"Darus" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> The league I run has locked the topic, despite intense discussion and
> varying views. I'll post the general details and would like input.
>
> Phoenix race this past Friday. 35% distance, 2x fuel/tire wear, Yellows
> on, no Lucky Dog rule in effect, double file restarts. About 11 driver
> started, 9 finished running. 5 cars on the lead lap, and 1 driver 1 lap
> down.
>
> The 5 lead lap cars and the 1 lap down car are all VERY close in lap
> times and the racing has been pretty clean for most of the race. The
> lapper has made about 3 attempts to get his lap back without success
> over the past 3 cautions, about 50 or so laps.
>
> Final caution flies with 14 laps to go. Green comes with 11 to go, so
> the single file restart isn't applicable. Leader takes about 1 lap to
> pass the lapper. 2nd & 3rd place then begin trying to pass the lapped
> car. As the laps wind down to 3 to go, the lapper and another car
> tangle and spin. Race ends under caution.
>
> Lapper says that he was running hard to stay in touch with the leader
> in the event of a spin and he could get the lap back and then make a
> run for the win upon the restart.
>
> I agree with that, to a point. The 3 attempts earlier in the race were
> legit and worthy, all tried for the same result, getting a lap back.
> However, in those cases he had upwards of 50 laps to play with.
>
> With 11 to go and (as previously stated) the 5 lead lap cars running
> similar times, I feel that he had no shot at the win and only hindered
> the ability of the other cars to race each other and the leader for the
> win.
>
> Furthermore, I said that once he was passed by the leader, there was no
> point in racing the other leaders, as staying in front of them served
> no purpose, especially with 10 to go. He would have had to had the
> leader spin, get his lap back and then pass 5 cars in the span of 5
> laps to win. Highly unlikely based on the performance of the drivers to
> that point.
>
> I am interested in what other simmers feel about this. Should he have
> moved over and the leaders go at it, or was he right continuing to
> fight?
>

Good story....there's rules, and then there's rules, and by the letter of
the rules, he has every right to fight for his position till the checkers
fall, BUT......he'll have to race these same guys every week, and this is
where the ol' give-and-take comes in to play. He really didn't have much
chance to improve his position if it stayed green, so after the leader got
by, it MIGHT have been better for all involved if he had just gone low and
let the rest of the lead cars by. BUT, Dale Earnhardt didn't get to be the 7
time Champ by laying back, he went after it every moment he was on the
track, as he was entitled to do.
Final judgement, IMHO, is that there is no issue here, he broke no rules,
and cautions happen.......he could have made a different decision, but chose
not to, and now he'll have to go back and race those same guys again, and
may not get a break when HE needs it.

Without the benefit of a replay, it's hard to say if the lapper or the lead
lap car may have been at fault in the incident, but as far as racing hard
till it's over, if you're not going to do that, what's the point of even
starting the race?

One other scenario.....one I've seen happen more than once. I'M the lap car,
and I race the leader hard for a lap, then move low to let the lead cars by,
1st & 2nd get into it and crash, I scoot by to get my lap back.....In the
scenario you described above, I'm now last car on the lead lap, in 6th, with
2 damaged cars ahead of me. On the restart, I pass both damaged cars, and
end up 4th on the lead lap, instead of 6th a lap down.

That's the drama that race watchers love....I know I do. You don't say where
your place in this little drama is.......

Ed