.3.5 Drivers must not perform burnouts to warm up their tyres. This can lead to accidents and does not significantly heat up the tyres.
4.3.6 Drivers must not use brake checking (accelerating and suddenly braking heavily) to warm the brakes. To efficiently warm the brakes, put pressure on both the accelerator and the brake pedals, “dragging the brakes”. This generates plenty of heat and is a safe way to maintain a smooth, consistent, predictable speed.
4.3.7 Drivers who spin, or otherwise drop out of place during the formation lap must safely blend into formation lap traffic or wait for the field to go past before re-joining the track, then carefully make their way back on track and follow in game instructions.
4.4 Race starts are subject to extra scrutiny, and penalties are increased for incidents that happen at the beginning of the race, according to the defined Orange Zone (see 4.6 below).
4.5 In the event of an uneven number of cars in a class, the following classes are to maintain grid position even if this means class pole sitter shares a row with another class.
4.5.1 Drivers that fail to accelerate on the green flag command may be penalised, especially if their actions have directly interfered with another competitor.
4.5.2 Always check the first post of each race thread, as the starting procedure may vary in some races.
4.6 For each race an “Orange Zone“ will be defined in that event’s Race Announcement thread. If a driver causes an incident in the Orange Zone, penalties are doubled.
4.6.1 Drivers who repeatedly cause incidents in the Orange Zone may be subject to additional penalties, up to and including suspension and/or expulsion. This will be determined by the VEC Stewards Committee and is not subject to appeal.
4.6.2 Passing is permitted in the Orange Zone, but all the cars will be very close to each other at this point so extreme caution must be taken.
4.7 As soon as the race director announces “CODE-80 in 10 seconds”, the full track becomes under Orange Zone until the green flag is resumed.
4.8 Restarts will only occur due to server malfunction. Otherwise, restarting a race is not an option – don´t ask.
4.8.1 Restarts will only be granted upon significant server malfunction affecting a minimum of 20% of the starting grid.
4.9 Spectating is not allowed; drivers are only allowed to join the server as a spectator 1-3 laps or 5 mins before they are about to do a driver swap with their team-mate.
4.9.1 Only the race director, the broadcast team and people with authorization from the SRC Stewards are allowed to be in the server as a spectator. Anyone else found to be spectating will either receive a penalty, a race ban or may even be excluded from the championship.
5. Passing & on-track behavior
5.1 It is difficult to define concrete passing rules in multi-class events due to handling and braking differences between the different classes of cars. In general, the passing driver is responsible for being aware of the performance limitations of cars in other classes, and for making a safe pass at a safe time. However, it is the responsibility of both drivers to make sure that a safe pass is made. Failure to do so may result in a penalty.
5.1.1 Cars in faster classes are NOT automatically given the right to pass a car in a slower class. All classes have the right to race on the track, and each class will be involved in their own battles. Faster cars must make passes when it is safe to do so.
5.1.2 Cars being lapped must give up their position within 4 corners of receiving a blue flag, or risk receiving a penalty.
5.1.3 Generally speaking, the preferred times (in order of preference) for a faster car to pass is on the straights, exiting a corner, or entering the braking zone. Passing a car mid-corner is very dangerous and should be avoided, unless the passing car is confident that the other driver is aware of the passing move.
5.2 Entering a turn, the passing driver must at least get their front wheels even with the rear wheels of the car they are passing before the point of turn-in, to have earned the right to a lane. At this point the driver being passed is responsible to leave a lane open.
5.2.1 Chopping – Passing drivers who move back into the lane of the car being passed before being clear may be subject to penalty.
5.2.2 Brake checking – Passing drivers who move back into lane and immediately brake may be subject to penalty.
5.2.3 Bump-passing is not allowed and may be subject to penalty unless the offending driver gives back the pass, even if it occurred accidentally. Bump-passing is defined as the passing driver nudging the car ahead to make it unstable, then passing it while the passed driver is recovering control.
5.2.4 Bump-drafting is not allowed and is subject to penalty. Bump-drafting is defined as the passing driver pushing the car ahead to make the 2 cars go faster. This includes while practicing on SRC servers.
5.3 Blocking is not allowed for any reason. Blocking is defined as altering the race line in reaction to another driver in an attempt to prevent a pass. Blocking will be penalized.
