The purpose of SCL’s written rules are to offer clarity, and purpose in race procedures, incidents, and events to create a clear and transparent rule set in addition to iRacing’s sporting code, which also should be adhered to.  SCL follows all policies of iRacing’s Sporting codes in addition to rules below which supplement and go beyond the iRacing Sporting Code. Similar to the responsibility of iRacing members to know and adhere to the iRacing Sporting Code, it is the responsibility of SCL’s racers to know the SCL rule book.  It is not, and will not be the fault of SCL for a racer that was unaware or ignorant of a rule, procedure, or policy written in the rulesets below.

SCL has been operating for over a decade, and strives to offer competitive digital racing, but ran like a real local short track or lower-tier NASCAR series.  SCL encourages multi-groove side by side racing, large car count, and SCL strives to be one of the most competition-minded leagues on iRacing.  SCL does not encourage use of the league sessions and championships as a practice or learning session, nor does it encourage any sort of violation of the sporting code. 

 

I.You must be a Sunday Cup League (SCL) club member to participate in points races.

1. Being allowed in a race, and our league community at SCL is a sign we trust you to race fairly. Do not abuse that trust.

2. Being a member of SCL as a league for digital competitive motorsport is an opportunity, not a right.  Treat other members of the SCL community as such. 

3. It is the duty of any participant in SCL to be familiar with the rule book and rules. SCL operates in competition using most iRacing standard practices.  

4. SCL requires a minimum 1500iRating and B Class oval license for Cup.  All SCL races are 1000/C minimum.  Please do not apply or attempt to participate if below those thresholds which are listed on the schedule.

5. You must abide by the rules, competition rules, and league/community ethical standards of SCL as it strives to create a large, competitive but also functional and respectful community.

6. You must be able to hear and follow the SCL @RaceDirector directions at all times. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification, and/or removal from the league.

7. ​SCL officials have the power to add and enforce rules to maintain and/or improve the quality of competition​.

8. Discord follows similar etiquette as the sporting code. Trash talk is allowed but any insults, defamation, or comments that go beyond the scope of criticizing on-track behavior will not be tolerated. Any malicious attacks on anything that could be defined as a protected class, will not be tolerated.  Anything perceived as invading a user’s personal privacy will also not be tolerated, no DOXing or disclosing of information beyond reasonable banter will not be allowed.  

9. SCL, is a digital motorsports community similar to most real-world motorsports communities and asks that all users do not make comments, or provide information beyond the reasonable scope of digital competitive motorsports. Anything initiated that goes beyond the scope of automotive enthusiasm is strongly discouraged. Anything found to be infringing on someone’s reasonable expectation of privacy will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the SCL community.  Any promotion of one’s personal private matters is also strongly discouraged and can result in removal from the SCL community.

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II. In Race Regulations​,broken down by ALL / Additional Superspeedway / Specific Series rules
ALL SERIES RULES BEYOND SCOPE OF ON TRACK COMPETITION

1.  All drivers are required to have a working microphone and be in a Discord voice channel during any SCL race.  Any driver not in a Discord voice channel will be disqualified.  

2. All drivers are required to have their paint match their registered number if they are running a custom number in any broadcasted race.  If you do not do this, race control has the right to choose to assign a potential penalty for this.

3. The use of the in game voice chat function for purposes other than calling out the pace car, declaring you are pitting, requesting EOL, or other purposeful and necessary communication in race chat is not allowed.  Race control will mute racers who use the voice chat beyond purpose.  If a racer is muted, then continues the behavior that got them muted, race control might assess a competition penalty.

4. Any intentional wrecking, pre race, in race, or post race will result in a DQ. In addition to a DQ, there may be possible additional penalties from suspension to removal from the SCL community without warning.

5. Any user who attempts to go beyond a brief discussion with race control in race chat, and is perceived arguing, may be disqualified or muted.

6.  Any Driver that is seen by race control, or has either 3 or more drivers complaining about them blinking, or lagging will be given the black flag. They may then re-enter the race, but if they continue to blink, they will be removed from the race.

ALL SERIES COMPETITION RELATED RULES
 

1.  Race Start & Restarts.

1. At the beginning of each race, there will be pace laps.  Typically SCL will do a 3-5 minute grid, and depending on track length, 2-5 pace laps before the race starts.

2. On any race initial start, or subsequent restart, tire warming is allowed.  Tire warming must maintain the use of either the inside, or the outside lane if assigned, and may not intrude on another competitor in any way.  Any racer who is observed, or found to have caused contact in any way while warming tires, will be given a 45 second stop and go penalty in the pits for the contact.  Tire warming must end  at either 1 lap to green, or ½ mile from green, whichever is less, race control will determine and communicate this for every race.

