[Shotimes] Re: NASCAR numbnuts

[MonsieurBoo@aol.com]

Steve T:  "So what do you suggest?  Keep running under yellow but the laps 
don't count?  Then it's not a 500-mile race, right?"

True, it would be over the lap limit (notice I say laps, not miles -- miles 
is usually just an approximation for the media).  But races are routinely ended 
short because of weather or darkness, for example.  So, running the 
advertised length doesn't necessarily trump the idea of not counting late caution laps.

"And what if some of the cars run out of gas because they have to run 6 
yellow laps and then 6 green laps?  Or does everybody get a chance to pit under the 
yellow with the agreement that there's no shuffling of the field?  Then how 
is that fair to the people that have plenty of fuel left that would've 
overtaken those that might run out?"

Well, that's a reasonable question.  I don't see where there needs to be any 
changes to the pitting or fueling rules.  Fuel strategy is a totally separate 
issue that all sorts of race events can, and do, mess up on a regular basis.  
Look what just happened in the CA race!   Crew chief reputations are made, and 
lost, depending how well they can handle fuel strategy under a multitude of 
constantly changing variables, of which this would just be another one.  In 
that respect, this wouldn't be inherently more unfair than any other race day 
event.

"Nobody's saying it's a perfect situation.  I hate seeing races end under 
caution, just like everybody else does.  But do you have a better way of doing 
it?  I personally like the red flag with anywhere under 10 laps to go."

I agree the red flag is also a suitable way to manage this situation -- since 
it helps assure that the race will end under green.  It poses its own 
potential problems though.  Cars don't always restart (vapor lock, etc. etc.), this 
is why they park nose down on the steepest part of the banking.  So, if you 
tell drivers to shut off their cars you put them in the same crapshoot as telling 
a driver to keep going around the track when they're almost out of gas.  
Except they won't know it in advance, and even if they did, under a red flag they 
couldn't do anything about it.  Whereas, low gas and a yellow flag it's always 
your choice to duck in the pits for a splash and lose some track position.  

Either way is fine with me.  It might be nice to give the drivers a chance to 
say what they think would work the best.

In any case, the way NASCAR handled Talladega was plumb ignorant even 
according to their own guidelines.

Cheers,
Mark LaBarre
94 ATX 125k