5.4 Altering the racing line (weaving) to prevent a following car from drafting is considered blocking and is prohibited.
5.5 If a driver spins while on track, they should immediately lock their brakes until completely stopped, (even if still on the track), and hold brakes on until they can assess the situation (waiting for a clear opening on track to resume). When a driver doesn’t lock his brakes, the car is prone to spin or roll in a far more unpredictable fashion and cause a further incident. A driver involved in an incident while spinning on track and not locking their brakes completely will be held responsible for that incident.
5.6 Drivers who are off-track and cars which have spun on the track itself must resume the race in a safe manner. This may mean driving forwards and/or reversing to a safe area to first get turned in the direction of travel, then merging safely into the flow of traffic away from the racing line.
5.7 If for any reason a car becomes permanently disabled, either in pitlane, on track, or in a run-off area, the driver should exit to the rFactor Monitor. A parked car will cause a yellow flag in that area for the remainder of the race.
5.8 Yellow flags as displayed by rFactor are to be observed by slowing appropriately for the situation. Drivers who do not observe the yellow flag and as a result either add to the existing incident or become involved in an additional incident will be penalized. Claiming “I didn´t slow because no one else did” is not acceptable. Each driver is responsible for their own actions.
5.8.1 Due to limitations with the game code, VEC is unable to automatically penalize drivers for passing in a yellow flag zone. If, during the course of reviewing the race and/or via a post-race incident report (IRR), the Stewards determine that a driver passed another vehicle in a yellow flag area, that driver may be penalized for Passing Under Yellow. Observing the “Gentlemen’s Rule” (see rule 5.11) is encouraged should a driver complete a pass when in a yellow flag zone.
5.9 Drivers demonstrating unpredictable behaviour may be subject to penalty. Some common examples of unpredictability include:
5.9.1 A driver suddenly changing lanes ‘to get out of the way’ when lapping cars appear in their mirror or when the blue flag appears. Drivers must hold a predictable line and pace until the pass is initiated by the lapping car, then they must hold their current lane.
5.9.2 A driver braking early into a corner when (a) lapping car(s) appear(s) in their mirror or when the blue flag appears. Often the lapping car is planning on following and has nowhere to go when a driver brakes early or suddenly.
5.9.3 Not accelerating at a normal race pace out of a corner. When in an acceleration zone, lifting off the throttle is equal to applying the brakes but without the benefit of brake lights as a warning. The following car has nowhere to go.
5.10 Drivers deemed by the Stewards Committee as having driven in an overly aggressive manner (causing an incident or not) may be subject to penalty.
5.11 If a driver is involved in an incident they feel they may be responsible for initiating, it is encouraged that the offending driver apply the “Gentleman’s Rule” (GR). This is the online racing equivalent of saying “my fault, sorry”. It simply means that you safely stop or drive slower than normal until the car that you may have harmed has passed you again.
5.11.1 Drivers whom the Stewards clearly observe applying the GR after an incident may be assessed a reduction in penalty if one is applied. (e.g. Penalty reduced to an Infraction; Infraction reduced to a Warning).
5.11.2 If a driver causes significant damage to the other vehicle, a GR may not be sufficient and the stewards may impose additional penalties as appropriate.
5.11.3 If a driver violates 13.3.4 and applies the GR and minimum damage this will be moved to 13.3.5 or even 13.3.3.
5.12.1 Drivers should either complete a cooldown lap or safely and predictably pull off the track into a run-off area and hit ‘Escape’ to exit to the Monitor. Remember that chatting or leaving the server before the last car has crossed the finish line is against policy.
5.12.2 It is not acceptable behaviour for a driver to crash into other cars or track side objects once they have finished their race. Donuts, burnouts, etc. may be done only once a driver has completed a cool down lap and driven back around to the start/finish straight. Any driver found in violation and causing an incident with another driver who is still completing their last lap may be subject to penalization, up to and including suspension.
6. Flag rules
6.1 Blue flags are shown to warn that an approaching car will put a lap on the driver and must be allowed to pass. Drivers that are being lapped must help the passing driver make a complete and safe pass within 4 corners maximum.
6.1.1 At certain tracks, a series of corners in short succession may be designated as one corner for the purposes of observing the blue flag; this will be at the Stewards’ discretion.