3. On any restart, it is the duty of the front row to MAINTAIN PACE CAR SPEED.  Pace car speed can be seen on the INFO tab in a race session before the race, and will be repeated by race control.  Any driver unable to maintain pace car speed or seen as manipulating the start in any way in the first 5 rows will be assessed a penalty ranging from 45 second stop and go penalty, DQ, and in addition will have 20 points deducted from their race result.  Any driver doing restart manipulation in a GWC situation will be disqualified from the race.

4. The initial race start is always double file, and depending on the series, restarts will be double file, unless race control deems need for single file.

5. On any restart, it is the duty of any car behind the front row to maintain a half, to one and a half car gap between the car in front of them which is going pace car speed, and to maintain pace car speed.  A racer may not go until the car in front of them goes regardless of green flag condition.  No changing of lanes may occur unless an accident is happening.  No black flags will be cleared on the start unless there is an accident or a missed-shift that is clear and obvious.  

6. Race control reserves the right to assess penalties however it sees fit for anyone who appears to be attempting to jump the start, or get a run.  

7. It is the responsibility of racers to ask for an EOL if your car is badly damaged.  Any racer who is observed having obvious damage who does not ask for an EOL and causes an issue of any kind on a restart may be disqualified. 

2. CAUTION PROTOCOLS

1. Cautions are determined by iRacing, and in addition, sometimes by Race Control.

2. SCL uses the iRacing default lucky dog rule for wave arounds.

3. If a caution occurs, it is the duty to catch the car visually in front of you as soon as possible.  It is the leader’s job to catch the pace car, and call out the pace car location as soon as it is seen.  It is also the duty of the leader and anyone subsequently to call out where the tail end which has caught the pace car that is checking up.  Again, it is the duty of every racer to catch the car visually in front of them and then sort out running order while race control gives EOL’s to cars damaged.  Any racer who is seen not catching the cars in front of them in a good faith effort to do so, may receive an EOL.  

4. Under caution, you will ALWAYS go around the car in front of you on the OUTSIDE.  If you are letting someone pass, you will do so from the bottom-most INSIDE or apron if safe.  Under caution all racers will ALWAYS LEAVE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF ROOM OPEN FOR THE LUCKY DOG ON THE OUTSIDE.   Any racer observed not following this protocol may receive an EOL.

5. SCL Damaged Vehicle Policy - If you are damaged in an accident and can not catch the field, it is your duty to ASK FOR AN EOL.  Many people have EOL for a hot key, this is also acceptable.  Any racer with a damaged car that inhibits someone else’s ability to pit will be penalized heavily.  

6. Passing under yellow, passing entering pits.  If you pass someone while you’re entering the pits, SCL will not clear this black flag.  If you ask for this and it is observed that you did pass someone with no reasonable explanation, you will be DQ’d from the race.

7. SCL requires all racers to have graduated beyond the Rookie and D class official license.  This means all SCL participants should have experience with how iRacing cautions function on official races, which is what SCL will adhere to.  Any user who appears to forgo this knowledge, may be removed from the race or league. Please race with respect, purpose, and without attempting to manipulate the opportunities provided by an in-person race control.  

8. Contact under caution - contact in any way under caution will be an EOL, Drive-Thru, or DQ. 

2B. - CAUTION FAULTS 

1. Race Control will review all cautions.  Unless someone is accepting fault there is no need for anyone to key their microphone in race chat to tell Race Control what they saw.  Race control will look at the preceding lap before the incident, as well as the last pit cycle, where car(s) involved had been position wise the entire race, etc. 

2. Racing Incident -  If race control deems that both cars were in a genuine battle for position, and it was a result of genuine hard racing, it will be deemed a racing incident.  

3. At fault incident - After reviewing the accident, race control may deem a standalone action, mistake, or event that, if that did not happen, there would not have been an accident.  This is fault.  This could range from someone getting loose or tight, someone misjudging, or someone having a car that was on older tires/damaged attempting to block, etc.  There are many endless reasons fault could be assigned, but it means race control does not perceive this was due to hard competitive racing, but due to a mistake.  This mistake may happen the moment of the incident, or it may be a chain reaction or snowball effect.  

4. “ARCA Braking” - Anyone deemed to be seen in the cockpit view by race control, seeing an accident happen, not checking up, braking, or slowing down in any way, and then being involved in the accident, will be assessed fault.  This includes if you are in an accident, stop, and begin forward or reverse motion while other cars are coming by causing any contact with other vehicles.  This is subject to a DQ or points points with a minimum penalty of 25 and a maximum of 50 points to your season total after drop weeks. 

