Cory M

I don't see why not, at this level in the game you shouldn't be out there if you are afraid or unable to drive in traffic.

Veloce Raptor

No, actually, I would prefer my boy Patrick Long win, in a Porsche. But the BMWs--this time--got lucky. Next time they probably won't. And that's the way it goes.





Professional Racing and Driving Coach

mglobe

Dave, I knew it wasn't a BMW thing, just razzing you. And I know it can go any way each time. Still, I'd rather see them gather the classes together for the restart. P1, P2, GT2, GTC in that order, based on their track position within class at the time of the yellow. It would give a clean restart, and prevent dumb luck from coming into the equation

Bryan Watts

Gathering classes together would require closing the pits as soon as the yellow flies and waiting 2-3 laps or more for the cars to sort themselves out on track. It would be even more complicated, as cars that were a lap down to other cars in their own class would need to somehow figure out where they go. And then when the pits finally did open, the order would be all screwed up again for the restart.

mglobe

Well then it's obvious. Leave everything the way it is, but put the BMW's down a lap. Seems reasonable to me.

911URGE

Actually, that might be quite exciting. These drivers are pros and should be able to sort things out on the restart.

John H

Was I just imagining things or did the BMW's actually get to drive almost a lap ahead of the others, pit and then drive back around to the tail and remain in first and second?

M758

Yep. They were 20 yards in front of the 3rd place car in GT2. Then due to leader 66 car pitting, but not the 9 the pace car let them by and they then circled around to the back of the pack. Along the way both pitted. So they were were then 100 yards behind the 3rd place GT2 car, but 7/8th of a lap in front. From then on the top 6 GT cars ran nose to tail until 2 car had issues. (one BMW hit a tire in the pits and had a penlty and a mirror fell of the Corvette and needed to be replaced so they had longish pit stop). The BMW with 60 second pit lane hold sill finished 2nd in GT2.

race911

I think the major issue is the disparity of the lap times between the prototypes and GT cars. The leader is lapping the front running GT car every 6 laps? (20 sec/lap differential, sub 2 minute lap at Road America.) In today's fully electronically controlled timing and scoring they can't sort the classes? All it SHOULD take is an extra yellow flag lap to make a few passes. Or would it be too hard for a prototype or two or three to move ahead of ALL the GT cars and into position? Really, that's all it would take, right?

Kein_Ersatz

From a spectators point, I would prefer the race be more about competition and less about luck. If a yellow flag is for safety then it would seem they should do what they can to not have it change the competition, it should be a freeze on track activity / pits. Sorting out the classes order under yellow for a restart should be a required skill for the drivers in a multi class race, not a insurmountable challenge.

Bryan Watts

People really want to see the pits closed (and cars rearranged on track) in endurance racing during a yellow flag? Really?

Yellow flags already change the competition by bunching the field back up. It's not as if this happens at every race. Occasionally someone gets lucky from a yellow flag situation. It happened to be a BMW this time. It may be a Porsche next time.

Bryan Watts

Not as easy as it seems when some cars are multiple laps down and yet "right behind the leader" in their class on track. So much potential for unnecessary confusion.

DanJK

I could care less what marque benefits or doesn't. The fact is spectators lose every time. I'm a homer, but not so much that I don't want to see a competitive race. The race was shaping up to be epic in gt. The argument that "it all comes out in the wash" doesn't hold much water.

(two cliché's in one sentence - priceless)

John H

Couldn't they do what PCA does and close the pits? Then, the advantage would fall to those few fortunate enough to be in the pits when the yellow came out.

They would not need to rearrange the field by class, just close the pits.

Bryan Watts

Exactly. Closed pits presents an entirely different situation where luck is a huge factor as well. Those of us who run club racing enduros with mandatory pit stops know all about the "golden pit stop". Cars in the pits when the yellow flies would have a big advantage over their competition.

Further, rearranging the grid guarantees that every full course yelllow must last for at least a couple laps to sort out of the field. If the incident is cleaned up quickly, the track will have to stay yellow until everything can be sorted out.