OK a couple of Rookie questions from the UK.........

[Devizesd]

OK the answers to these questions may be a bit 101 to most on here but as a relative newbie the answers are not leaping to my mind.....but if I am being dumb I apologise

The main one I have from last night that wasn't explained in the broadcast was

At the pit-stops on the debris caution at lap about 130 how did Tony Stewart make up 12 places during these stops? It was only briefly mentioned - Tony Stewart didn't take tires, just fuel, so he made up places, but nearly everybody seemed to just take fuel in that stop so how did he make up the places. I know there were some cars that did take a couple of tires but going by the graphic on the screen nowhere near enough to explain the leap in his placing.

And the other one is about the debris cautions generally - why is the race stopped for so long? As I understand it the track is constantly scrutinized for debris and and when some is seen the caution is thrown. So why when they know the rest of the track is clear don't they just have a caution that lasts a few seconds to make it safe for somebody to pick the bit of hose or whatever it was up and then go straight back to racing? Does a caution have to last a certain amount of time?

 

[Charlie Spencer]

You're not alone wondering how Tony made up that many spots when he wasn't the only one who got only gas and no tires. Maybe riding around in the back allowed him to use less gas than the cars running in the pack, so he had more gas left and needed less than the others? That's purely speculation on my part, just a theory. Hopefully someone else will respond.

Cautions always take too long. There is no minimum amount of time, but NASCAR does include laps for the cars to make pit stops. Usually there's one or two laps after the caution is displayed to allow the field to get sorted out and bunched up behind the pace car. Then there's one lap for the cars on the lead lap to make pit stops, and a second lap for cars not on the lead lap to stop. Then there's at least one more lap getting the cars formed back up before going green. That usually results in a caution running for at least five laps, regardless of track size.

One solution would be to not include laps for pit stops in the caution period. I don't see that happening, but I'd love to see it at least tried.

 

[Johali]

At the pit-stops on the debris caution at lap about 130 how did Tony Stewart make up 12 places during these stops?

I had Tony on raceview after my guy was in the first big one. He was riding back behind the pack saving fuel. It was the plan from the beginning if they got a caution at the right time and they did.

Cautions always take too long. There is no minimum amount of time, but NASCAR does include laps for the cars to make pit stops. Usually there's one or two laps after the caution is displayed to allow the field to get sorted out and bunched up behind the pace car. Then there's one lap for the cars on the lead lap to make pit stops, and a second lap for cars not on the lead lap to stop. Then there's at least one more lap getting the cars formed back up before going green. That usually results in a caution running for at least five laps, regardless of track size.

Yep.

 

[Zeck]

Every caution needs a few laps for everyone to pit and it's a big 2.5 mile oval so I guess cautions will be longer than most?

 

[lisa]

Hey there. I just wanted to welcome you to Nascar and this board.

 

[LewTheShoe]

A matter of Nascar policy that a caution will always include laps to permit pit stops... a questionable policy but that is the just the way of Nascar. Separate laps for cars on the lead lap and cars a lap down tp pit is to reduce pit road congestion. Nascar does sometimes declare a "quick caution" which allows all cars to pit at the same time. They do this when few are expected to enter the pits.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Every caution needs a few laps for everyone to pit and it's a big 2.5 mile oval so I guess cautions will be longer than most?

'Longer' in terms of time or number of laps?

 

[RacerrecaR]

Whatever happened to quickie yellows? I remember up until about 10 years ago, whenever there was a debris caution NASCAR would throw a quickie yellow where all cars would pit right away and the race would go green within 2 laps after they pit. Is it because double-file restarts make that more difficult?

 

[Team Penske]

You're not alone wondering how Tony made up that many spots when he wasn't the only one who got only gas and no tires. Maybe riding around in the back allowed him to use less gas than the cars running in the pack, so he had more gas left and needed less than the others? That's purely speculation on my part, just a theory. Hopefully someone else will respond.

Cautions always take too long. There is no minimum amount of time, but NASCAR does include laps for the cars to make pit stops. Usually there's one or two laps after the caution is displayed to allow the field to get sorted out and bunched up behind the pace car. Then there's one lap for the cars on the lead lap to make pit stops, and a second lap for cars not on the lead lap to stop. Then there's at least one more lap getting the cars formed back up before going green. That usually results in a caution running for at least five laps, regardless of track size.

