Redefining Clean Racing: How to Be Ruthless Without Compromising Ethics

Staying True to Yourself While Winning

Welcome to another edition of Terence Dove on Racing Drivers. This week, we're tackling a contentious issue that every kart racer faces at some point: Should you abandon your clean driving ethic to match what everyone else at the front is doing? (The audio isn’t a read through btw, there’s more thoughts and additions always)

It looks like he got sent! Photo StuStretton

Most drivers reading this want to be clean racers. But when you're surrounded by aggressive tactics and revenge moves, it's tempting to think, "If you can't beat them, join them." Here’s how I think you can win without turning to the dark side.

Why Sticking to Your Principles Makes You a Stronger Racer

My fundamental principle is this: If you can't keep your personal ethics and drive by them, what's the point of racing in the first place?

If you have an ethic of not being a dirty driver, and you're forced to compromise that fully by firing people off because those are the rules of the jungle, you've lost part of yourself that was your motivation for driving in the first place. This has long-term effects on your motivation and why you race, because racing is about winning your way.

When it comes to making sacrifices or working extra hard, if you've already compromised yourself, it makes motivating yourself to do the difficult stuff so much harder.

So our challenge is this: How do we keep our principles while still beating those who don't have those principles and are taking advantage of us?

Racing to your principles is a tremendous motivator, and can give you an extra bit of courage at critical points in your racing. That’s why rousing speeches by the likes of Churchill, Alexander the Great and Elizabeth I are always based on principles. Principles and standards are what gets us fired up!

When Personal Standards Surpass the Rulebook: A Real-World Example

Your own standards should transcend the written rules. You shouldn't have to depend on the rules to drive in a fair manner. Let me paint you a picture of a driver who lived by his own code, far beyond what any rulebook demanded.

It was at a KartMasters event a few years back - a massive, winner-takes-all race that draws top drivers from all over. This particular driver in X30 seniors was a former factory pilot, possibly even a world champion (definitely that standard at least!).

In one of the earlier races - might've been a heat or a prefinal - he made a move that didn't sit right with him. Now, I saw it, and it wasn't that bad. Wouldn't have caught the stewards' eyes. But it didn't meet his personal standard.

So what did he do? He gave the position back. Just like that. This wasn't some newbie looking to make friends. This was a seasoned, aggressive, front-running driver choosing to police himself by a higher standard than the rules demanded.

Fast forward to the final - where it gets really interesting…

Winner takes all, remember. Our ethical driver is running third, with the leader a bit up the road. Now, you'd expect the guy in second to be thinking, "Right, let's chase down the leader." After all, in a winner-takes-all race, second place is just first loser.

But no. On the last lap - or maybe the second to last - the driver in second starts defending his position!

Madness, right? Our ethical driver clearly thought so. You could see the disbelief radiating off him. "What on earth are you playing at?" his body language screamed.

And then... he snapped. All that built-up fairness, all those high standards, they crystallized into a moment of pure racing fury. He went for a move that was never going to work. A suicide dive. Flat out, taking them both out (I believe deliberately).

Our honourable driver ended up on his head, a stark illustration of how far this driver was willing to go to uphold what he saw as proper racing ethics. It was a jarring contrast to his earlier display of sportsmanship.

When Honour Demanded a Crash: Ethical Racing Taken to the Extreme

This driver's actions paint a vivid picture of racing by one's own code of honour.

In the heat, he demonstrated a standard of fairness that went beyond what any rulebook or steward would demand. He sacrificed his own position to right what he perceived as a wrong, even when no one else would have batted an eye.

But in the final, we saw the flip side of that same code. To him, defending second place in a winner-takes-all race was such an egregious violation of racing spirit that it warranted an extreme response. In his mind, he wasn't just fighting for position anymore - he was upholding the very essence of what racing should be.

This driver had established his own sense of nobility earlier in the day. Now, faced with what he saw as a mockery of true racing, he was willing to risk everything - his kart, his safety, the race itself - to make a point. It wasn't about the result anymore; it was about honour.

What we're seeing here is a racer who's internalized his ethics to such a degree that they override everything else - rules, safety, even common sense. It's an extreme example, but it illustrates a crucial point: Your personal code as a racer isn't just about following rules or being "clean". It's about having a deep, unwavering sense of what's right and wrong on the track, and being willing to stand by those principles no matter the cost.

**Now, I'm not suggesting we all go out and punt drivers who defend second place!**.

But this example shows us the power of having your own strong ethical framework in racing. It can guide you to make selfless decisions, like giving back a position you didn't earn fairly. And it can also give you the conviction to take a stand when you feel the spirit of racing is being violated.

The question for you, then, is this:

• What's your personal code?

• What lines won't you cross, even if crossing them might give you an advantage?

• And just as importantly, what principles are you willing to fight for, even if it costs you?

How to Be Ruthless Yet Clean: Redefining Fair Play on the Track