I was recently asked this question from a Facebook friend: ”If someone is blocking you and you can’t get around them, what do I do? We decided to use this blog to answer this common question…
First, let’s define “blocking”: Moving once from the typical driving line is simply defending your position. However, moving BACK is blocking. Ultimately it’s up to the race director, but typically a block hasn’t occurred until the lead driver makes 2 moves (ie: a move to the inside, and then a move back to the normal driving line as he/she approaches the braking zone or the turn-in point.
The very best way to deal with blocking is to get faster! If you’re faster, you won’t be dealing with boneheads trying to block you. Practice and test more. There’s always more speed to be found. Go out and find it so you can qualify better. However, this is a short-term solution. At some point you’ll end up racing at a level where all the drivers are fast. At that point, you’ll need some racing skills too or you’ll get bounced around like you’re in a bad game of Mario Kart, except you and your wallet could actually get hurt!
If your end-goal is to win at just the local level, then just focus on getting fast. If you have regional, national or international ambitions, then be prepared to sacrifice your local races to develop your race craft. Either way, read on…
Whether you’re a new driver or a more experienced veteran race winner, your brain gets used to a certain corner speed. That level of “comfort” may be holding you back. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with comfort. After all, some of us have to go back to the office Monday morning after the racing is finished.
