Originally Posted by
blk96gt
*I know the CCR says 3/4 car width, but I really hate this rule. If I establish a position beside someone on a straight, and then they manage to come down and hit me in the middle of the turn and I didn't have two wheels off track (assuming there's no wall, and I'm on the edge of the track), then it's my fault. At least that is my understanding of the rule, so please correct me if I'm wrong. How that constitutes good, clean, and fun racing is beyond me.
QUOTE]
That's is not how the rule works. If you have position (nose to the front doors of the car in front), the car you are overtaking has LOST the right to the line. The 3/4 width rule DOES NOT apply here as the overtaken driver has LOST the right to dictate their line - both drivers MUST be given racing room and both MUST avoid contact by adjust their line accordingly. If you think about it, this makes total sense. If the overtaken does not have the right to the line, they don't get to dictate shit. At this point BOTH drivers must be able to race unimpeded so 3/4 width would put the overtaking driver at a HUGE disadvantage (having to over brake to slow, momentum; adjust their line abruptly; put two wheels off leading to a side by side collision when they had the RIGHT to race.
If the overtaken car crowds you and causes contact, they are 100% responsible for that contact, as long as you have not made any abrupt change to your line. Now that does not mean the other driver cannot try to intimidate you by pinching a bit or adjust their braking and making you over-brake or go off course but if they make contact that is their fault. My driving coach many years ago was Beaux Barfield (glad he's finally left WhinyCars) and I remember him running me wide or tight over and over and over again for most of an afternoon until I got that through my head...he TOLD me he would back off but every time I kept adjusting my line because of the way he drove. I finally got it through my head and started making really good passes on him. He told me that KNOWING how to take advantage of the rules is one thing, but getting others to GIVE you an advantage under the rules is way more powerful).
The 3/4 width rule comes into play IFF you have NOT established position, but the pass has been started (e.g. your front bumper overlaps the other car's rear bumper), the overtaken car RETAINS the right to the line but MUST give you 3/4 width. YOU are responsible for adjusting your line at that point including slowing down, but this is where the 3/4 width rule comes in...since you have started the pass, the overtaken driver MUST give you 3/4 width and cannot claim a line that would leave you less than 3/4 width.
If you have NOT started the pass, then you get NOTHING, NADA, ZIP.
This is what FIA, SCCA and NASA (albeit not well worded in 25.4.3) are guarding against.
One topic in this light is divebombing. I think of it as a negative example...a bad thing to do. Other people characterize it as a good passing maneuver, within the rules.
Here are two ways I have heard it described:
1) (I think a dive bomb is) when an attempt to pass is started when the overtaken car is ALREADY taking the turn and has the RIGHT to the line - maybe they just got off the throttle, maybe just a downshift, or maybe they are turning in...at this point the pass has NOT been started and any contact is 100% the responsibility of the overtaking driver.
2) (I don't think a dive bomb is) when you come in hot, late brake and overlap the bumpers BEFORE the other driver starts their turn....of course you need to be in complete control..otherwise all bets are off. But this is show some people characterize divebombing...in this light, I don't have a problem with it - I just consider is an aggressive overtake but nothing wrong with it.
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