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August 17, 2006
Open up those pits!
By DAVID GREEN
Kurt Busch had one of those days at Watkins Glen Sunday. When he tried to get to pit road before a full-course caution made the pits off-limits, that was the beginning of the end for his chances to win that race and to get into the Chase for the 2006 Cup.
If I ran the circus, things would have been different -- for Kurt in that particular instant, and for race fans in general in many instances to come.
Once upon a time (it's been so long, many of NASCAR's new fans may not even know it), pit road was open unless there was a good reason for it to be closed. When the yellow flag waved, drivers were free to duck onto pit road at their own discretion.
Sometimes, the open pit road was inconsequential. But sometimes, a great, spontaneous moment of chaos was created and the whole nature of an event was changed.
Consider this scenario: The leader comes off Turn 4, just past the entrance to the pits, and the yellow blinks on. The guys running fifth, sixth, seventh and on back, not yet past the pit entrance, brake hard and turn left. Their pit crews, caught unaware, have to scramble into action.
The leader and the others who missed the chance to pit early fume in their cockpits during the slow-down lap. The early birds finish their pit stops and head back toward the track, where the safety car is out and cruising, waiting for the new leader to fall in behind.
Is it a bum deal for the guy who was leading? You betcha. But it was bum luck for him and good fortune for somebody else -- real, honest excitement, not the artificially inseminated "drama" such as the Lucky Dog and the green-white-checker finish that NASCAR now feeds salivating masses.
It's great for fans, who get to see those previous front-runners battle their way back to the front, if they're fast enough. It's great for the guy who's fortunate enough to have taken advantage of the windfall -- a Lucky Dog who can hold his head high, lucky because of real luck and not just a dumb rule. Even if he doesn't maintain his advantage, at least he had the chance to fight for it.
In addition, there's a big safety benefit, too. Instead of having all the cars jammed up on pit road at one time, putting crew members in increased jeopardy, the lead-lap cars pit in random spacing, depending on the gap between them when they were under green.
That benefit was never apparent in the old days, because there was no pit-road speed limit. The speed limit has been a life-saver and obviously it needs to be retained. But, unless the reason for the caution is in some proximity to the entrance or exit of the pits, there's no good reason to bunch the field behind the safety car on the racetrack before pit road is opened.
Except, of course, for one little thing. Pit-road closure has become NASCAR's version of the time-out -- and, obviously the perfect time for "a word from our sponsors."
That means we won't be seeing any changes in the pit-road closure rule. That's too bad. Not just for Kurt Busch last Sunday, but for all of us.
August 17, 2006 | Permalink
Comments
I thought I was the only one who got it about the utter incompetence of the pit-closure rule.
NASCAR has never offered anything resembling a legitimate defense of closing pit road. The reason they began closing pit road is because Darrell Waltrip made a big bitch-session about the pace car picking up the wrong leader and putting him a lap down at Atlanta in 1989; NASCAR began closing pit road because of scoring problems, but scoring problems weren't common at all back then.
And now it's a case of so many people so used to the rule that they reflexively feel threatened when someone points out it's way past time to rescind the rule and go back to open pits all the time.
Well, too bad if all you've known is pit closure. The rule is a failure. Go back to no pit closure.
Posted by: Mike Daly | Aug 18, 2006 1:34:47 AM
"A word from our sponsors," is what kills that idea. It's our NFL commercial time out. Although, with most of the passing and leaders being determined on pit road, maybe they will have to start cutting into the boring action on the track.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 18, 2006 6:42:21 AM
Very well stated, David.
I’ve always thought that having pit road open at all times would make for better racing – of which you described perfectly. But I didn’t think of the “safety benefit.” NASCAR’s so big on safety, maybe this is something they should consider reinstating.
Pit selection, pit strategy and a quick pit stop used to mean something. The only team that benefits from qualifying is the pole sitter. The first pit is the only one with an advantage. All the others are just a place for a pit stop and then to follow everyone else. (With the exception of Chad Knaus. The man knows how to work pit road.) "Strategy" can still be a factor at a few tracks, but with the new tires rules, fuel cells, etc. it truly has turned out to be “ANOTHER word from our sponsors.”
