Sandbagging (racing)
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Sandbagging describes someone who underperforms (usually deliberately) in an event. The term has multiple uses, such as a driver who competes in an event in a series below their level of expertise to finish high.[1] In bracket drag racing and short track racing when a racer has a dial-in time / qualifying speed much slower than the car can actually perform. The term can also be used to describe a fast driver who holds back during a race until just before the end, when s/he suddenly passes up through the field to win the event.
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[edit] Origin
Early race tracks had a safety wall of sandbags around the outer edge of the track. To convincingly qualify at a lower speed (and thus obtain a better starting position), a driver tries to appear to be running flat-out, but intentionally misjudges a corner or two, causing the car to swing wide and lose speed due to friction against the sandbags. He could then claim that his better performance in the race was due to learning the track.
[edit] Drag racing
The function of sandbagging is to guarantee a win by outperforming the slower opponent at first, and then hitting the brakes near the finish line in time to just barely beat the opponent.[2] However, sandbaggers run the risk of beating their dial-in time, thus disqualifying them from the race. Sandbaggers must be experienced in controlling this technique, and therefore, it should not be attempted by beginners.[2] Sandbagging faces much criticism, as many argue that it is essentially cheating.[2] Television shows such as Pinks and bracket racing rules discourage sandbagging by creating automatic disqualification for breakouts. However, if both cars run faster than their dial-in time, the car that runs faster by the least amount is the winner.
[edit] Example
Racer A has a car that consistently runs a quarter-mile drag race in 12 seconds. Racer A gives a dial-in time of 15 seconds, therefore claiming that the car is 3 seconds slower than it actually is. Racer A goes against Racer B in an E.T. bracket race. In bracket races, both racers are supposedly equal since both have similar times. However, Racer B has an accurate dial-in time of 15 seconds while Racer A has an inaccurate dial-in time that gives Racer A the advantage. During the race, Racer A gets a clear advantage off the starting line. But to not be disqualified by racing faster than the dial-in time, Racer A slows near the finish line to just barely beat Racer B.
[edit] Short track racing
The term is frequently used in for deliberately qualifying poorly at short track racing events. Some tracks/series start the fastest qualifiers at the rear of the field and the slowest qualifiers at the front of the field. So faster cars sometimes deliberately qualify poorly so they have to pass fewer cars (and only slower cars). To counteract sandbagging, tracks and series often invert some of the fastest qualifiers and start slower cars behind them.[3] The number of cars to be inverted are typically not known to the drivers as they qualify.[3] Other tracks give bonus points to the fastest qualifier(s), which can drastically affect end of season awards.
Usually, the sandbagging is used only in shorter races where a pit stop is not used, such as heat races and in feature races of fewer than 100 laps in a United States Auto Club or World of Outlaws event. In most races of 125 laps or greater where a pit stop is required, inversion of fields is impossible because pit strategy negates the need for the inversion.
[edit] Demolition derby
In demolition derby, a driver may hit other cars weakly or avoid contact with other cars to lessen the damage to their cars to ensure better odds of surviving to win the derby as the last car running.[4] Events often require a car to hit another car within a certain time limit or else they get disqualified.[5][4]
[edit] Rallying
In some rallying series such as the World Rally Championship, the starting order in each race leg is determined by the overall standings of the previous leg. Because some track surfaces are faster once a few cars have passed, leading drivers may slow down in the final meters of the last stage of the first (and sometimes second) leg of the race and therefore let others clean the track the next leg.
[edit] References
- ^ "Its NOT Hip to Sandbag:". The Mountain Bike Association of Arizona. September 17, 2008. http://www.mbaa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=22&Itemid=47. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ a b c Hedenberg, John. "The Path to Drag Racing Righteousness". Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords. http://www.musclemustangfastfords.com/tech/0305mm_thepathtodrag/index.html. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ a b Wolf, Jeff (July 16, 1999). "Speedway is 'inverting' to multiply fun for fans". Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/Jul-16-Fri-1999/sports/11566823.html. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ a b Macdonald, Brady (July 21, 2001). "Some Cars’ Road to Ruin Leads to O.C. Fair". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jul/21/local/me-25039. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Demolition Derby Rules & Regulations". Wilkin County, Minnesota Fair. 2008. http://www.breckenridgemn.net/wilkinfair/demo_derby.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
