Giving the pass? Why?
 

So I have not raced yet in my life, and I am constantly learning that there is more that I don't know than what I actually know, but I've been watching a ton of PCA race videos, and here is my question:

Why do you slow down to let a faster class pass?

If they are faster then they should have no trouble finding an opportunity to make the pass. Why do slower classes have to "give way" to faster classes? Isn't that the whole point of racing? Pass if you are faster. Why do slower cars need to make it easier?

I don't mean it's ok to block, and obviously if a faster car takes a line inside or outside to initiate a pass then the slower car should respect that line, but do slower classes really need to "slow" to allow the pass?

That just doesn't seem fair.

Remember I'm the newbie, and I'm just trying to learn from the collective wisdom :D

Nobody slows down but you try to find a courteous way to create a passing opportunity for the faster car that allows both of you to maintain momentum. Win-win. Requires watching mirrors, judging closing speeds, and situational awareness.

It's sometimes faster to lift or brake a little early vs going thru a corner side by side
Some corners it's alot easier to loose 3 tenths braking early and tucking in behind so you can still get a a good uncompromised run off the corner

If your not battling anyone and you see 2 higher class cars it's just good manners to let them by and not Interfere.
Same goes for when your the faster car....see they have a battle going try to not get in the middle and ruin someone's race.....

It's not just about being faster......your sharing the track....SHARING.....your fellow drivers will remember more than ya think and I'd rather have more friends vs enemies

^^^^ This

Even when you are racing, there is skill in letting a faster out of class car pass without slowing you and him down.

You never lift if you can help it but you can alter your line to give the faster car a pass where it won't slow you down. If you race the faster car they may force a pass where you have to slow down.

Agree that no one "slows down," but instead recognizes early the ebb and flow of faster and slower cars on track. This allows conscious, constructive decisions to be made IN ADVANCE of when they're needed.

I think the first skill needed is the situational awareness of when, where and how quicker traffic can be accommodated.

Then, decide when that will occur and working with the other driver how that will occur so as not to compromise your OWN progress through corner or corners.

I think you are looking for black and white when only color exists out there! :D Plus, if you do this long enough, there is nothing "fair" about racing! :D Ask Toyota!

There is no "obligation" by ostensibly "slower" classes of racing to "give way" to "faster" classes, only that each case is taken on it's own.

The reason for this is that a) slower class cars can be quicker (and often are) than quicker class cars at given areas on the course, and between tracks, b) drivers progress at different rates of speed throughout the weekend (someone who is slower on Friday may win the race on Sunday), c) it's really down to the motivation, skill and mental mindset of a driver how aggressive/quick/close to the edge they want and can be, from session to session, d) myriads of other reasons, not the least of which new/used tires, whether the car is "working well" or not, etc.

There is MUCH more of an obligation for a single (alternate class) car to not get involved in a pair (or more) of quicker cars locked in a dice coming up to pass (i.e. racing cars that they are not directly and immediately in competition with).

There is much more (hopefully) cooperation between drivers, either willingly or unwillingly, depending on each of their attitudes, than would appear watching a bunch of club racing videos. This is why experience helps, but awareness and common sense are KING!

[/QUOTE]I think the first skill needed is the situational awareness of when, where and how quicker traffic can be accommodated.

Then, decide when that will occur and working with the other driver how that will occur so as not to compromise your OWN progress through corner or corners.[/QUOTE]

^^^What he said.

Too often I hear, "I wasn't sure what cars were around me."

Passing, being passed, and coordinating a pass is like a dance. It takes two to tango.

Exactly, I usually know 2-3 corners in advance when I will be getting passed cause i'll see him way back and if all goes well I can tuck right in on their tail without losing much time at all (if any)..

There are plenty of times where a faster car has not qualified well and my battle is in class. it makes a lot of sense to get him by in the best place possible , if you know you cant beat him or hold him off without blocking or driving narrow. Plus, you can sometimes tuck in after a slow turn on to a fast straight and get on his bumper and get a draft! often times, then he goes to pass your competitor ahead, who isnt so accommodating, and gets his line taken from him....... hes off line, (aka slower) and now you have a chance to pounce.
this is part of racing that allows you to still be ultra competitive, but smart about it.

+1

If you slow to let a faster car through you are giving another car the chance to slip in with the faster car. I have done it and had it done to me!

The faster car is coming through either way. So why not make it so you are not passed in a way that massively interrupts your momentum? Sometimes that means braking a tad earlier or breathing the throttle just a little bit. You might stay wide a little longer. Sometimes it means doing nothing at all. It all depends when and where you are caught.

If you really time it right you can avoid disrupting your momentum and have the passing car slow your competitors at the same time.

2 cars battling will be slower than each one individually. If it is in class, the battle makes sense. Out of class, it doesn't. Let the faster car by, but just because they are in a "faster" class doesn't mean the driver is.

My question to followup on the OP, is it an unwritten rule to let the faster car pass? Is it frowned upon to battle or race a car in a higher class since you are sharing the track and that car is trying to race other cars in its class? Will it earn you a "talking to" from other drivers or the event organizer?