Posted by: Shirley | Aug 18, 2006 10:36:32 AM
Look, I can see NASCAR's point that they need some "dead time" to get commercials on TV. I don't like it, but it isn't going to change. I'd rather have commercials during pointless yellow laps than during green laps, except for the races I go to! But could they do it AFTER pit stops? Let several cars pit, THEN start the (embarrassingly lengthy) process of "sorting out the running order?" We get to see a flurry of stops, then NASCAR and the TV folk get to pick and choose video highlights and "reset the order" during the commercials. And they can have an "open pit" rule unless, as David points out, there's a reason to close pit entry. As it is now, they seem to run several pointless yellow laps, then open the pits, then run several more pointless yellow laps.
Posted by: Doug | Aug 18, 2006 12:16:07 PM
Doug,
You know what was really ridiculous about TV coverage at "The Glenn?" They had a caution which gives them time to run a small feature film for commercials. They came back after the race had restarted! They weren't even close...Networks are seeing that they run the show, not NASCAR. NFL networks know they'd never get away with coming back after a commercial saying, "While you were away Manning threw an 80yrd strike for a TD. Let's take a look at it again!"
Posted by: Keith | Aug 18, 2006 12:25:02 PM
Well done.
Posted by: Larry | Aug 18, 2006 4:42:06 PM
You're right on it Dave. Actually until you brought it up I never thought to wonder why they closed pit road in the first place. I should have known it was some NASCAR lame-brained stuff.
I'm with you on the green-white-checkered. I never had a problem with races ending under caution and there always seems to be a big wreck on the last lap, which ends the race under caution anyway.
I don't know any other way to do the free pass rule. It doesn't really bother me too much in light of Jarrett's incident. But Kyle Busch shouldn't have gained five laps from it. I don't think they should be limited, but I think a driver should not be allowed two consecutive lucky dogs.
Posted by: KurtMan | Aug 18, 2006 7:32:10 PM
Kurtman,
Why any free pass rule? It's called racing not gimmee. No other form of the sport has it.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 18, 2006 7:56:58 PM
Hey lugnuts,
Re: lucky dog
It's not often that I agree with LarryMac. But he has reffered to "in touch with the leader" as a criteria for the dog. I hate to give nascar another grey area or judgement call but the intent of the rule is good. Since it's inception I have not noticed much racing to get a lap back the old fashioned way. But to ditch the dog and still freeze the field at the caution doesn't seem right either.
Posted by: Larry | Aug 19, 2006 12:44:34 PM
Larry,
There doesn't have to be a gimmee. They already get to restart next to the leader. Let them earn it back. It's just another NASCAR gimmick. Nobody deserves 17 free miles like the #5 received.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 19, 2006 12:49:03 PM
One obvious reason why the Lucky Dog is a perversion: In the days before LD, it was not that uncommon for a race to go by with no one making up a lost lap. Nowadays, we have as many as a half-dozen or more EVERY RACE.
Here's a suggested compromise: When a caution comes out, the first driver not on the lead lap has a choice -- he can get a lap back, or he can go to pit road, but he can't do both. If he's badly in need of tires or fuel, he'll have to pit. It's his and his crew's decision. That would either cut down on the ridiculously inflated number of laps being regained, or else it would minimize the advantage gained by all those drivers.
The purpose of double-file restarts was to inject a little competition into those early laps. There's nothing more boring than a single-file restart, with no overtaking on the inside before you get to the starting line.
It also gave a lapped car a chance to race the leader to get a lap back when racing resumed.
Lately, however, the inside file is always a good car-length behind the outside file as they approach the green flag. The first car on the inside file is more in line with the second-place car than the leader. That all but eliminates the chances of the first lapped car to get in front of the leader, unless the leader's car is really, really slow.
It's safe to assume those guys are not hanging back so far because they're such gentlemen. They've been told, specifically, NOT to get in the way of the race leader.
If we're going to keep the double-file restart, let's let those lapped cars really race. Let's put them on the outside rather than the inside, and let the leader set the pace just like the pole starter does on the initial start. But let's make sure there's no extra disadvantage for the guy at the front of the lapped-cars file. He doesn't have to lag behind, he merely has to stay in formation -- just like the outside-front-row driver on the initial start. Once the green flag waves, if the leader spins his tires or misses a shift, the outside file can go right on past -- on the outside, as it already legal on restarts.
