Season 16

Official Rule Book

Revised June 2026

Under Development / Draft Rules

These rules are currently under review for Season 16 and are subject to change.

SECTION 1: iRacing Code of Conduct

  • A) All iRacing official rules and general Code of Conduct apply fully to all Bandit Racing League (BRL) events.
  • B) The minimum iRacing requirement to participate in any BRL sanctioned event is a C1.0 Oval License.

SECTION 2: Points System & Playoffs

For Season 16, the Bandit Racing League utilizes the official NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship points system to calculate driver and team standings.

  • A) Championship Race Points Scale: Driver race points are distributed at the end of each event based on finishing position. A race win awards 40 points, and P36 through P40 receive a flat 1 point.
Pos Points Pos Points Pos Points Pos Points
1st40 11th26 21st16 31st6
2nd35 12th25 22nd15 32nd5
3rd34 13th24 23rd14 33rd4
4th33 14th23 24th13 34th3
5th32 15th22 25th12 35th2
6th31 16th21 26th11 36th-40th1
7th30 17th20 27th10
8th29 18th19 28th9
9th28 19th18 29th8
10th27 20th17 30th7

Stage Scoring Info

  • • Races are split into three stages (Stage 1, Stage 2, and the Final Stage).
  • • **Stage 1 Break** occurs at the lap closest to 30% of the scheduled race distance. Race Control throws the caution flag.
  • • **Stage 2 Break** occurs at the lap closest to 60% of the scheduled race distance. Race Control throws the caution flag.
  • • The top 10 finishers of both Stage 1 and Stage 2 earn bonus championship points:
  • P1: 10 pts, P2: 9 pts, P3: 8 pts ... P10: 1 pt.

Playoff Format (The Chase)

  • • Qualification: The **top 10 drivers** in the standings at the end of the regular season qualify for the Chase. *(Win-and-you're-in is inactive; qualification is points-based)*.
  • • Season Structure: The schedule consists of a **16-race Regular Season** followed by a **5-race postseason (The Chase)**.
  • • No Elimination Rounds: The 10 qualifying drivers compete over all **final five (5) races** of the season to determine the championship.
  • • Points Seeding Reset: Seeding points are reset at the beginning of the Chase as follows:
      1st Seed: **2,100 pts** | 2nd Seed: **2,075 pts** | 3rd Seed: **2,065 pts**
      4th-10th Seeds: Decrease by **5 pts** per position (4th: 2060, 5th: 2055, ..., 10th: 2030).
  • • Champion: The driver with the highest cumulative points at the end of the 5-race Chase is crowned champion.
  • B) Bonus Points are awarded in the regular season as follows:
    • +1 point: Fastest Qualifier (Pole position).
    • +1 point: Leading at least one lap.
    • +5 points: Clean race (zero incidents).
  • C) There is no minimum race participation requirement. Points are calculated on actual results.

SECTION 3: Provisionals

  • A) Drivers are allowed a maximum of 2 provisionals per season.
  • B) Drivers must notify the League Owner, Race Control, or admins prior to the scheduled start time of the race they intend to skip.
  • C) Provisional points will be awarded as equivalent to **1 point less (-1) than the last place finisher** of that event. *(Example: If the last place finisher receives 12 points, the driver using the provisional will receive 11 points)*

SECTION 4: Communication Guidelines

In-Sim Text Chat Rule

In-sim text/voice chat on iRacing is strictly reserved for race-related communication. Casual conversations or flaming are prohibited.

  • A) Working Microphone Required: A functioning microphone is mandatory for all drivers. There are no exceptions to this rule.
  • B) Discord App Mandatory: All drivers must be active and present in the official BRL Discord voice channels during all league events.
  • C) Discord Name Sync: Your Discord nickname must display exactly as your real name appears in iRacing, followed by your assigned car number. *(Example: Bill Harkins #11)*
  • D) Comm Exceptions: In-sim iRacing chat is the absolute minimum level of communication allowed. You must have prior approval from a league admin to use in-sim chat instead of Discord, and must prove Discord does not work. Race admins must be able to reach you.
  • E) Swearing & Flaming: Profanity or verbal abuse directed at other drivers is forbidden. Drivers will receive one (1) warning prior to a chat mute/ban. Continued disregard for professionalism can lead to league dismissal.
  • F) Broadcast Etiquette: Professionalism rules extend to all live streams, whether broadcasted by BRL, SimTrax, or individual driver streams (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, etc.).

SECTION 5: Race Procedures

  • A) Fixed Set-ups: All events will use locked setups. All oval events are capped at **70% fuel load**.
  • B) Realistic Weather: Weather conditions will be configured dynamically via realistic setting configurations in iRacing.

