Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

After watching the Volusia races the past few nights, I wonder how soon it will be until intentional cautions start to be a problem with the double file re-starts. Tonight in a heat race, Doug Esh made a mistake and lost ground and he stops on the track. On the restart he gets a good run all the way into a transfer spot in 1 lap so one of the cars he passed, (Pittman) stops and restarts and here we go double file again.

Esh by the way, stopped on the track, bringing out a caution no less than 4 times in 3 features ( I missed one feature, so it may be more) and at least once in heat race action. Every time when he was either in danger of being lapped, or out of a transfer spot.

? If you stop on the track to stop the race, don't you restart at the back? How is that going to help anyone from being lapped or losing a position?

If the cushion is the fast line would you rather be in 6th a straightaway back or 4th row outside with the leader only 4 car lengths ahead???

I'm bringing out a caution and bunching everyone back up if it's me.

Loose is when you hit the wall with the rear of the
car, tight is when you hit the wall with the front of
the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and
torque is how far you move the wall.

There is the potential to see the same thing in a feature. If I'm in 12th and last car on the lead lap it would be wise to stop on the track and restart 6th row with everyone bunched up again, especially since the lapped cars fall to the back on restarts now.

When the double file rule was announced the first thing I though was how big an advantage it could be to bring out intentional cautions for mid pack cars that had lost touch with the leader.

Hell with the "Inadvertent Yellow" rule what would stop 3rd place from intentionally doing a 360 and keeping it running if he was half a lap back. Inadvertent yellow means not only does he get his spot back but now he's right up the leaders butt on the restart.

Loose is when you hit the wall with the rear of the
car, tight is when you hit the wall with the front of
the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and
torque is how far you move the wall.

I see your point, but....that would mean, that the driver in 6th has to keep track of who is where, or he could find himself on the the 4th row inside...

Then they need to add the old 2 caution's and your out. Take the chance and bring out the yellow and it just might bite you the 2nd time.

....and still, I think most would take that chance of stacking everyone up and being able to advance on a double file start, rather than being strung out, with no shot at making up enough ground with only a few laps to go. It obviously happened tonight, twice in one heat.

Car stops, push truck comes up and fires them right off....no less than 5 times in 2 nights....about as annoying as watching the the stock cars stop until the yellow comes out, then take off.

Don't get me wrong, I think the restarts made for a lot more passing and excitement than the old cone rule.....just need something in place for the intentional yellows.

Regardless, the double file restarts are pretty awesome and there was very little, if any issues. I hope to see this in the All Stars and maybe PA races. WG could use this to spice up their weekly shows a bit ... IMO.

Having been there... there is no question that Esh was stopping inentionally... hell he did it on the first lap one time because he had a bad start. Pittman was intentional too. I say if you stop on the track without a flat tire, contact or spin... you're done, period, or you lose two spots at the end, even if you win. I know some will say that Esh was simply working the system, but my opinion of him just crashed harder than the stock market last year. Regardless of what the system allows, it was chicken***t. I think you put in the hands of the race director, they make plenty of judgement calls on restarts and other items.

Double-files though... were AWESOME... particualrly in the A... just the added anticipation of which line will he pick (Schatz picked outside then inside), will they all make it through turn 1... will the 2nd place guy stay alongside.

I've seen plenty of Outlaw bashing on this site... but they deserve a big thumbs up on this one!

Bring out the yellow without a spin (which would be a dangerous way to bring out a red on purpose) or flat tire and you lose a lap. No advantage starting 4 rows behind the leader on a restart if you are a lap behind him.

I have no respect for a driver who would stop just because he made a mistake and lost ground or was about to be lapped. Kind of wonder how Eash knew he was about to be lapped with no mirrors or radios? Did he get the lay over flag? If so, do like Doug Clark at Knoxville and stop using that flag!

I never liked the "front stretch" cone but I did like it when they had it on the back stretch!

TSA...It's not a GROPE...it's a Freedom Pat!

Amen.

Sean,

Tucson

!!SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TRACKS!!
!!Get Well Shane!! 

An intentional caution rule? We call that the "Terry McCarl rule" at Knoxville. At one time you could bring out the yellow, with no penalty, for a safety issue but he had so much trouble with his belts after bad restarts they had to scratch it.