Announcing New Rule Changes for the upcoming AREA iRacing Season

Photo credit: Jordan Martin

May 29th, 2024 —

We are excited to announce several important updates to the AREA iRacing Series rulebook. These changes are designed to enhance the racing experience, ensure fair competition, and improve communication within our community. Below, we highlight the key rule changes and additions.

Qualifying Duration (Rule 2.9)

• Oval Tracks: Qualifying sessions will now be 5 minutes.

• Road Courses: Qualifying sessions will now be 10 minutes.

Warmup Session (Rule 2.10)

• A 5-minute warmup session will follow qualifying and will not be skipped. This time is reserved for a driver's meeting, important announcements, questions, and final race preparations. Drivers are permitted to go onto the track and warm up if they wish.

Admin Incident Point System (Rule 3.9)

The Admin Incident Point System will now replace the old in-race penalty system for incidents.

• Points Allocation:

  • Clean Race: -1 point (does not cause an incident)

  • Netcode: No change to points

  • Shared Fault/Failure to Slow for an Incident (ARCA brake): +1 point

  • Solo Fault Incident: +2 points

  • Intentional Wrecking: +3 points (as well as Rule 4.2)

• Penalties:

  • 0 Points: Nothing (Good job! 😊)

  • 1 Point: Warning

  • 2-3 Points: EOL Penalty At Start Of Next Race

  • 4-5 Points: Drive Through Under Green (Start of next race)

  • 6-8 Points: Probation (rest of season) & Suspension for one week

  • 9+ Points: Disqualified for the remainder of the season ("Put it on the truck, see you next season")

• Probation: When a driver is on probation, their minimum (floor) point value is set to 1 (they cannot return to 0 points).

Review of Incidents (Rule 3.14a)

• Admins may review an incident on track for the admin incident point system.

Green White Checker Finish Attempts (Rule 3.15)

• Each race will now have 3 attempts at a Green White Checker finish, instead of the previous single attempt.

Sub Driver Rules (Rule 6.7)

The Sub Driver Rules have been revised to ensure clarity and fairness.

• Definition and Eligibility:

  • A "Reserve Driver" is defined as a non-chartered driver nominated by a team to act as the designated "Reserve Driver."

  • The Reserve Driver must be an active driver in the AREA series they will be subbing in.

  • More than one team can nominate the same Reserve Driver.

  • The Sub Option becomes unavailable after week FOUR (24 hours before week 5).

  • The Reserve Driver MUST be nominated before the start of week 1.

• Conditions for Reserve Driver Participation:

  • The Reserve Driver may be activated to participate as a chartered driver when the team owner declares that the current driver is unable to compete for the rest of the season.

  • The driver being replaced may return during the season as an open driver.

• Points Allocation:

  • If activated, the Reserve Driver's finishing position will be treated the same as that of a chartered driver for the team they are representing.

• Notification Requirement:

  • Teams must notify the AREA iRacing Series officials of their intent to use their Reserve Driver a minimum of 24 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the race, except in cases of force majeure as determined by Series officials.

League Voted Council (LVC) (Section 10)

The League Voted Council (LVC) is a brand new addition aimed at enhancing community involvement and ensuring fair representation.

• Structure and Purpose:

  • The LVC will consist of five members representing the AREA community as a whole.

  • The admins reserve the right to remove council members they deem to be acting in bad faith.

  • The council will bring new ideas for the league to discuss.

• Term Length and Limits:

  • Each council term will last for two seasons.

  • Members can serve a maximum of five consecutive terms.

• Eligibility and Election Process:

  • Any active league member can run for and vote in the election (including Team Owners, Drivers, and Admins).

  • The nomination period will run for 2 weeks.

  • The top 15 nominees will move on to the actual election.

  • The five nominees with the most votes will form the council.

• Conflict Resolution:

  • The council will act as mediators to resolve issues between drivers, teams, or other stakeholders.

  • Decisions made in these meetings will be proposed to the admin team/Jacob Bell for approval.

• Communication:

  • The council will meet at least 2 times during the offseason and more frequently if needed.

  • The council will issue regular updates on their activities through official channels.

  • There will be an open channel for feedback or concerns to the council.

• Ethics and Conduct:

  • Council members must act with integrity and impartiality.

  • Members must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from decisions where such conflicts exist.

  • Council members are accountable to the drivers and must operate in a manner that is fair, transparent, and in the best interest of the sport.

These rule changes reflect our commitment to continually improving AREA iRacing and ensuring a fair and competitive environment for all participants. For the complete and detailed rulebook, please visit our official rulebook page. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to AREA iRacing.