A hot topic lately has been driver behavior and respect for others, with many observers feeling things are trending downwards.
That’s debatable, as we’ve seen a steady stream of aggressive drivers since the 1950s, many of who were consistent winners and heroes to the fans. But we would agree that way too many short trackers think of themselves as the second coming of Dale Earnhardt or other NASCAR stars they’ve seen turn someone sideways to get the win.
To that end, we asked a number of successful regional driving stars what “unwritten rules” competitors should follow.
“Go straight down the straightaway,” said Kenny Tremont, Jr. “Some guys are like a windshield wiper. And be conscious that someone has gotten alongside you. If you turn right, remember that next time you could be the guy who gets blasted.
“If it doesn’t bother you to get wrecked a lot, change lanes whenever you want. If it does, make sure there’s room. When you win, you’ll feel a whole lot better about it.
“The last lap should be like all the others, but it isn’t. Everybody is more aggressive, but that means driving in harder and maybe leaning on somebody a little. It doesn’t mean getting on the back corner and turning them around.”
Brett Hearn had similar thoughts on the issue.
“The biggest thing is no quick changes on the straightaway,” Hearn said. “Don’t walk the outside guy into the wall and don’t saw the inside guy off. If you know a guy is there, give him a lane. And when you get the lapped flag, don’t go halfway down the straight and jump off the inside just when the leader is flying by on the outside.
“I hate it when you clearly pass a guy and a lap and a half later, when there’s a yellow, he tries to take the spot back. As for the last lap, I might borrow a little real estate, but you don’t turn a guy sideways. NASCAR lets guys get away with last-lap blasts, but here you usually get put back, which stops most of that. But you’re being judged by a guy in the tower who’s never been on a race track, so you can’t always count on a correct ruling.”
Mike Perrotte, who doubles as a promoter and race director when he’s not driving, has one rule: “If a guy’s got you, you have to let him go. It’s hard when you’re struggling or battling for a win, but if he’s up where you can see him, it’s his lane.”
“Young guys should respect the veterans on the track,” offered Jeff Trombley. “They have to earn everyone’s respect. Don’t get in over your head and take out a veteran who would never do that to you.”
Billy Decker also mentioned respect, which seems to be the thread stringing all the comments together.
“If you’re not going good, get out of the way. Show some respect. You’re going to need those other guys for information some time, so treat them right,” Decker said. “A lot of guys need to realize that they’re not in NASCAR. There’s a lot of pressure on those Cup guys, because they’ve only got a short time to get results. That makes them more aggressive than they should be. At the short- track level, everybody’s spending their own money and if you wreck a few cars, it hurts. You’ve got to keep the wheels on.”
Frank Cozze is in the process of teaching his son, Frank, Jr., to race.
“I always tell my kid that when you get to someone, don’t let them know you’re there. Get them in traffic  because once most of these guys know you’re there, they’ll run you all over the track,” Cozze said. “That’s not how racing should be, but with most guys, that’s the way it is.
“I don’t like wrecking anybody. I race a kid I don’t know the same way I race Billy Decker and Pat Ward. But if they take you out, then they’ve got a problem and they need to know that.
“When we get down to two to go, this is the way I’d like to be raced. Do what you’ve got to do without wrecking. You can lean on a guy, but you don’t turn him around. Like I said, I don’t like wrecking anybody.”
Few drivers have more experience than Jack Johnson. When asked for his rules, he initially said there’s only one: “Guys need to learn how to walk before they run.” But with some prodding, he went further.
“Guys should quit watching TV. That’s not real. It just doesn’t apply to weekly short- track racing.”
The drivers who need this advice the most will probably ignore it, thinking it applies to others, not them. They’ll also miss going to victory lane as often as our advisors have. For them, missing things is a constant.