QUALIFY JUDGING RULES
-Each driver has 100 points at the start of the qualify lap.
-The points decrease according to the more mistakes the jury sees during the qualify run.
-If the competitors' points are equal the winner is primarily determined by style. If the style points are equal the winner is determined by entry speed.
JUDGING CRITERIA IN QUALIFYING
[J1] CLIP BOXES & TRACK AREAS
Clip box areas and crossings of the track area.
-10 points: both tyres past the clip box area
-6 points: one tyre past the clip box area
-5 points: one tyre out of the track area
-11 points: two tyres out of the track area
-100 points (incomplete run): three tyres over the track area
Note the NO-GO Zone rule
[J2] CHANGES IN SPEED AND ANGLE
An additional change in speed or angle. Estimate the size of the error seen.
-1 point: tiny
-2 points: small
-3 points: big
-4 points: huge
-100 points (incomplete run): straightening or a significant speed/angle change that cannot be followed in a tandem battle
[J3] ENTRY & STYLE
Assessment of the approach style of the entry and the overall look of the run.
ENTRY: -7 points: The approach style of the entry is not as required (showed always in the drivers meeting youtube video)
STYLE: max -20 points: Style of the run
The amount of style reduction is divided into 2 parts of the track profile. 1st half max -10 points and 2nd half max -10 points.
-100 points (incomplete run): the lap was not evaluated until the end.
The style score is affected by the mistakes made and the overall style of the driving (aggressiveness and self-confidence). The style is always compared to the most convincing performer of the day during the practice runs. The driving line must be good (according to the clip box areas) in order to aim for a high overall style score. Style is not affected by how well you collect the clip box areas.
NO POINT REDUCTIONS
-No unnecessary changes in speed and angle during run
-Two tires from the front of the clip box area in and from the back end out so that the front or rear tires are completely inside the clip box area
-Entry with full acceleration, aggressively and confidently in one angle as determined by the jury
-Aggressive, safe and impressive driving (raising the gas and holding the brake does not hurt if it is smoothly controlled)
INCOMPLETE RUN
-The car straightens clearly during the run
-The speed drops due to drifting out off track, collision, over-angle or other driving error, which requires significant corrective actions from the chase driver (if it was a tandem battle situation)
-Extra or unnecessary change of side in the middle of the run
- Ending the run is not controlled after the finish line (spins, drives off the track or comes straight across the finish line)
- Three (3) tyres outside the track line or tyres goes grass or sand
-If the score goes to the minus side, it is equal to 0 points
An example picture of the No-Go Zone area.
The No-Go Zone area is an area drawn on the track that is painted with cross lines and similarly reflects the area where the tyres must not go, such as outside the track line, on grass or sand. This only applies to the solo/lead driver. The chase driver can use this area to his advantage.
An example picture of the DECELERATE ZONE.
Between the red lines lead/soolo driver can be off throttle. Remember, only throttle. Every speed or angle correction by steering or braking heavyly is not allowed.
TANDEM BATTLE JUDGING CRITERIA
WAS ENTRYS APPROACH STYLE AS REQUIRED
If the lead enters the entry as required, the chase driver must stay within the distance of the one car lenght in order to gain the advantage when entering the entry as required by the entry criteria.
HOW WELL THE CLIP BOX AREAS WERE TAKEN
If the lead collects all the clip box areas with both tyres then the chase driver must collect all the clip box areas like in picture 3 in the manner of example 1 or 2 to achieve an advantage.
AMOUNT OF SPEED AND ANGLE CHANGES AND TRACK AREA EXCEEDINGS
If the lead performs flawlessly the chase driver must be able to perform flawlessly behind, to gain the advantage.
OVERALL DISTANCE BETWEEN CARS DURING THE ENTIRE RUN
If the lead drives a flawless performance, collects all the clip box areas with both tyres, with a good overall style, then chase must stay within one car distance during the entire run, with a flawless driving and a good overall style, in order to gain the advantage.
WHAT THE STYLE LOOKED LIKE AS A WHOLE
If the leads overall style was good, chases driving must be similar to gain an advantage.
The jury evaluates the distance between the cars and the achievement of the advantage according to Picture 1, Picture 2 and Picture 3 below:
Picture 1. If half of the run the distance between cars is less than one car lenght (excellent) and the other half of the run distance between cars is slightly more than one car lenght (too long distance), then the overall run is still comparable to one car lenght, which case chase gains an advantage.
The more mistakes the lead car makes, the further away the chase car is allowed to stay. But if the lead makes a clean run the chase must stay within the distance of the one car lenght during the entire run in order to gain an advantage.
If the distance between the cars increases beyond the length of the one car (too long a distance), the jury don't want to see chase to collect more clipbox areas. Jury wants the chase to catch the distance of one car length and then concentrate on copying the lead car as well as possible.
Picture 2. The purpose is to illustrate the sufficient distance of one car lenght at different drift angles. The criteria for the one car lenght is about 2 meters in different drift angles.
Picture 3.
-Example 1: If the lead takes the clip-box area with both tyres and chase stays below the distance of the one car's length on the side taking the clip-box area with one tyre, this gives the chase car an advantage.
-Example 2: If chase stays within the distance of the one car on the same driving line by taking the clip box area with both tires like the lead, this is an advantage for the chase driver.
-Example 3: If the lead takes the clip box with both tyres and chase takes clip box with only one tyre, over distance of one car lenght or more, this gives the lead an advantage.
The lead always gains an advantage for itself, if chase is unable to copy the lead driver from a (sufficient distance), assuming of course that the lead is always completely successful in its own run.
The advantage is emphasized in example pictures 1 and 3 in the same way if the distance between the cars is maintained like in the picture, even if the lead takes the clip box area with one tyre and chase does not take the clip box area at all.
DRIVING HINTS
Chase can potentially emphasize his advantage in situations where the lead does not take the clip box area at all, and where chase takes it at the risk of the distance growing too large. This can lead to chase to lose the advantage completely or it even turns against the chase. Taking clip box has to happen from a distance of a one car length, where chase can only emphasize his advantage over lead to the jury more if he wants to. You have to remember that if the lead drives past the clip box area and chase stays within the distance of the one car lenght, the advantage has already been achieved for the chase at that point.
You can think about getting an advantage per clip box area. The track always has an entry and about six (6) clip box areas. If you take an advantage as a chase driver in the entry and for all clip box areas, you will most likely achieve an advantage for yourself if the number of driving mistakes and style is similar compared to the lead driver.
In the tandem battles errors are not given zero but we always compare which one had the bigger errors as a whole. So a competitor should never leave his run unfinished and give up no matter what happens. The jury never thinks after the first half of the race whether the run was equal between the competitors. Jury always looks for an advantage for one of the two drivers. If the advantages turn against each other after the two (2) runs and the judge does not know how to choose a better driver for the advance, it can vote for the OMR round. The jury compares the runs with these criteria and according to its own view/interpretation votes for the one who has performed better overall. These criteria also apply to judging the OMR round.
As long as people are judges, they see situations differently despite simple criteria, meaning that sometimes a person can just see situations wrongly. In the SLADI Masters drifting series, it can be seen because we can refer to the criteria. For this reason, every judge has Privacy protection, both in the qualify and in the tandem battles, who calculated or gave the points and who voted for who's advances. A judging error can always be verified afterwards, but never targeted at anyone publicly. All judges are properly trained and do their best to ensure that the judging is as error-free as possible and fair to the competitors.