3. COMPETITION ETIQUETTE   

1. Race Manipulation - Any action seen by any member of SCL staff, or race control, deemed to be manipulative, or exploitative beyond a reasonable competition expectation, can result in points penalties, DQ, or removal from the SCL community.  This includes intentional wrecking, blocking, voice chat, discord chat, track exploits, requesting to clear a valid black flag, restart manipulation, etc.  Race control and SCL staff have full discretion on anything they deem to be manipulative in a way detrimental to digital stock car racing. 

2. Lapped Cars - While SCL does not want to inhibit anyone from racing their race to their best ability, any contact, or any incident, blocking, etc, between a car on the lead lap, and a car not on the lead lap, will be heavily scrutinized.  If a car is a lap ahead, with SCL’s tracks ranging from half to two and a half miles, it means not only is the battle not for actual position, but the cars ‘’racing’’ are not racing at all they are, literally, miles apart.  If a car that is not on the same lap causes an accident with a lead lap car, there will likely be a stiff penalty.  Tire strategy and pit sequences are taken into consideration.  Any car multiple laps down that causes an accident in any way after they are multiple laps down will be immediately ejected from the race with a DQ and possibly removed from the league. 

3. Damaged Cars - If a car is already damaged, it is the responsibility of that driver if they choose to continue operating the damaged vehicle, to do so in a manner that does not inhibit other vehicles who are not damaged.  Stay on the apron, off the racing line, and use the radio to call out that you’re pitting in etc.  Any competitor that takes a car that is already damaged, starts, and resumes operation of the vehicle, and causes more damage, is subject to disqualification and possible removal from the league.  

4. Tire strategies / Ambitious Pit Strategies - While SCL encourages competition, in an effort to curb preventable incidents, SCL will heavily penalize cars that gain track position to a point they were not running previously the entire race, and are then involved in an incident.  While strategy is part of motorsports, SCL will penalize extreme and what is considered nearly impossible strategy calls.   Example, in a 100 lap race, a car that has ran 27th all race, decides not to pit on GWC and causes an accident on the restart blocking a racer who was running 3rd and had led 20 laps.  Race control also reserves the right to suggest a racer pit if race control sees a high risk.  

5. “Hail Mary” and Desperation Moves - SCL encourages competition, but will heavily penalize any move seen as a desperation move that causes damage or caution that is seen as desperation or extreme.

6. ROOKIE SCRUTINY - Any driver with an _R, or a 3 digit number starting in 7/800’s, who is not established in SCL, may be DQ’d at any time if Race Control deems they are preventing the race from transpiring in a natural manner.  SCL encourages competition but SCL is not a ‘’practice’’ session.  Any driver that appears to be using SCL to ‘’learn’’ during our races, may be DQ’d or removed from the league.  The drivers with an _R for Rookie or an 7/800 number who do not often compete will be scrutinized more heavily in this area.

7. Practice DQ - SCL Admins, Race Control, and staff reserve the right to DQ a driver before the race starts if it is observed during practice that the driver is struggling to avoid incidents or make clean laps.  Drivers with an _R at the end of their name may also be subject to removal from the league.

8. Post Race - Top 3 bring cars around to start / finish line for podium photo. Winner can do donuts / burnouts etc. All other cars return to pit lane.  No post race accidents, wrecking etc.

3B - CAUTION AND INCIDENT COUNTS

1. SCL will use 21 incident points before a drive through penalty.  27 incident points is a DQ.  Any driver who asks for a black flag to be cleared for incident points will be DQ.  See iRacing Sporting Code with any questions on incident points.

2. Any driver causing caution in the first 10% of the race will receive an EOL, but also may receive a 45 second pit penalty, or DQ.  If a driver causes a caution in the first 10% of the race and did not turn enough laps in practice to complete 25 miles, that driver will be immediately DQ’ed.  

3. Any driver who causes a caution with less than 10 laps to go is subject to DQ if Race Control deems it was a desperation or purposeless move that interferes with the natural progression of the race, or if the car was not on the same lap as the car it caused incident with.  Depending on the incident, this may also lead to removal from the SCL community.

4. Standard penalties - Cautions race control finds to be a racing incident will result in no penalty.  Cautions deemed to be due to a mistake, will receive an EOL.  If a driver causes a second caution, they will receive a 1 lap penalty on pit road or DQ.  A third caution is DQ.  Any driver seen hitting a car from behind that Race Control deems was avoidable and the driver did not make a conscious effort to avoid the accident will receive a 1 lap penalty or DQ.  