SECTION 6: Incident System

  • A) No Auto Incident Limit: There is no automated incident point limit enforced by the game server.
  • B) Reckless Driver Penalty: BRL Race Control reserves the right to review post-race logs and penalize or remove drivers deemed reckless based on their incident count or pattern of collisions throughout the season. Penalties may include removal from the league.

SECTION 7: Repairs & Tire Limits

  • A) Fast Repairs: One (1) Fast Repair is permitted per race. BRL reserves the right to adjust or remove Fast Repairs at any point in the season based on competition data.
  • B) Tire Set Limits:
    • Oval events: 3 total sets (the set started on + 2 pit sets) allowed.
    • Road Course events: 2 total sets (the set started on + 1 pit set) allowed.
    *(BRL reserves the right to adjust limits based on track/weather conditions)*

SECTION 8: Qualifying

  • A) Strict Qualifying: Qualifying settings are set to strict for all oval track events.
  • B) Mandatory Participation: Driver qualification runs are mandatory for all BRL events.
  • C) No post-qualifying EOLs: Drivers are not permitted to take End of Line (EOL) starting positions voluntarily after setting a qualifying lap.

SECTION 9: Initial Green Flag Starts

  • A) The race officially begins when the iRacing Green Flag waves. No driver may accelerate before this flag.
  • B) Starting Lane Choice: Initial starting lanes are locked by iRacing. There is no lane choice on the initial green flag.
  • C) Jumping the Start: iRacing issues automatic drive-thru penalties for start violations (primarily affecting front-row starters). Race Control may clear these at their sole discretion if they determine the start was clean.
  • D) Any penalty issued that is not cleared by Race Control must be served within 3 laps of green flag racing.

SECTION 10: Malicious Wrecking & Retaliation

Zero Tolerance Policy

Aggressive moves with intent to wreck, retaliate, or maliciously contact another vehicle will result in immediate disqualification and removal from BRL.

  • A) Disqualification: Drivers displaying intent to wreck or making intentional aggressive moves towards another driver will be removed from the session and disqualified. Intent is evaluated by Race Control/Admins.
  • B) Points Removal: All standings and points gained during that event will be completely stripped.
  • C) Probation & EOL Penalties: Offending drivers are placed on a minimum 3-race probation, requiring them to start at the tail end of the field for the next 3 events.
  • D) Qualifying Mute during EOL: While serving a 3-week EOL penalty, drivers are not permitted to set a qualifying lap and must start at the tail of the field.
  • E) Retaliation: Retaliation is treated identically to intentional wrecking and carries the same severe penalties. Race Control's decisions are final.

SECTION 11: Caution Flags

  • A) Cautions Incidents: Any driver causing a wreck or collision while under caution (speeding to catch field, tire warming collisions) will receive an immediate EOL penalty. Severe or repeat infractions can lead to event removal.
  • B) Pace Distance: Drivers must maintain a safe distance and match the official pace car speed at all times.
  • C) Damaged Vehicles: Any car unable to maintain pace speed or damaged beyond repair must tow to pit road immediately.
  • D) Debating Flags: Race Control decisions regarding cautions and flags are final and cannot be debated over voice chat during the event.
  • E) Lucky Dog: BRL uses the automatic iRacing Lucky Dog (free pass) rule.
  • F) Wave Arounds: Granted by Race Control depending on race conditions and situation.

SECTION 12: Pit Road Procedures

Speeding Penalties Are Final

Pit road speeding penalties are enforced by the iRacing system and will NOT be cleared by Race Control.

  • A) Drivers must maintain safe vehicle control upon pit entry, stay to the right side of the lane, and observe the speed limit.
  • B) Passing on pit road is permitted only on the left side of the vehicle being passed. The passing driver assumes all collision risks.
  • C) Serving a Speeding Penalty under Green: Green-flag speeding penalties must be served within 4 laps under consecutive green flag conditions.
  • D) Caution During Penalty: If a caution is thrown while you hold an unserved green-flag penalty, the penalty must still be served. You must pit and serve it before crossing the start-finish line for the 4th green-flag lap after the restart. Failure to do so results in iRacing disqualifying the driver (Race Control cannot override an iRacing disqualification, as iRacing does not permit overrides).
  • E) Lagging Back Block: A driver is strictly prohibited from lagging back on a restart to immediately dive down pit road and serve a penalty. Drivers must take the green flag on the track and then pit on the following lap.
  • F) Unsafe pit road exits will not be cleared.
  • G) Collision Avoidance: Race Control will review and clear black flags if a driver entered pit road solely to avoid an active accident on the track.

SECTION 13: Superspeedway & 1.5 Mile Procedures

  • A) Early Race Wrecks: Within the first 15 laps of a race on Superspeedways and 1.5-mile tracks, any driver causing a wreck will receive an immediate drive-thru penalty.
  • B) Repeat Incidents: A second wreck caused by the same driver results in another drive-thru penalty and automatic probation.
  • C) Arguing Penalty: Arguing about a drive-thru penalty over in-game chat will result in an immediate chat mute and 1 additional drive-thru penalty (total of 2). Race Control's decision is 100% final.

