Sandbagging (drag racing)
Encyclopedia
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. 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 they suddenly pass up through the field to win the event.
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.
. 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.
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. The number of cars to be inverted are typically not known to the drivers as they qualify. 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.
To prevent sandbagging in World of Outlaws
sprint car races, the winner and runner-up in each heat race, along with the two fastest qualifiers who have qualified for the feature but are not one of the top two drivers, participate in a short heat race-length race that determines the starting order for the first ten (or twelve if there are five heat races) starting positions in the feature.
, 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. Events often require a car to hit another car within a certain time limit or else they get disqualified.
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.
, players will sometimes sandbag to get powerful items such as the Star or Lightning in order to batter the other racers. Team Race Sandbagging has become infamous with players holding back and getting the Lightning Item, which only affects racers on the opposing team, allowing the user's team to get a clear advantage. In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
, players may sandbag in order to get the powerful All-Star Moves, just to use them on the other players.
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
and short track racing when a racer has a dial-in time
Dial-in time
A dial-in time is a term used in drag racing to claim how fast a racer's car is. Dial-in times function to determine which cars race against each other. If one car's dial-in time is significantly slower than another's, the slower car is given a handicap...
/ 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 they suddenly pass up through the field to win the event.
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.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. 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. Sandbagging faces much criticism, as many argue that it is essentially cheating. Television shows such as PinksPinks
Pinks is a franchise series of television programs on Speed Channel based on illegal street racing, held at legal closed drag strips with a theme around drag racing. The original aired from 2005 to 2008, with the spinoff Pinks: All Out following in 2006...
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.
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 raceE.T. bracket race
Bracket racing is a form of drag racing that allows for a handicap between predicted elapsed time of the two cars over a standard distance, usually 1/4 mile or 1/8 mile .-Goal:...
. 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.
Short track racing
The term is frequently used in for deliberately qualifying poorly at short track racing events. Some tracks/series startRolling start
A rolling start is one of two modes of initiating or restarting an auto race; the other mode is the standing start. In a rolling start, the cars are ordered on the track and are led on a certain number of laps at a pre-determined safe speed by the safety car or pace car...
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. The number of cars to be inverted are typically not known to the drivers as they qualify. 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
World of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
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.
To prevent sandbagging in World of Outlaws
World of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
sprint car races, the winner and runner-up in each heat race, along with the two fastest qualifiers who have qualified for the feature but are not one of the top two drivers, participate in a short heat race-length race that determines the starting order for the first ten (or twelve if there are five heat races) starting positions in the feature.
Demolition derby
In demolition derbyDemolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
, 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. Events often require a car to hit another car within a certain time limit or else they get disqualified.
Rallying
In some rallyingRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
series such as the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
, 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.
BMX Racing
USA: In BMX Racing, there are typically three levels of proficiency for amateur riders (ABA: Novice, Intermediate, Expert; NBL: Rookie, Novice, Expert). Generally, a racer is considered to be sandbagging when s/he deliberately avoids winning races, thus avoiding so-called "move up points" (which require a rider to race the next highest proficiency after a given number of races won). Sandbagging in BMX Racing is often practiced to ensure the rider stays at a lower proficiency long enough to compete in the NBL or ABA Grand National (held each year in September and November, respectively). This race is traditionally when year-end titles and awards are decided. Deliberate sandbagging is difficult to prove and, though track personnel have the authority to report such activity to their respective sanctioning body, disciplinary action or involuntary reclassification is seemingly quite rare. Sandbagging is a hotly-debated issue in the BMX Racing community, and is such taboo that "call out threads" are sometimes started on message boards to publicly alert others in the community of a specific rider(s) conduct.Video Games
Sandbagging is also prevalent in some racing games, particularly those that feature power-ups that either aid the user or hinder the opponent. In the video game Mario Kart WiiMario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
, players will sometimes sandbag to get powerful items such as the Star or Lightning in order to batter the other racers. Team Race Sandbagging has become infamous with players holding back and getting the Lightning Item, which only affects racers on the opposing team, allowing the user's team to get a clear advantage. In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is a racing game in the Sega Superstars series produced for Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS and Microsoft Windows, featuring characters from many Sega franchises. It is being published by Sega and developed by Sumo Digital...
, players may sandbag in order to get the powerful All-Star Moves, just to use them on the other players.