6.1.2 If a blue–flagged driver is able to pull away from the blue flag condition, they may continue. However, if the blue flag condition occurs again, they must give way within 4 corners.
6.1.3 Drivers being lapped must maintain their current and predictable racing line. Any incidents that occur due to unexpectedly changing their line will be penalized.
6.1.4 If the drivers have not yet entered a corner, when possible, it makes sense for the blue flag driver to take the outside line.
6.2 While the yellow flag is displayed, drivers are only permitted to overtake other vehicles if those vehicles are moving very slowly, damaged or stationary.
6.2.1 Drivers must be cautious under yellow flag. Be prepared for slow, damaged or stationary cars on track.
6.2.2 Drivers are not allowed to create a yellow flag zone by staying stationary on track, or by creating a dangerous environment for other drivers.
6.3 Red flags will be used in rare emergencies only and immediately stop the entire race.
6.3.1 Red flags will only be thrown in the case of significant server failure and with no chance of the server recovering.
6.3.2 Teams are allowed to swap drivers during the red flag situation, but they must restart from pitlane.
6.4 Red flag – server crash – If the race is not restarted
6.4.1 If the server crashes before the ¼ distance point the event will be abandoned and/or rescheduled, no points will be issued.
6.4.2 If the server crashes after the ¼ distance point has been reached, ¼ points will be awarded based on the positions at the end of the last completed lap.
6.4.3 If the server crashes after the ½ distance point has been reached, ½ points will be awarded based on the positions at the end of the last completed lap.
6.4.4 If the server crashes after the ¾ distance point has been reached, ¾ points will be awarded based on the positions at the end of the last completed lap.
6.5 Red flag – server crash – If the race is restarted
6.5.1 The server log, replay, or other sources will be used to determine the positions at the end of the last completed lap. Cars will line up for the restart based on this order.
6.5.2 Points for the event will be awarded proportionally for each part of the race. For example, in a 12 hour race where the server crashes at the end of 3 hours, ¼ points would be awarded based on the order of the last completed lap before the crash, ¾ of the points would be awarded based on the order at the end of the 9 hours after the restart.
6.5.3 To be allowed to rejoin the race after a red flag period, your car must not have been posted as a DNF prior to the server crash/restart point.
6.5.4 Restarts of the race after a red flag/server crash are at the discretion of the Race Administrator; factors to be considered are amount of time remaining, time in the real world, and other factors deemed germain by the Race Administrator.
6.6 In case of red flags and the race being split into several “shorter” races, all divisions shall have the same scoring for the affected round (except bonus points).
7. Headlight and horn usage
7.1 Drivers are allowed to flash their headlights – but it must be appropriate. Flashing is not required, and should not be overused.
7.1.1 A sequence of flashes must last no longer than 2 seconds and cannot include more than 4 flashes.
7.1.2 If drivers are inappropriate with the headlights stewards can penalize these drivers, ranging up to suspension from races.
7.2 Use of the horn is not allowed during a race.
8. Pit Entry and Exit
8.1 Drivers must exit and enter the pits at a safe speed relative to other cars in or near the pits.
8.2 Drivers entering and exiting the pits must not touch the blend lines.
8.3 Drivers on track are not allowed to use the pit blend lane as part of the official racing surface.
8.4 Drivers must remain on pit road until they are close to approaching their pit stall. Drivers are expected to safely leave the pit lane road to enter their stall.
8.5 Drivers must carefully rejoin the pit lane road when leaving their stall, and only when it is safe to do so.
8.6 Drivers are not allowed to pass between pitting cars and the garages.
8.6.1 The only time a driver is allowed to pass between a car and the garages is when the track requires double stacking of the pitboxes, and their box is the inside stall, between the outside stall and the garages and only if there is option to not go outside the car. The driver must safely rejoin the pit lane road.
8.7 Drivers in pit lane must adhere to pit lane speed limits at all times in all sessions (Practice, Qualifying, Warm-up and Race) of an official race event and any time they are on an official SRC hosted Server.
8.8 Drivers causing contact or driving in an unsafe manner can be subjected to penalties.
9. Chat
9.1 Drivers are not allowed to use in-car text chat during Qualifying or Race sessions for any reason, including “Sorry”, “Pit in” and “Pit out”.