5. Any driver seen intentionally bringing out a caution in bad faith will be DQ’d.  Spinning, then driving onto the racing line and stopping for example will be DQ.

3Bii - END OF RACE CAUTIONS

1. Any driver who has already caused a caution that causes a second caution with less than 10 laps to go will be DQ’d.

2. Any driver who causes an accident on a restart with less than 10 laps to go will be DQ’d.

3. Any driver who jumped more than 10 positions on a pit strategy call that causes a caution will be DQ’d.

4. Any driver who causes an incident before the exit of turn 2 on a restart with less than 10 laps to go will be DQ’d.

5. Any driver who causes an incident described in points a-d above while also in a position which is in the last 50% of the field will face possible suspension for one race and possible removal from the SCL community.

4.  Season Caution Accrual: Any driver who causes more than 3 cautions in two races will be suspended for one race.  If this happens twice in once season, that driver will be removed from SCL.

 

IIb SUPERSPEEDWAYS

   1.  Advancing Position/Overtaking

1.  You are not allowed to pass or advance a position below the bottom double line line in any SuperSpeedway Event unless specified by officials. If you do go below the line either legally or illegally at any track, it's your responsibility to come back over it safely.  Treat the line as a wall, do not go below it.  Any incident caused by going below the line and coming back onto the track will result in penalties ranging from EOL, to DQ at race control’s discretion.  

2. Position may not be advanced in any way below the yellow line, in case that is not abundantly clear.  

3.  Any lapped car that is seen blocking the lead pack in any way will immediately be ejected from the race.

4. Any car constantly swerving and unable to maintain a lane may be penalized or given a stop and go penalty.  

5. Any driver making extreme, and unreasonable “Hail Mary” type moves may be subject to DQ.

6. Any driver causing a caution in the first 10 miles of the race will be DQ’d.  

7. Any driver causing a caution on the lap after a restart will be DQ’d.

 

IIc ROAD COURSES

         1. You are allowed up to 2 tires off on a Road Course Event.  3 tires off is considered cutting the track. Anyone caught doing so will be penalized at Race Directors discretion.

   

 

 

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III. RACE FORMATS

 

Car setup and track states: SCL always uses the iRacing fixed setups, and traditionally, the track state when the official session starts is around 30% and carries over.  Time of day and temperature will vary.  The only changes SCL will ever make is a gear change if the iRacing setup has not yet been updated, or when SCL goes to a track no official is at (example, Cup at Motegi) .  Any time a setup is modified it will be provided two weeks before the event in the setup channel in discord.

 

Practice: Every SCL race will have at least 45 minutes of official practice with “pit parties” to simulate a race start/restart and racing in a group every 10-15 minutes.  Drivers who choose not to practice with SCL that do not run at least 25 miles or 25 laps (whichever is shorter) in practice who are involved in an incident in the first 25% of the race may be subject to DQ.

 

Qualifying:

Winston Cup, SuperTrucks and Street Stocks will have a 5 minute/2 lap qualifying session.

Late Model Stock Cars will have 5 minute/3lap qualifying sessions.

 

Race:
Every race will have 3-5 pace laps and a pre-race grid meeting.  Race length will vary by track and car and will be advertised on the schedule.

IV. OTHER

 

1.  To request a number, name change, etc, visit Discord and the #numberselection channel

2. The schedule is also in Discord in the #schedule channel

3. STAFF - Please contact the following if anything is needed

Josh Tarratt-Hill - @slim8jm on Discord
Adam Lowe - @ajlowe on Discord
Mike Peters - @mikespeed95 on Discord

1. Broadcasts will be done using “Hide car numbers”.  Make sure in Trading Paints, if you are using a “custom car number” that your number aligns with your assigned number.  If you are unsure how to do this, in trading paints, just use “Sim Stamped Numbers”.  We encourage everyone to have “Hide car numbers” clicked in your graphics settings in the in-race graphics tab in the race session.

2. To assist in the race, we strongly encourage everyone to search “iRacing hot keys” and make sure to have their “relative timing” as well as “speed and gear selection” displayed on their screen to help with information to increase situational awareness during SCL league races.

3. Banners- SCL does have a required banner that can be found in Discord in the #cup-cars-required-decals  #supertrucks-required decals #LMSC-required-decals and #street-stock-required-decals channels.

4. If any assistance is needed or clarity is needed, please use Discord.
    

SCL, SCL’s Admins and Staff has the right to change, add, or modify rules or processes at any time if needed in the interest of the success of digital stock car racing.