One solution would be to not include laps for pit stops in the caution period. I don't see that happening, but I'd love to see it at least tried.

I have been hoping they would cancel all pit stops under caution. For a debris caution, slow the field and go green. Anyone pitting when pits are closed gets held one lap. All pit stops should be under green flag ONLY.

 

[Marcingak]

Whatever happened to quickie yellows? I remember up until about 10 years ago, whenever there was a debris caution NASCAR would throw a quickie yellow where all cars would pit right away and the race would go green within 2 laps after they pit. Is it because double-file restarts make that more difficult?

Probably. It takes longer for the field to get sorted because they don't line up in a straight line anymore.

 

[Devizesd]

Thank you folks for the replies, I did wonder with the Tony Stewart thing that he had just taken less fuel and as for the cautions I am much clearer now but not a 100% convinced that NASCAR are doing the best way.

Anyway the night races are a cracking excuse to sit up all night and drink beer around here

 

[ted@economy]

Welcome to the forum devizesd what part of the UK ? Glad to have you onboard , (you can exit without incident) . When the caution flag comes out , watch for the pace car to find a chance to pull out onto the track in front of the leader ; then make a full lap to collect the field in an orderly fashion behind him ; if there is any impediment on pit road ( debris or a racecar in trouble), the field will circle till pit road is clear ; a green flag will be displayed at pit road entrance and the lead lap cars can pit ; Next time by , everyone else can pit ; one more lap to assemble the field for an orderly restart and you get green flag . Pretty hard to make it any quicker as the first concern is safety of the track workers and pit crews.

 

[Devizesd]

Welcome to the forum devizesd what part of the UK ? Glad to have you onboard , (you can exit without incident) . When the caution flag comes out , watch for the pace car to find a chance to pull out onto the track in front of the leader ; then make a full lap to collect the field in an orderly fashion behind him ; if there is any impediment on pit road ( debris or a racecar in trouble), the field will circle till pit road is clear ; a green flag will be displayed at pit road entrance and the lead lap cars can pit ; Next time by , everyone else can pit ; one more lap to assemble the field for an orderly restart and you get green flag . Pretty hard to make it any quicker as the first concern is safety of the track workers and pit crews.

I live on the Isle of Wight in Ventnor on the south side of the island - next land after me is France.

However I am a Scot and was born and raised just outside Glasgow, I did live for a while in Devizes in Wiltshire hence the forum handle.

 

[Team Penske]

I live on the Isle of Wight in Ventnor on the south side of the island - next land after me is France.

However I am a Scot and was born and raised just outside Glasgow, I did live for a while in Devizes in Wiltshire hence the forum handle.

My Scottish ancestor is the "WATT" of northern Ireland mixed with a bit of Wales to calm the temper.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

OK the answers to these questions may be a bit 101 to most on here but as a relative newbie the answers are not leaping to my mind.....but if I am being dumb I apologise

The main one I have from last night that wasn't explained in the broadcast was

At the pit-stops on the debris caution at lap about 130 how did Tony Stewart make up 12 places during these stops? It was only briefly mentioned - Tony Stewart didn't take tires, just fuel, so he made up places, but nearly everybody seemed to just take fuel in that stop so how did he make up the places. I know there were some cars that did take a couple of tires but going by the graphic on the screen nowhere near enough to explain the leap in his placing.

And the other one is about the debris cautions generally - why is the race stopped for so long? As I understand it the track is constantly scrutinized for debris and and when some is seen the caution is thrown. So why when they know the rest of the track is clear don't they just have a caution that lasts a few seconds to make it safe for somebody to pick the bit of hose or whatever it was up and then go straight back to racing? Does a caution have to last a certain amount of time?

 

[Skoalbandit33]

OK the answers to these questions may be a bit 101 to most on here but as a relative newbie the answers are not leaping to my mind.....but if I am being dumb I apologise

The main one I have from last night that wasn't explained in the broadcast was

At the pit-stops on the debris caution at lap about 130 how did Tony Stewart make up 12 places during these stops? It was only briefly mentioned - Tony Stewart didn't take tires, just fuel, so he made up places, but nearly everybody seemed to just take fuel in that stop so how did he make up the places. I know there were some cars that did take a couple of tires but going by the graphic on the screen nowhere near enough to explain the leap in his placing.

