I have raced with and without mirrors, i really like the mirror so i can give room to someone even if they have only a nose on me, I think they prevent wrecks.  BUT i have seen other drivers that block, and the mirrors cause a wreck.  I think it is more a matter of giving the people around you room.  An aggressive drive will stick there nose were there is no room weather or not there are mirrors, I think the trucks just need to give more and take less.

Fridays race was fun but a little insane! "Yes, good rubbing is great racing" but bent metal ( more than a fender or box side) is not fun.

I raced my first year with a mirror to start and by august dad had ripped it out..i instantly got faster and better....I am all for it...

I may be wrong, but if you are halfway under a guy, that's considered ""in there"".

Unfortunately...and this is a BIG unfortunately, this is not the official view anymore from all I have seen and heard.

Yes, Dougy is right: the old way of doing it, and this dates back to the beginnings of racing, was that if you're up to the door, then its yours. If you were not up to the door, then you backed out or risked either a black flag, or being labelled by your competitors (and the fans) as a dirty driver.

For various reasons, this is no longer the case, and I suspect its the trickle down effect of the upper divisions using spotters, and the other division's races being called by the same criteria...as if they had spotters too. (I hate the idea of spotters for Fri nite racing, but that's another thread.)

Now, to be fair, it can be said that the "up to the door" rule doesn't work so well in the age of full face helmets, hans devices and all that other stuff that limits your peripheral vision. In the old days you could just turn your head and look out the corner of your eye. I don't think its so simple anymore.

One solution that might be worth looking into was surprisingly brought forth by Flamboro. They're not renowned for their officiating, but they had what I thought was a good idea. That was to repaint lanes on the speedway to give drivers (and officials) some sort of reference point, and guys who are continually zigzagging from one lane to the other, particularly in traffic, are dealt with. (this is the idea anyway...I have no idea if its been executed or how well.)

There should be some sort of "code". While I'd never say the officials shouldn't be able to basically run things as they see fit, it IS my opinion that the guys who are hammering the dents out and picking up the pieces every week should damned sure have a say in what the rules are with regards to blocking and such.

You guys are exciting to watch, and most people love the truck guys Because it isn't SS. I may be wrong, but the spins, rubs, and bent metal is why most people like the truck series (from a fan base). That may be just my view on it.

Now I know that the culture of the truck division has always been one of wild-and-wooly racing. They are not crowd pleasers for nothing. However, like so many other divisions that have gone before, they've gotten more expensive than they were ever meant to be, but its still gonzo 3 wide enduro style racing. Maybe there's a happy medium to be found somewhere.

I saw the feature last Friday and it sure was exciting, but as far as being unnecessarily out of hand, I couldn't really hang that on anyone in particular. I know Derek's iffy on whether they'll be able to peice it back together. I have no idea how Showler's truck is looking. And I heard of one truck that's up for sale already. So the night's festivities surely did have an impact on things.

So, do things need to change? The fans definitely got their money's worth for sure, but I guess we'll find out at what cost the next time the trucks hit the track. Hopefully the cost isnt too great.

I'm new around here but the idea that the trucks are race vehicles has come to fruition. They are too expensive to build to beat and bang on as they seem to do. I remember coming to Deleware as a fan some years ago and laughing at the antics as these trucks howled and plowed their way through the corners! Not so much anymore, these things are now very impressive with their display of handling and speed. This of course comes at a big cost and now the drivers (or owners) have to absorb the cost when calamities occur.
Is it me or does allot of entry level division get swept up in the evolution thing?

IMO - leave the mirrors alone. THey've probably stopped more accidents then they've caused. Hard to say really but but this kind of topic always comes up after a race night like last last friday.

The problem is deciding when someone "has the position"

If a driver goes down out of the lane and dives in under, then there should be a black flag if theres contact reguardless of how far in they are. Thats a big problem in turn 1 at Delaware where its possible to use the pit out. Down in turn 3, you'll see the odd puff of dust, just before the mess.

If the lead truck leaves the line open, ie: drives in too deep, too tight in, too loose in , whatever, then its up to that driver to check who might have dove in  under them staying in the lane. You leave the lane, you lose the spot, reguardless of how much the other vehicle is under you.

Its up to the officials to decide the situation that occurred. And inforce it.

I personally hate when drivers going in way above the line feel they have the right to go back down to the line just becase they are leading. Then get pissed when they get spun out. Slow down and keep it on the bottom or be ready for the faster cars to continue on the line they chose to enter in. If you dont leave the trailing car at least one line to drive or pass in, you will get dumped eventually.

Blocking is a whole different animal, and I believe it's been adressed. If you're running down the straight, you can change you lane once. More than that and it can mean a black flag or certainly, Sharpie shaking a flag at you.
None of this precludes using good judgement, leading or following and anticipating what might happen when you force your "right" on the other driver.
You always see the smooth talented drivers picking the ideal times to take those spots and the ideal times not to.