H
HardScrabble
Guest
Much ado about the crashes, mostly Elliott and Jimmy but others as well. But that is a part of draft dependent racing. And lots of it was jsut as bad before the plates. And not the problem which extends further than the plate tracks but now has spread to every track.
Something is wrong in the pits. Cars are going every which way all too often. Too much contact is being made both in and out of the pit boxes and in out of pit road itself. It is not acceptable to continue having crew members scattered along the road like old newspapers. Something will have to address this issue. And soon before teams are going to another funeral.
You could, of course, freeze the field during cautions and not allow any postiional change due to the efficiency (or lack of) pit work. This would not address green flag stops, where we had problems both at Indy and again yesterday, (though yesterday was hardly even mentioned the potential for disaster was there). Nor IMO is this the best way to go. I can't think of any other racing body which has to go to this length from the bullrings to F1, so I see no reason to take this competitive aspect completely out of the equation. It would not contribute to the racing, but take away from it. And there would be a huge inequity in penalizing a team for managing to avoid the need for a stop, and benefitting ateam which needed major adjustment during a stop.
Would lowering pit road speeds even more help? In some ways, but many of the problems occur on entry into or out the pit stall itself when the cars are nowhere near the pit road speed limit as it is now. Neither the deal with Sadler yesterday nor the deal with Gordon a couple weeks ago have been affected at all by a lower speed limit.
No passing on pit road seems not to have helped. And yesterday was the cause of much of the problem on entering pit road under green flag conditions.
So gotta back up and find the cause. Why? Why are we seeing so many problems on pit road now? What has changed? And if the cause can be identified, how can it be nullified?
I have an idea of the cause, and it is the same root cause for the demise of the gentlemens agreement and the need for the caution rule change. The problem is there are so many variables in the pit process to deal with, that one rule may not fix it all. Indeed no rule may be capable of fixing it.
NASCAR may be have to take off the gloves and get real heavy handed and perhaps somewhat arbitrary to deal with it. Some drivers, teams, and fans would be very upset. They would all scream fixing, conspiracy, manfpulating, favoritism and all the other accusations which fly antime NASCAR makes a call. So be it.
You (a driver) do something stupid, reckless, inconsiderate or plain pig headed on pit road which endangers anyone, you sit a lap or two. End of story, no appeal. It does not matter what that driver thinks of his move, they, both veterans and young 'uns. are demonstrating that the capability of making sound judgements has totally bypassed them. If the competitors have become so wrapped in the cocoon of their world that they can't see outside of it.......too dem bad.
Pay attention, or pay the price.
Something is wrong in the pits. Cars are going every which way all too often. Too much contact is being made both in and out of the pit boxes and in out of pit road itself. It is not acceptable to continue having crew members scattered along the road like old newspapers. Something will have to address this issue. And soon before teams are going to another funeral.
You could, of course, freeze the field during cautions and not allow any postiional change due to the efficiency (or lack of) pit work. This would not address green flag stops, where we had problems both at Indy and again yesterday, (though yesterday was hardly even mentioned the potential for disaster was there). Nor IMO is this the best way to go. I can't think of any other racing body which has to go to this length from the bullrings to F1, so I see no reason to take this competitive aspect completely out of the equation. It would not contribute to the racing, but take away from it. And there would be a huge inequity in penalizing a team for managing to avoid the need for a stop, and benefitting ateam which needed major adjustment during a stop.
Would lowering pit road speeds even more help? In some ways, but many of the problems occur on entry into or out the pit stall itself when the cars are nowhere near the pit road speed limit as it is now. Neither the deal with Sadler yesterday nor the deal with Gordon a couple weeks ago have been affected at all by a lower speed limit.
No passing on pit road seems not to have helped. And yesterday was the cause of much of the problem on entering pit road under green flag conditions.
So gotta back up and find the cause. Why? Why are we seeing so many problems on pit road now? What has changed? And if the cause can be identified, how can it be nullified?
I have an idea of the cause, and it is the same root cause for the demise of the gentlemens agreement and the need for the caution rule change. The problem is there are so many variables in the pit process to deal with, that one rule may not fix it all. Indeed no rule may be capable of fixing it.
NASCAR may be have to take off the gloves and get real heavy handed and perhaps somewhat arbitrary to deal with it. Some drivers, teams, and fans would be very upset. They would all scream fixing, conspiracy, manfpulating, favoritism and all the other accusations which fly antime NASCAR makes a call. So be it.
You (a driver) do something stupid, reckless, inconsiderate or plain pig headed on pit road which endangers anyone, you sit a lap or two. End of story, no appeal. It does not matter what that driver thinks of his move, they, both veterans and young 'uns. are demonstrating that the capability of making sound judgements has totally bypassed them. If the competitors have become so wrapped in the cocoon of their world that they can't see outside of it.......too dem bad.
Pay attention, or pay the price.