SECTION 14: Franchise Team Rules

Team Blocking Violation

Intentional blocking by a team driver to defend another franchise team member carries severe point penalties for the entire squad.

  • A) Blocking Penalty: If a driver blocks intentionally to aid a teammate, the entire team receives a -15 point penalty per driver and the entire team must start from the pit road for the next event. The penalty is evaluated and applied post-race.
  • B) Side-Drafting Exception: Side-drafting is not classified as blocking as long as a genuine effort to gain a position is being made.
  • C) Unbiased Review: Only league admins unaffiliated with the blocking or blocked team may request and review the blocking incident.
  • D) Franchise Owners: Teams must designate an official Team Owner who assumes full responsibility for all team members' actions.
  • E) Team Radio Channels: Discord team radio channels are limited to a **maximum of 6 team members** plus **1 open spot** reserved for Race Control access. BRL reserves the right to alter or remove channels if code of conduct violations occur.

SECTION 15: Green Flag Restarts

  • A) Lane Choice: The race leader is awarded lane choice on all restarts after the initial green flag.
  • B) Calling Lane Choice: The leader must call out their starting lane choice over in-sim voice chat with two laps to go under caution. The leader is responsible for informing all drivers and Race Control.
  • C) Restart Zone Enforced: The restart zone must be observed. If iRacing issues a jumping penalty, the driver must serve it. Race Control does not control or clear this penalty.
  • D) Pace Car Pit Entrance: The pace car must be completely off the racing surface, in the pit lane, and called clear by iRacing before the leader is permitted to accelerate.
  • E) Accelerating Early: Accelerating before the pace car enters pit road will trigger an automatic iRacing drive-thru penalty.
  • F) No Passing Before Line: Drivers are not allowed to pass on the restart before crossing the start-finish line. Passing to the left is strictly prohibited.
  • G) Tire Warming: Warming of tires is permitted under caution, but excessive warming that causes safety concerns is not allowed. Drivers must maintain their lane until the green flag is thrown.
  • H) Leader Restarts Infraction (Blending): If the leader fails to maintain their starting line on a restart and blends into the opposite line, they will face post-race penalties:
    • First Violation (L-1): The race win will be stripped. The 2nd place finisher (provided they have no restart infractions) will be declared the winner.
    • Points Adjustment (L-2): The disqualified winner will be credited with points equal to the last-place position on the lead lap.

SECTION 16: Green/White/Checkered (GWC)

  • A) All standard restart rules, lane choices, and passing restrictions apply during Green/White/Checkered finishes.

SECTION 17: Checkered Flags

  • A) No Post-Race Wrecking: Drivers are strictly forbidden from intentionally crashing into other vehicles after crossing the checkered flag.
  • B) Media Interviews: The top 3 finishers are required to remain in the server after the race for screenshots, photos, and live broadcast interviews.

SECTION 18: Protests

  • A) No Formal Protest System: Formal post-race protest tickets have been removed. Drivers with a racing issue should contact Race Control directly for a private meeting. Race Control will determine if additional league owners or admins need to be consultated.

SECTION 19: League Admins

  • A) Admins are competitors first and foremost. They volunteer to maintain a clean, fair, and organized racing experience.
  • B) Admins must be treated with the same respect as any other league member.
  • C) Admins are subject to all rules and procedures outlined in this rule book.
  • D) Admins are only permitted to clear their own black flags if no other active admin is present in the session.
  • E) Admins are authorized to clear black flags for other league members when warranted.

SECTION 20: Connection Issues (Blinking)

blinking Warning system

Drivers experiencing high ping or severe packet loss (blinking) that endangers others must move off the racing line.

  • A) First Offense: A verbal warning is issued over communications.
  • B) Second Offense: The driver must blend to the tail of the field and run off the racing line. The connection must stabilize within 5 laps, or the driver must pit until stable.
  • C) Disconnected Laps: No laps will be restored to any driver who disconnects from the iRacing server. Disconnections are treated as mechanical failures; you may rejoin the race but will receive no wave arounds.
  • D) Tactical Disconnects: Intentional disconnections to avoid crash damage or gain an unfair advantage will result in immediate disqualification and potential league ban.

SECTION 21: Social Media & Links

SECTION 22: League Contacts

  • A) League Officials & Structure:
    • League Owner: Kevin Foster
    • President of Operations: Bill Harkins
    • Race Control Director: TBD
    • Race Admins: Kevin Foster, Nick Nickerson, Brandon Jackson, Benjamin Lacy, Ricky Hart Jr., Bob Berry, Curtis Yancey