Looking back at Watkins Glen

D

Digger

Guest
Allen Bestwick of MSNBC.com writes:
Rule In Need of Review: At Watkins Glen in August, Kurt Busch is leading the race and nearing his pit window. His team spots a potential caution and calls Busch to pit road. Mere feet before he hits the pit “in” scoring line, and way too late to not go down pit road, NASCAR throws the caution and closes pit road.

Because of those few feet, Busch is penalized and drops to 40th. He eventually gets caught up in a wreck and loses any chance to win.

If the pit road closed is going to be that inflexible, then the place on the track where those lines are needs to be changed to give a driver a chance to go back on the track.

No one was at fault, Busch or NASCAR, but at this particular track something needs to be adjusted so that doesn’t happen again.​

I disagree with this because I think Kurt knew what he was doing. They knew after that wreck there would be a caution and chose to roll the dice. Sometimes, when you make gambles like this - you win. Ask John Andretti. Sometime, though, you lose.

Roy and Kurt knew the risk in making this move. I thought it was a racing deal - they gambled on pit strategy (while not a short-pit thing, they still gambled) and they lose. That's part of racing.
 
The way I understand that rule is: If he had simply kept driving and went through the pits and did not stop there would have been no penalty!
So as I intrepret the rule it is up to the driver and crew to establish just zackly WHERE the car is when the red comes out on pit lane..
Betsy:rolleyes:
 
Betsy said:
The way I understand that rule is: If he had simply kept driving and went through the pits and did not stop there would have been no penalty!
So as I intrepret the rule it is up to the driver and crew to establish just zackly WHERE the car is when the red comes out on pit lane..
Betsy:rolleyes:
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That's the big factor I think - Kurt pitted.

Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch both took the chance of pitting right as a caution came out. They both knew the risk. Harvick won and Kurt lost.

They each took the same risk.
 
I like the rule as is. As you say, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sounds more like sour grapes, even though it is AB saying it. Maybe KB bribed AB to write the column. :)
 
buckaroo said:
I like the rule as is. As you say, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sounds more like sour grapes, even though it is AB saying it. Maybe KB bribed AB to write the column. :)
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The can simply put another set of lights farther down.
 
Betsy said:
The way I understand that rule is: If he had simply kept driving and went through the pits and did not stop there would have been no penalty!
So as I intrepret the rule it is up to the driver and crew to establish just zackly WHERE the car is when the red comes out on pit lane..
Betsy:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

What was the penality again, The longest line? I can't zactly remember.
And what position do you think he would have been in if he went through at 35mph......probably the same.
 
Bucky Badger said:
What was the penality again, The longest line? I can't zactly remember.
And what position do you think he would have been in if he went through at 35mph......probably the same.
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same rule as the one that allows a driver to use pit lane to avoid an accident. The driver is given their spot back (regardless of gain/loss) before pit road is re-opened.
 
Magnethead said:
same rule as the one that allows a driver to use pit lane to avoid an accident. The driver is given their spot back (regardless of gain/loss) before pit road is re-opened.
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Believe so. He PITTED. It's not that he committed.
 
I agree up and down with everyone's comments, except we're not taking into consideration this was a road course.

Remember at Watkins Glen you can get off the track, you can spin out, even with another car involved, and the place is so big, and takes so long to get around - as long as you get back on track, there may not be a caution. That's road racing. What NASCAR did here was apply it's oval racing rules to a place where they really aren't needed. Not to mention NASCAR's not exactly consistent when it comes to road courses. With only two a year in their line-up they need to implement F1 race style rules, or go full tilt with their oval rules, not this crossbreed of the two.

I'm no Kurt Busch fan, at all, but if they're going to have road courses, make up your mind as to what set of rules to use.

- k y l e
 
I'll have to agree with Bestwick. The rule needs to be looked at. Maybe the line or lights need to be moved. Kurt pitted because he thought he had beat the light. No NASCAR official told them differently until after they had finished pitting.
But, it will take someone like Lil'E getting caught before anything is done.
 
barelypure said:
I'll have to agree with Bestwick. The rule needs to be looked at. Maybe the line or lights need to be moved. Kurt pitted because he thought he had beat the light. No NASCAR official told them differently until after they had finished pitting.
But, it will take someone like Lil'E getting caught before anything is done.
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They knew the risk. It's not like they comitted before a car even spun. They heard a car had wrecked and decided to roll the dice on beating the caution.

If Dale Jr. did the same thing and NASCAR justified it (and I believe they would), I'd be just as passioniate.

Harvick's team tried the same move and they beat the caution. It's party of racing.

I'm so sick of everytime something happens that a commentator doesn't agree with, a new rule is implimented.
 
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