09/28/2026
Monday Racing Rant…
If you’re a race director, promoter, or track owner, there’s a certain level of responsibility that comes with being in control of a race track. One of those responsibilities is making sure the lineup is correct and the field is properly organized before going green.
If drivers reach out privately with legitimate concerns about situations that have caused problems or could have been avoided, those concerns should be taken seriously and addressed professionally. Standing in a drivers meeting and dismissing or mocking those concerns, or saying there isn’t time to wait for cars to get lined up properly, isn’t the answer.
Getting the lineup correct before going green is one of the simplest administrative tasks in racing today. You have a computer, scoring system, and/or app that tells you exactly where everyone is supposed to be. Communicate it over the radio, tell anyone who is out of position where they need to be, and give the field a lap or two to get organized. It really shouldn’t be that difficult.
As racers, we spend a tremendous amount of time and money to support your track and put on a show for your fans. No, fans don’t want to sit through 15 laps of yellow because the field can’t get lined up. But if the officials do their job and establish clear expectations, communicate them, and enforce them consistently, many of those issues can be prevented in the first place.
If someone refuses to follow instructions from the race director or officials, there are procedures for dealing with that. Black flag them, send them to the rear, and if they still refuse to comply, escalate the penalty and if needed, send them home with no points or money to set an example. Consistent enforcement goes a long way toward establishing order and making sure everyone understands that the rules apply to everyone.
The same goes for cars that repeatedly cause incidents under green. If a driver has multiple incidents in the same night, there should be a point where the officials have to say, enough is enough. Park the car for the night if necessary. If the same issues continue at subsequent events, stronger penalties may be warranted.
The goal shouldn’t be to punish people. The goal should be to establish accountability and make it clear that everyone is expected to race responsibly and follow the direction of the officials.
Promoters and track owners also have to understand that protecting the quality of the racing experience is ultimately more important than protecting one individual car or competitor. Losing one car because of a disciplinary decision may feel like a negative in the short term, but there are often other racers who are hesitant to support a track because they’ve seen repeated issues, poor officiating, or unnecessary chaos.
As a racer, I don’t want to spend my hard-earned time and money only to have my equipment torn up unnecessarily or have positions changed because the field wasn’t properly managed under yellow.
I completely understand the desire to keep a show moving. Personally, I enjoy quick, efficient shows. That’s what I grew up with at Stafford, Thompson, and Waterford in Connecticut, and I appreciate a race program that keeps things moving, but there’s a difference between moving a show along efficiently and sacrificing the integrity of the competition to do it.
Getting the field lined up correctly, making sure everyone is in the proper position, and enforcing the rules consistently may take an extra minute or two. In my opinion, that’s a small price to pay for making sure the racing is fair and everyone knows what is expected of them.
And when racers choose to reach out privately and respectfully to discuss concerns, that should be viewed as an opportunity to improve—not something to mock or dismiss. How those conversations are handled reflects not only on the individual official, but on the entire race organization.
I’m not going to name names, but most of you are pretty good at math, I bet. 😂
Have a great week, everyone!
