The Art of Being Passed

There's been some discussion in some of the iRacing league forums about whether to move over and let a faster car past, or stay on line and let them find their way by. Here are some of my thoughts on this.

When I was doing endurance racing in the real world, I drove with a team running RX-7's in 24 hour races in which there were also Corvettes and turbo Porsche 944's. Our RX-7's were a lot slower than the 'Vettes and Porsches, so we were always having to deal with getting passed.

At first, when one of the faster cars came up behind me, I'd try to just stick to my line and figure they'd get around me on the next straight or whatever. Wrong. If their pace put them at a corner entry at the same moment as me, they'd just barge right in there. I'd end up having to go way off line and into the marbles to avoid a collision, which would end up costing me a lot of time because I'd be slow down the next straight.

So I learned how to get passed: figure out where they're going to catch you, and then ease up a little to time the pass so it will cost you a minimum amount of speed and lap time. Better to give up a few tenths now and be able to maintain your speed after they get by than to keep driving flat out until the other car screws you up and costs you a big chunk of time.

The best place to get passed is on a straight; if a faster car is on your tail coming out of a corner, breathe out of the throttle a bit until they're alongside and then go back to full throttle. This will cost you almost nothing in terms of lap time, and is very low risk for both cars.

When doing this, you can either keep to your normal position on the straight and let them go off line to go by, or you can make a clear and definite move off line - before they are about to pass - to let them know you're letting them by. But the most important thing is to just breathe out of the throttle. Don't make a big lift that would cause you to slow suddenly, forcing them to make a big avoidance maneuver. Just ease up. The goal is to ease into a 5 or maybe 10 MPH difference. On a long straight, that should be plenty for them to get by.

If they're catching you near the end of a straight, then you can brake early so they can get past before the corner. This way you'll lose a lot less time than if you enter the corner together.

But if you're going to brake early, make sure you don't catch the other driver by surprise! You can use your car's position on the track as a signal. If you move to the inside down the straight as you approach the corner, and they stay on the outside, on line, that means they realize you're going to let them go, so you can brake early, let them by, and tuck right back in, both of you having lost minimal time. When executed properly, this is a very satisfying move. You might even be able to draft them down the next straight and gain back some of the small amount of time it cost you to brake early.

Another way this can play out is if the car behind moves to the inside as you approach the corner. This means they're asking you to let them by. Stay wide, on line, but brake a little early and let them go down the inside. Since they're off line, they will also have to brake a bit earlier than usual, and their entry into the corner will be slower than usual, so be sure to allow enough room for this by braking early enough to create a little gap. Again, if you can allow them to complete the pass before the corner then you'll both lose minimal time, and you might catch a bit of a draft down the next straight.

On the other hand, if someone is all over you going into a corner, stick to your line and your pace. It's not your problem or your job to save them a few tenths in the middle of a turn. They can wait till the next straight, where you can let them by as above. If they are desperate, let them go off line and take the risks.

There have been a number of instances lately where I've seen people go off line in a corner to let me by, go too wide, and end up going off the track. Nobody wants that, least of all me! So please be cool, be patient, and use the straights or find other safe, low-stress points to let other cars by.

If you're the car coming up to pass someone, keep in mind that climbing all over their tail entering a corner is probably going to be counter-productive. (I know I'm guilty of this sometimes, and I'm working on it!) If you make them feel pressured they're more likely to make a mistake, and you could get caught up in it.

Also if you're right on their tail entering a corner then you have to take the corner at the same speed, which kills your advantage at corner exit. Better to drop back a bit before entering the corner and leave enough of a gap that you can take the corner at your own speed. That way, if you're quicker through the corner, then your exit speed will be higher, making it much easier to pass them on the following straight.

Learning to pass and learning to be passed are two important - and rewarding - aspects of racecraft, and in the iRacing leagues we've got a great environment to acquire and refine these skills.