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How to overtake on the racetrack

With drivers of varying skill levels and cars on the track, there will be times when you need to overtake a slower car or allow a faster car overtake you. At track days and HPDEs, passes should happen in a safe and controlled manner.

When and where to overtake

Tracks have designated passing zones, which for novice run groups are usually the straights. As a beginner, you shouldn't overtake in braking zones or corners where your car is under greater load and harder to control.

At track days/HPDEs, overtaking is a collaborative process where slower cars should proactively signal faster cars to pass. This is not a race and if a car is gaining on you, you should definitely let them overtake at the next passing zone.

When you're being passed, you should let off the throttle and let the other driver by. Depending on the org, you may be asked to move off of the racing line to facilitate the overtake. If this is the case, confirm with the event organizer which side of the racing line to move off to.

If you're not in a passing zone, don’t brake and don’t slow down, especially if there are cars right behind you. You don’t want to brake check the driver behind you or slow down the group in a non-passing zone.

Point by - the overtake signal

A point by is a hand signal you make to tell the driver behind you that they can pass you.

When you do a point by, make sure to extend your arm fully out the window so whoever is behind you can see it clearly, then bring your arm back in.

A point by is only for one driver to overtake. If you need to let two cars by, do two point bys.

On rainy days or days requiring windows up, turn signals can be used as a substitute for point bys. For most events, left turn signal means pass on the left and right turn signal means pass on the right.

Open passing

In more advanced groups, open passing is allowed, meaning drivers can pass without a point by. Even so, you should only pass when it’s safe and giving point bys to faster cars is still good etiquette to observe.