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.
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.
[2] Television shows such as Pinks and bracket racing rules discourage sandbagging by creating automatic disqualification for breakouts.
To counteract sandbagging, tracks and series often invert some of the fastest qualifiers and start slower cars behind them.
[3] Other tracks give bonus points to the fastest qualifier(s), which can drastically affect end of season awards.
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).
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 also prevalent in some racing games, particularly those that feature power-ups that either aid the user or hinder the opponent.
So a driver may claim to be at the sportsman level when in fact they are easily fast enough to be competitive in intermediate, but they know they will have a much easier time winning if they compete in the lower class.
Sandbagging is frowned upon by track owners and fellow competitors since it is clearly not a fair way to compete, so some race directors will bump someone up or ask them to move up if they feel they are in the wrong class.