Tony Tony Tony!!!

wolfcub

wolfcub

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Joined
May 25, 2004
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Why is it that sometimes his crew seems to make bonehead choices. I mean what did they really expoect to gain by changin four tires with that few of laps to go???
 
I wouldn't call it a "bonehead" move but with like 4 laps to go, i wouldn't had bothered with changing them tires.
 
Where was he running before the stop?
Where did he finish?
Could he have reasonably expected to make a run to the front with what he had?
Answer those questions and then decide if it was a "bonehead" move or not.
 
Yeah he lost a position. That was my point. I pull for Tony his crew just frustrates me sometimes because he can go in as a top 5 car and come out a bottom 10 or in this case he went in for four tires with 4 laps to go.
 
You have to weigh losing one position by changing 4 tires vs how many he might have lost had he been the last person not to pit. I don't remember exactly where he was running or who/how many around him pitted, though.
 
Don't ignore one important factor: Heat cycle. Heating and letting the tires go cold like they did can cause flatspots and hardening. Changing them out when your competition isn't could easily have given him a much better restart. More than one driver was caught spinning his tires on the restart and getting passed for it.
 
wolfcub said:
Yeah he lost a position. That was my point. I pull for Tony his crew just frustrates me sometimes because he can go in as a top 5 car and come out a bottom 10 or in this case he went in for four tires with 4 laps to go.
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Tony would have agreed on that decision. It's just as much a decision for him as it is his crew chief. Tony blew his chance of contending for the win when he made a "bonehead" move by speeding on pit road.
 
Keep in mind that Tony's speeding penalty came after the team had a 17.5-second pit stop.

I questioned the decision to pit as well. But after seeing Harvick with the flat just before the restart, I'd say their decision was based on running through a lot of pieces off the #00.
 
MRM said:
Keep in mind that Tony's speeding penalty came after the team had a 17.5-second pit stop.

I questioned the decision to pit as well. But after seeing Harvick with the flat just before the restart, I'd say their decision was based on running through a lot of pieces off the #00.
Click to expand...

Hmm, very good point. I had not considered that scenario.
 
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