9.1.1 The Race Steward will notify drivers when they are allowed to resume chat functions post-Qualifying and post-Race.
9.2 The Race Steward will use ALL CAPITALS to make posts that must be read. Drivers are expected to read these and are subject to any penalties associated with not following any instructions given (”I didn’t see it” is not an acceptable defense).
9.3 Drivers must refrain from posting chat messages while the Race Steward is conducting the pre-race briefing.
9.4 Drivers are allowed to use in-car text chat during Practice, Warm-up, post-Qualifying, and post-Race.
10. Track Surface
10.1 The game will control the cut tracks, the settings will be:
10.1.1 Cut rules: Strict
10.1.2 Number of cuts allowed: 4
10.1.3 Race length multiplied by the number in 13.6.2 per event. 4 hour = 16 points, 6 hour = 24 points
10.2 Usually the limit will be 2 wheels within the white line, however this can vary from track to track.
10.3 The game can tell you to slow down, give position back and/or assign a penalty before the above number is reached. Game can also invalidate this and next lap. This is all done automatically and will not be rewoked
11. Driver Responsibility
11.1 Drivers are responsible for following all rules as specified in this document.
11.2 Drivers are expected to review the current race thread for any pertinent rules revisions for the current week.
11.3 Cheating in any form will not be tolerated in any way.
11.3.1 Failure to report a bug/glitch/game issue that gives you an unfair advantage can result in disqualification.
11.4 Drivers are expected to participate in an ethical and sportsmanlike manner. Taunting, trash-talking, griefing and berating other drivers is not tolerated and may lead to immediate expulsion. The VEC is a high-level competition where there is mutual respect and a positive atmosphere between all drivers, team managers and the SRC Staff.
11.4.1 The above rule applies during any session on an SRC rFactor 2 server, as well as on the SRC forum and in SRC’s Discord channels.
11.5 Pre-race preparation: We expect all drivers to prepare in advance for a racing event. If a driver attends an event and is clearly unprepared, the Stewards may ask that driver not to participate. Stewards may use the Top Lap times log to verify driver practice times. The Stewards may opt to post a minimum race time for drivers to achieve in qualifying in order to participate in the current week’s race. This is to ensure drivers have prepared for the event properly and that they will not be a danger to all the teams and drivers who have put significant time into preparing for the event.
11.5.1 Drivers preparing for their first VEC race are expected to do at least 50 practice laps online and make sure those are logged on the Fast Lap Tracker (FLT).
11.5.2 Fastest lap will have to be within the 103% of average time in class.
11.6 The VEC is run from Denmark, and therefore all times mentioned will refer to Central European Time (CET) – GMT+1 – or Central European Summer Time (CEST) – GMT+2.
12. Points
12.1 Each class will score Championship points and participation points depending on the division:
12.1.1 4-12 hour races: 30-25-21-18-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
12.1.2 24 hour races: (x1,5 round up) 45-38-32-27-24-23-21-20-18-17-15-14-12-11-9-8-6-5-3-2
12.1.3 Participation points: D1: 45, D2: 30
12.2 The car must complete at least 50% of the distance of the class-winning car to be eligible for Championship points.
12.3The car must start the race to be able to get participation points.
12.4 The drivers must use their real name as submitted by the manager, it is up to drivers and managers to make sure their in-game name is correct.
12.4.1 If there is a mistake on the entry/broadcast list, the manager must notify administration about this error by posting in the “change line up” section.
12.4.2 If the error is made by the VEC, this edit will not count against 1.4.3.
13. Penalty levels and overview
13.1 Penalties can be received either in-race from the Live Stewards, in-race from the game’s automated “cut track” system or after the race in the incident review.
13.1.1 Penalties received via a post-race incident review will be applied in the next race.
13.1.2 These penalties will be applied to your car by the game during the first hour of the next race.
13.2 These are the different types of incidents that are subject to penalties:
13.2.1 Aggressive Driving (AD) – assessed when a driver displays overly aggressive driving.
13.2.2 Avoidable Contact (AC) – assessed when a driver makes contact with another driver in a manner which is deemed avoidable.
