Now, I've no in depth knowledge about oval racing, but I do understand that its not all about cutting past the apex.

But this post is really about KY National... Quite often I've seen racers spamming "overtake on the left!!" messages (ie. on the outside). Is this just the usual spam-neurosis, or is there some inheritance from oval racing that I'm missing?

Well this oval racing etiquette isn't proper to how you would do it in real life at all...

People tell you to pass on the left because that is the only way your 'pack' or group can start to get a faster overall time so they can either catch up to the front, or stay in front so nobody can catch you guys.

Basically if you are behind someone, you work as a team with slipstreaming back and forth... but at timed intervals when approaching corners preferably. In order to work together as this 'faster group', the leading cars ALWAYS should veer to the right when the car behind is gaining on him fast from the slipstream. Letting that person pass on the bottom/inside/left, he will gain sufficient ground and be well enough ahead of YOU to then to the process over again. If you can catch his slipstream in time (quite easy), gain on him fast and then gesture to move on the inside and he should let you through if he knows how-to do it properly.

That's all it really is, because all the oval racing really depends on is if you work with an opponent and do constant slipstreaming back and forth, and it really isn't for position... it is mostly done so people doing the same thing don't catch up to you or gain a position. If you try and block the inside all the time, you'll definitely get a bunch of spongebob noobs yelling at you for it. Best just to stay away from ovals and learn good racing etiquette on road courses instead :up:

Sounds a bit like cycle pursuit racing

Quote from Tweaker :

Best just to stay away from ovals and learn good racing etiquette on road courses instead :up:

Yeah, I'm fine on that - I just wondered about KY National 'cause its a road course with a bit of an oval... Taking the fast line seems to make people nervous as they meander along the middle of the road.

Quote from Tweaker :

you'll definitely get a bunch of spongebob noobs yelling at you for it.

Just like some FM team hotshot was doing, when I blocked him in last turn of the race... then I got banned for doing that again, and then I never returned there...

KY National doesn't fall under the Ridiculous Unofficial LFS Oval Racing Rules. Treat it like any other circuit - if you don't want someone passing you then make them go the slow way around, whether it's on the oval section or the infield.

What he said just above me.

I don't mind servers running their own rules, though. Some servers I've been to seemed to be trying to impose ChampCar (I think, or IRL roadcourse racing) rules, i.e no defending allowed at all. That's ok, as long as you tell people first.

Don't mean to interupt or anything, but I don't see why people think they can order someone which side to overtake them on...

Quote from R34GTR :

Don't mean to interupt or anything, but I don't see why people think they can order someone which side to overtake them on...

Yeah, especially for races of 8/10 laps, not 500...

However, like sinbad said, if they say that to you before the race, you can agree or simply change server. It's their server