Andy.F

I was wondering if anyone can explain the logic behind the 'pass only on the left' rule at track days ?

I would have thought pass on the right may have been more appropriate for a number of reasons.

1 - It's how we do it on the road, people naturally watch to the right for cars overtaking.

2 - The majority of circuits run clockwise, therefore on most of the straights (the accepted trackday passing point) the racing line is the left side. If cars were to pass on right then the slow car could proceed undisturbed.

3 - The faster car would be in control of the move and not get 'stuck' behing a non observing or non co-operative slower car.

4 - The slow car would be able to spend more time watching where he/she's going rather than their mirrors.

5 - It would be safer for a car on a slowing down lap to exit the track to the pit lane (this can be especially dodgy at knockhill as you exit the hairpin with a queue behind you wanting to pass on the left)

Finally, people end up passing on the right anyway which just adds an unnecessary risk that the slow car may check his mirror whilst you are alongside and inadvertently sideswipe you !!

Any views/comments ??

Andy

davyboy

As far as I know it stops people diving down the inside of corners.

I think if you overtake a biker on the right at the ring, and he finds you in the car park afterwards, you may be in a spot of bother

droid42

2 - The majority of circuits run clockwise, therefore on most of the straights (the accepted trackday passing point) the racing line is the left side. If cars were to pass on right then the slow car could proceed undisturbed

I think that has something to do with why it's on the left. The slower car moving off the racing line is usually a good indicator that they're allowing a faster car to pass.

I know that I've been on at least one trackday in my time where there was passing on the right, but I honestly can't remember which organiser it was (but I remember being surprised). It might also have been on one of the few anticlockwise circuits/airfields I've been on.

Ian.

Little Miss WRX

I do believe that is the case.

As the racing line is commonly on the left, the slower car moves off the racing line to indicate and allow the faster cars to pass.

Big Goon

The CCC day at Castle Combe was passing only on the right, strange they should do it different to everyone one else.

Andy.F

The problem comes when the slower car refuses to accept he is in fact the 'slower car' and holds his "racing" line regardless. It's ok if the track is quiet, you can hang back and then reel him in again but if it's busy...........

Little Miss WRX

I do believe some tracks (maybe all) offer a similar flagging system to that of karting whereby you move over for a faster person, if shown the blue flag?

Is this the case or not?

Andy.F

I've seen frequent use of the blue flag on race days but never on trackdays (at knockhill) One lap of waved blue, then black flag if you don't pull over !! That would sort them, assuming they observed the black flag