And the other one is about the debris cautions generally - why is the race stopped for so long? As I understand it the track is constantly scrutinized for debris and and when some is seen the caution is thrown. So why when they know the rest of the track is clear don't they just have a caution that lasts a few seconds to make it safe for somebody to pick the bit of hose or whatever it was up and then go straight back to racing? Does a caution have to last a certain amount of time?

Welcome aboard and there is no such thing as a dumb question. The Isle of Wight is one place that I won't get to visit but surely a place I know I would enjoy. If I could go back in time to the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 I would be in heaven.

As far as Nascar caution periods go I also agree that most of them last too long and it would improve things if they were much shorter. Caution periods can be confusing as what constitutes a caution one day may not the next. Sometimes there is no debris on the track and it causes a debris caution and other times cars can be spinning around and no caution is called. Sometimes there can be debris on the track for 25 laps or so and it doesn't pose a problem and then on lap 26 it causes a caution. It is best just to go with the flow and not try and figure out when and why cautions are called as often times there is no rhyme or reason to it.

 

[Wrangler1]

Whatever happened to quickie yellows? I remember up until about 10 years ago, whenever there was a debris caution NASCAR would throw a quickie yellow where all cars would pit right away and the race would go green within 2 laps after they pit. Is it because double-file restarts make that more difficult?

I miss those - maybe they are gone because there are not any quickie commercials?

 

[lisa]

Skoal is right, there are no dumb questions about Nascar and racing. I know quite a bit about Nascar but even I don't understand every little thing.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

I miss those - maybe they are gone because there are not any quickie commercials?

IMO there does not seem to be any urgency when cautions are called and with the double wreck restarts, wave arounds and pit stops you can get into a cycle of tedium very quickly.

I don't want to see safety compromised but I think when there is either phantom debris or a piece of rubber the size of a marble they need to call the caution and pretend to pick something up and/or the marble size rubber up and quickly throw the green. If you want to pit that is fine but if you miss the restart to bad so sad.

 

[Devizesd]

Welcome aboard and there is no such thing as a dumb question. The Isle of Wight is one place that I won't get to visit but surely a place I know I would enjoy. If I could go back in time to the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 I would be in heaven.

As far as Nascar caution periods go I also agree that most of them last too long and it would improve things if they were much shorter. Caution periods can be confusing as what constitutes a caution one day may not the next. Sometimes there is no debris on the track and it causes a debris caution and other times cars can be spinning around and no caution is called. Sometimes there can be debris on the track for 25 laps or so and it doesn't pose a problem and then on lap 26 it causes a caution. It is best just to go with the flow and not try and figure out when and why cautions are called as often times there is no rhyme or reason to it.

Well we still have the festival now, and this year we had The Who who were there in 1970 also I believe. Sadly they did manage to prove that you can be to old too rock and roll. Queen however were fantastic

As for the debris cautions, it is one thing about this sport I do struggle with and I not surprised at the level of cynicism about late race debris cautions on this board. happily this year it has not been so bad but I do get the impression that a caution is seen as a fortunate advert break. I think as you say going with the flow is probably the way to go.........

 

[ted@economy]

Well we still have the festival now, and this year we had The Who who were there in 1970 also I believe. Sadly they did manage to prove that you can be to old too rock and roll. Queen however were fantastic

As for the debris cautions, it is one thing about this sport I do struggle with and I not surprised at the level of cynicism about late race debris cautions on this board. happily this year it has not been so bad but I do get the impression that a caution is seen as a fortunate advert break. I think as you say going with the flow is probably the way to go.........

Folks love to run on about the evil man in the directing booth who calls the 'phantom cautions ' , but reality is quite different . Cautions often start with drivers spotting debris on the track and speaking out over their radios . Nascar race control checks with track workers to see if they can see what the drivers are reporting . If confirmation is obtained , a caution comes out . It is better for Nascar ( pr wise) , to err on the side of safety . Those racing slicks have no tread and are only millimeters thick . A puncture can be caused by just about anything including a water bottle . On the other hand , I you want to talk about ufo's , I'm a firm believer .