If we're not going to let the lapped cars race, there's no point in letting them line up in a second file. Just go back to single-file restarts, or go to double-file with the leader on the pole, second-place guy on the outside front row, and so forth, just like the race starting grid, with lapped cars lining up in the rear.
But -- in addition to all that -- GET RID OF THE "PITS ARE CLOSED" RULE unless closing pit road is an absolute necessity.
Posted by: David Green | Aug 19, 2006 1:34:15 PM
David,
Hell, if we're giving it all away, lets do it right...All the cars a lap down or more get one back. No sense playing favorites. Why make them earn anything?
Posted by: Keith | Aug 19, 2006 4:32:39 PM
From time to time Keith goes out of his way to be over-the-top provocative or reactionary, and I'm fairly certain he does it on purpose. However, there IS a point to the Lucky Dog rule. I'm not saying it's a defensible idea, but it DOES have some basis, as opposed to being just some dumb idea to "give" something to somebody who does not deserve it.
Ending the race-back-to-the-yellow took away the very infrequent opportunity for a competitive driver to make a pass of the leader and regain a lost lap. The Lucky Dog is a way to compensate for that. It's not a GOOD way (mainly because it does not consider whether its recipient is deserving in any way, but rather happens to be in the right place at the right time), but it isn't as if there was never any legitimate grievance toward which that flawed solution was addressed.
Oversimplification always makes argumentative criticism easy, but it hardly ever results in meaningful debate. So, chill out, Chief. My compromise suggestions had nothing whatsoever to do with "giving it all away" nor with playing any favorites, and (much as you try to hide it sometimes) you're smart enough to realize that.
Posted by: David Green | Aug 19, 2006 6:27:06 PM
David,
LOL, just playing devils advocate. I'd be happy with 1) No consecutive LD's and 2) No more than a reasonable # per customer.
I'll even modify #1 by cautions. No consecutive LD's per cautions. For instance, if driver A is 5 laps down and the next guy back is 20 laps down and a caution comes out Driver A gets the LD. On the next caution (assuming there were no new lapped cars) no LD is awarded. They can't be consecutive and the leader of the lapped cars is the only one eligible.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 19, 2006 9:04:38 PM
Anything to minimize it, I think, would be good. Keith's ideas are solid. Hope NASCAR is reading.
But my first choice would be to do away with the Lucky Dog, and instead set up the restarts so that competitive drivers have a chance to race their way back from a lost lap, just like they once had the opportunity to do when they could race the leader to the yellow flag.
Posted by: David Green | Aug 19, 2006 11:01:35 PM
John Roberts, Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace just finished discussing the Kurt Busch incident at the Glen. Not that any of them are reading this, but just in case you might be, come on, guys -- somebody give me one good, valid reason how closing pit road enhances safety.
To the contrary, it makes pit road more dangerous because it inevitably makes it more crowded. The pits were closed to help manual scorers keep up with the running order, not to enhance safety.
We don't need more warning lights, more technology. All we need is to get rid of the standing order that pit road closes every time the yellow flag waves.
Posted by: David Green | Aug 20, 2006 12:47:55 PM
David, they can't offer a valid reason for closing pit road. "Well, every other racing series does it" is the most I've heard as far as defending this rule.
This is where the Race-Stream Media needs to do its job - don't let NASCAR get away with rules that do no work; the RSM needs to point out at every opportunity that, in this case, closing pit road has NO LEGITIMACY as a rule. It simply does not work.
Posted by: Mike Daly | Aug 21, 2006 1:56:48 PM
David, I know I'm little behind with this reply, however I also saw Race Day and thought of you.
Your opinion of safety and keeping pit road open is definitely valid. But, if NASCAR continues to leave the pits closed, they need to look at something else to let DRIVERS know that pit road is closed.
BTW Kenny - it's not just two tracks. (I'm assuming he meant Sonoma and The Glen.) The location of the light wasn't any better at MIS as it was at either road course. It needs to be BEFORE the pit entrance and the commitment line, so the driver has a chance to react, not beside it.
David, I have a feeling if you pulled some strings and got Kenny a sponsor for '07, he'd listen to you then!
Posted by: Shirley | Aug 22, 2006 2:23:26 PM
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