13.2.3 Blocking (BL) – assessed when drivers alter their racing line in reaction to another driver in an attempt to prevent a pass or to reduce the effect of drafting.
13.2.4 Chatting (CH) – assessed when a driver ‘chats’ during a “No Chat” session.
13.2.5 Failure to Lock Brakes (FLB) – assessed when a driver is involved in an incident and failed to lock their brakes completely, moving unpredictably on track or after they stopped.
13.2.6 Ignoring Blue Flag (IBF) – assessed when a lapped driver does not give way within 4 corners to a driver that is lapping him.
13.2.7 Ignoring Yellow Flag (IYF) – assessed when a driver does not slow appropriately for a Yellow Flag zone.
13.2.8 Passing Under Yellow (PUY) – assessed when a driver completes a pass when the yellow flag is displayed.
13.2.9 Pit Lane Violation (PLV) – assessed when a driver exceeds the pit lane speed limit, enters or exits the pit lane unsafely, enters a closed track, or violates the pit lane blend line.
13.2.10 Track Cutting (TC) – assessed when a driver puts more than 2 wheels off the track other than when involved in an accident, significant mistake or accident avoidance, or otherwise benefits either by time or by position.
13.2.11 Unsafe Re-join (UR) – assessed when a driver fails to resume the race in a safe manner.
13.2.12 Unpredictable (UP) – assessed when a driver has demonstrated unpredictable behaviour.
13.2.13 Unsportsmanlike (US) – assessed when a driver behaves in a manner which is deemed unsportsmanlike by The VEC Stewards Committee.
13.2.14 If a driver breaches any rule in section 3.6, driver and team are subject to penalties at the stewards discretion ranging from probation up to a DQ from the race.
13.3 Typical incidents will fall into 5 classes:
13.3.1 Racing incident – typical racing incident, no penalty involved.
13.3.2 Warning – driver needs to be warned of an action that caused problems, but it does not warrant a penalty.
13.3.3 Infractions – driver violated a rule and caused an issue on track, but not enough for a full penalty. (2 infractions = 1 penalty)
13.3.4 Penalty – driver violated a rule and/or caused an issue on track resulting in significant lost time/lost position for another competitor. Penalty is: Pit lane drive-through
13.3.5 Penalty – driver violated a rule and/or caused an issue on track resulting in significant damage. Penalty is: Pit box stop/hold – 60 seconds.
13.4 If a driver receives two Avoidable Contact penalties within two consecutive races (or two in one race), they will be placed on probation for the next event.
13.5 If a driver receives any kind of Avoidable Contact penalty while on probation, they will be given a one-race suspension and are not permitted to race in the next event.
13.6 Game control cut track penalties as per 10.1.3, once points are recieved it will assign a penalty and start the accumulation over again
13.7 Blue Flag violation: the penalty is: – Pit lane drive-through
13.8 Yellow flag violation: the penalty is: – Pit lane drive-through
13.9 Blocking: the penalty is: – Pit lane drive-through
13.10 Pit Lane Violation: the penalty is – Pit lane drive-through
13.11 Chatting during Qualifying or Race (see Section 9): Pit lane drive-through
13.12 Qualifying hotlaps may be reviewed for the same penalty scenarios with the same penalty being applied.
13.13 Probation: Any driver with a history of rough, careless, or aggressive driving may be put on probation by the Stewards (official notice will be given). A driver on probation may be suspended if another penalty occurs while on probation. If a driver is again on probation and has another penalty, the driver could be suspended for the remainder of the season.
13.14 If a team uses a driver who is not registered, and does not gain the prior permission of the race director, that team will be disqualified.
15. Full course caution – CODE-80
15.1 Instead of a traditional full course yellow, VEC uses a “CODE-80“ procedure to slow down the field and neutralize the course if unsafe conditions such as a damaged car warrant such an action.
15.2 The procedure begins when the Race Director announces “CODE-80 IN 10 SECONDS (NO OVERTAKING)” on Teamspeak. Immediately, no overtaking is permitted regardless of the speed of cars around you.
15.2.1 Passing damaged or stationary car(s) on track is allowed.
15.3 As soon as the countdown begins, each driver is responsible for finding a clear space on track to begin slowing down gradually so as to not cause incidents with cars ahead or behind.
