The 2010 Formula Drift Rulebook has arrived in the hands of all competitors for the new upcoming season. Not really any big changes that I noticed after reading it today. I did find a whole piece on Collisions which I thought was a good quick read to understand how they will be handled from here on forward.
COLLISIONS
Vehicle contact in drifting is something that Formula DRIFT recognizes as part of the sport, however contact of vehicles while in head-to-head battle requires specific rulings and guidelines as follows.
A) LEAD CAR:
The lead car must be required at all times to run the line given by the
judges and also maintain adequate speed through out the course. If the
lead car measures untypical speed, this may result in a score against that
driver. Untypical speed is defined as speeds of equivalent measurement
from qualifying speeds. Some slight variance (+5, -5) is in most cases
acceptable.
If the lead car loses drift, goes off line or reduces speed too drastically in
comparison to that particular driver’s qualifying speeds and the chase car
hits the lead car, the lead car will in most cases be deemed at fault for the
contact. It is each individual judge’s job to ascertain fault. There may be
circumstances where the lead car is not at fault for the contact, but this will
be left to each individual judge to ascertain fault.
B) CHASE CAR:
The chase car is required at all times to follow and chase the lead car. The
driver of the chase car is encouraged to know the approximate speed of the
lead car through the entire course. If the chase car makes contact, in most
cases that driver will be deemed at fault for the contact unless otherwise
noted as per above. Contact known as “rubbing” is acceptable, however
the chase car cannot affect the lead car where loss of drift or loss of line
occurs.
C) DAMAGE DUE TO CONTACT:
Once contact is made and damage occurs to either vehicle, the Judges
using majority rule will ascertain fault. If damage due to contact occurs,
both drivers have a right to have their spotter enact a “5 Minute Rule.” It is
expected that in most cases damaged vehicles can be repaired in this time
frame.
In some cases, damage sustained to the vehicles may require more time to
repair. At this point ONLY the vehicle not at fault may ask for additional
time. (NOTE: This does not preempt teams ability to call 5 Minutes for other
purposes). In the spirit of time and the show, the CHIEF STEWARD also
reserves the right to continue the competition with the outstanding head-
to-head matches of that particular round. The CHIEF STEWARD will re-
assess the vehicle between subsequent head-to-head match up’s or even
at the end of the round.
If a team cannot repair their vehicle and the team was also not at fault
during the incident, a Formula DRIFT official will verify that indeed the car
is not repairable in time for the next round and declare the driver the
winner of the match. The driver may move onto the next round or if the
damage is too extreme, may exit from the competition. competition.
