Racing ethics, should you compete in your own races?

If you're speaking from a place of wanting to be above reproach, it is easiest if you don't enter your own races and just provide a venue for others.  Focusing on making a good event will make it a positive experience for those involved.  However, since this is a sport that heavily relies on the honor system all around, so long as you enforce the rules on everyone fairly (including yourself), then it shouldn't be a problem to run your own cars, too.  In this instance, however, it may appear that you brought your track for the sole purpose of taking ownership of other people's cars, and that might not be great for public goodwill, since this seems to be a promotional event.

From a personal standpoint, I do not compete in anything I'm hosting.  I try to avoid even the passing appearance of conflict of interest.

In a pink slip race, I wouldn't compete myself, but for normal racing yes - as long as (like GenX said the same rules apply evenly to all competitors) it is kept fair.

I have however seen a guy in NZ running races where people pay $3 to pick a stock car from his selection and if they lose against his stock car, the car goes back in the pile for someone else to choose, but if they win they keep their car. he uses it as a way of raising money for charity and I thought that was cool. It was just a simple drag race so was pretty easy to judge - using the finish gate - so there wasn't any issues

I would agree with others...avoid entering on your own track. There are times when that is okay but a pink slips race (and a live race) might not be the best. Use it mostly as a time to focus on putting on a good, entertaining show, and for brand awareness of your channel/club/site (and the store). 

However, an idea for you could be to have a separate race where the store customers have to beat your car to win! This gives you a chance to do some racing & show your expterise, but it's also clear that you have the advantage and thus a win over you would be all the more prestigeous to the challenger.

Or better yet, have the store owner enter a car and if the customers beat his car, they get a coupon for their purchase that day - or they get their car for free, or something like that. I know the store is already involved by allowing you to race there, but something that includes them more will be fun for visitors and great PR for them.

Is this the one at Colorado Diecast?  If so, I entered it!  So if you race, please don't enter a faster stock car than mine!  ha! lol!  

This is a good question. I've never much enjoyed running cars in my own race as much as I have in someone else's. Doesn't feel great to win your race but if you're not trying to win then why bother? I think it depends on what there is to win. I would never enter my own race for pinks or any real prize or money

Play it safe - don't run your own cars on your own track during a tournament.  If you want to do an exhibition run afterwards against the best of the best, then do that.

Now, if it's a race where it's all your own cars and you are running a "driver call" race - people calling in to drive one of your cars - then that becomes a whole different story.

I don't enter as such, but during my videos, I may comment during it who was my pick or picks, just so viewers can see if I agreed with them or not.

I'm usually wrong!

Kev

Depends on the format but generally speaking I wouldn't.

Rip and Roll - sure; you're all there and bought a car or two so there shouldn't be any impropriety at all. Benefit is it supports the venue too. Now if this is somewhere that doesn't sell die cast cars, it becomes a bit of a slippery slope in that someone could open a blister and reattach it after they farmed the best casting possible or doing other sneaky mods. But really, this shouldn't happen and I'm just mentioning it to be complete.

Races where there are uneven amounts of racers go ahead. This at least provides some fun for those with a bye race. You can race a car against them so even though it is a bye and they'll get the win no matter what, you still have a fun exhibition race.

It is possible you have a distinct advantage because you can test a car on your track and make it tailor made to race there. Whether you do or not isn't the issue, it's the optics or the ability to do it. So any mail in / custom / modded race you host you should only participate in an exhibition capacity. Even if it is a rip and roll (people send you in a car still in its blister) it is best to stay out of it since others took the time to find a car, send it to you, and watch some races free of any possible unscrupulous behavior. People may differ in opinion but it is best to err on the side of caution.

I should think it's fine if you're entering unopened cars as well. We run a Rip n' Race every month at the Lincoln Johnny Lightning Race Club and anyone is welcome. The key is to make it regular blue card $1 cars but only from 2017 and newer. This keeps it fair so older blue card known fast cars can't dominate. You'd be surprised at what some of the winning cars were. 

Thanks for all the replies guys.  It's a Rip and Roll race.  Since it's not a race I can tweak my car to win.  I think I will buy a car at the store the day of the race, after discussing it with the owners. 

Bump...a good topic for discussion still.

I think when it comes to racing in your own tournaments I feel like it's best to not enter your own tournaments if your having people send in their own entries.I will say that if you are going to have your own mod enter your own tournament it should act not as like a competitor but more of a measuring stick to give an idea of what is to be expected.For example back when king of the mountain first started back in 2018 3d was one of the first competitors in his own modded stock car which gave an idea of what is to be expected going forward from kotm