15.4 At the end of the ten seconds, the race director will announce “CODE-80 – ENFORCED.” Cars should have already decelerated and must have reduced their speed to below 80km/h (49,7mph) and engaged the pit speed limiter. No overtaking is permitted regardless of the speed of cars around you.
15.4.1 Passing damaged or stationary car(s) on track is allowed.
15.4.2 Cars should proceed single file without overlap. It is the responsibility of the following driver to yield and fall in line. Failure to do so is subject to penalty.
15.4.3 Teams found to have gained an advantage by not actively reducing their pace immediately following the announcement of a Code-80 are subject to stiff penalty.
15.4.4 Some tracks have a different pit speed limit, which can be higher or lower than 80km/h (for example, 60km/h at Le Mans). In such cases the CODE-80 procedure is enforced at that specific track’s pit-lane speed.
15.5 The pits will remain open throughout the CODE-80 procedure.
15.5.1 Cars in pit lane will travel at the same speed as cars on track, therefore cars re-entering the track from the pit lane MUST yield to cars that are already on track and find a place to join the queue. Causing a driver on track to yield to you is subject to penalty.
15.5.2 Cars rejoining from pitlane should only merge into traffic when there is a clear gap of more than one car length.
15.6 Any driver who exceeds the pit-lane speed at any point during the CODE-80 procedure is subject to penalties up to and including a 60 second stop/hold, so as to ensure no team gains an advantage.
15.7 The stewards will review sector times after the race to ensure no car goes faster than the maximum time determined by the average track’s pit-lane speed.
15.8 The exit from a CODE-80 situation will begin with the Race Director announcing “10 SECONDS TO GREEN FLAG.” At the end of the countdown, he will then announce “GREEN FLAG.” At this point, cars may accelerate and resume overtaking.
15.9 On the restart, the passing driver is responsible for completing a pass safely even if the car ahead fails to accelerate. Accidents that occur at the end of CODE-80 safety periods are subject to review and penalty.
15.10 The Race director can also announce “CAUTION SECTOR (1,2 or 3) – SLOW OR DAMAGED CAR OFF PACE“.
15.11 Drivers are not allowed to serve any penalties during a CODE-80 period.
16. Race stewards
16.1 VEC has established a non-biased system called the VEC Race Stewards Committee. This committee reviews each race looking for aggressive and rough driving, and drivers not conforming to VEC rules and regulations. This committee has the responsibility of reviewing incidents and determining the driver(s) at fault and shall apply penalties accordingly.
16.2 Live stewards may be attending the races, but not every single incident will be captured.
16.3 Live stewards will be on TeamSpeak. If a violation on track is happening, you are welcome to contact live-stewards by entering their team channel. As a minimum you will need to tell the stewards your name and ask for them to join you in a specific channel to discuss the subject further.
16.3.1 Live stewards might not be available during some periods, as they may be volunteers who are also taking part in the race. In this case, ask the live steward how to proceed.
16.4 The Race Stewards will automatically review the Orange Zone (specified pre-race) and any potential areas drivers may cut on the track.
16.5 Stewards will not review an entire race. If a driver wants an incident reviewed, they are encouraged to file an Incident Review Request (IRR). The IRR form can be found on the SRC website, under the VEC tab in the Miscellaneous section by clicking on D1/D2 Incident request.
16.5.1 Drivers should carefully review the official race server replay before submitting an IRR.
16.5.2 Drivers must submit the following information: server replay time of the incident, cars and drivers involved and a short description of the event.
16.5.3 Drivers abusing the IRR process may be subject to penalty.
16.5.4 The driver submitting the IRR must be part of a team that is involved in the incident which is being reported. Failure to follow these instructions will lead to stewards removing that specific driver’s and/or that team’s right to submit any IRR for any given time.
16.6 The deadline for submitting IRR are as follows:
16.6.1 4-12 hour races: Monday after the race, 13:00 Copenhagen time (see Rule 1.6)
16.6.2 24 hour races: Tuesday after the race, 13:00 Copenhagen time (see Rule 1.6)
16.7 The weekly points chart will be updated with any associated penalties and the involved team(s) will be notified of the penalties.
16.8 All decisions made by the Stewards are final. Drivers are allowed to notify the Stewards if a decision violates one of the VEC rules.