CMS Oval Rules

Last revision: August 8, 2025

Purpose and Scope

These Oval Rules extend the General Competition Rules (GCR) to govern oval racing at CMS. The GCR still applies as the bedrock ruleset, while these Oval Rules extend and sometimes modify the GCR.

  1. These Oval Rules apply to any Oval track. Oval tracks are typically characterized entirely by wide turns (all left turns or right turns, not both, often banked).  This is the default classification, but Series Admins may override this classification in their written briefings for a race.
  2. Road course layouts, and rovals, such as Daytona or Charlotte are considered road courses for purposes of this ruleset.

Bump Drafting

Bump Drafting occurs when a car behind another car on a straight lightly bumps the car ahead, giving both cars a higher average speed. In sim racing, bump drafting is especially risky, given different Internet connection characteristics, and different skill levels of drivers, in addition to all of the other real life risk factors.

  1. For this reason, bump drafting is prohibited everywhere, unless the Series Admin expressly permits it in the written race briefing. Any contacts that occur due to bump drafting when prohibited may receive higher penalties.
  2. When bump drafting is permitted, it is only permitted on straights.
  3. When bump drafting is permitted, do so at your own risk. If there is an accident and an IRR is submitted, the Stewards will review both drivers.
  4. The driver in front has less agency and is therefore typically less likely to be at fault, but actions such as blocking or unprovoked loss of car control may result in some or all of the responsibility being shifted to the driver in front.

Race Starts and Restarts

  1. During the formation lap, all cars must stay within 2 car lengths of the car in front.
  2. Should a driver find themselves farther back (e.g., if you pit with one to go), you may exceed pace speed if it is safe to do so, but you must slow down to 10mph over pace speed or slower, before the green flag waves, or before you reach the car in front, whichever comes first.
  3. Drivers must stay in their lane during starts and restarts.

Passing

  1. The side-by-side rule and turn-in point definitions from the GCR does not apply to oval racing. In oval racing, the point at which both drivers must leave racing room is the moment any overlap is established.

Track limits

  1. Drivers have to keep at least two tires in contact with the racing surface to be considered “on track”.
  2. The yellow line rule is in effect on superspeedways, and other tracks designated by the series admin.
  3. Chastain Rule: Drivers are not allowed to ride the walls to gain positions on track. It will be considered wall riding if the following conditions are met: driver remains full throttle through entire corner, driver fails to brake at normal braking point of field (does not apply for non-braking tracks), driver is in contact with wall for more than 50% of corner.

Race Starts and Restarts

Starts and restarts are very important in oval racing. The series admin will dictate and publish the start and restart procedure for their series, in consultation with the RRC.