Greeen means go

#1

As we have had problems in the last Mid Atl and this past SE event, so that everyone in our group is clear on this…When you enter a track that is green flag, you must GO, no scrubbing, slowing for a gap etc. With a large run group, when you bunch cars up behind you, it is a very dangerous situation. If you do not like your track position, roll thru the pits. We are selling out events and the groups are getting more crowded and everyone needs to be on the same page. If you are unsure of what the track is going to be ASK! It should be pretty obvious from the flag stations, if you look…I have a hard enough time qualifying as it is.

Al

#2

Al, you handled that situation masterfully. During the same session, one of the Mazda drivers confronted me about passing him under yellow. I said, I don’t believe we had a yellow during our session he proceeded to inform me that a debris flag was the same as yellow. :huh: Is it that dadgum hard to read the flag rules before a race? Maybe there needs to be a multiple choice test before the race. :wink:

#3

This is a pretty serious issue and tracks where the pits dump right out on to the straight (VIR, CMP, Mid-Ohio etc.) it can be extremely dangerous. I’m glad you brought this up al. I’ll double check before I go out next time.

#4

MikeD wrote:

[quote]This is a pretty serious issue and tracks where the pits dump right out on to the straight (VIR, CMP, Mid-Ohio etc.) it can be extremely dangerous. I’m glad you brought this up al. I’ll double check before I go out next time.[/quote] We go over this at the all hands meeting EVERY time. That is why it is important to attend and pay attention. Not calling anyone out here but in MA qual. session is a FCY for 1 lap because the previous session is still rolling off, so your qual session can roll on. Now, if you are late out, and the first car made one lap already, the course is green…the whole course. Be aware.

#5

Yep, that is correct, I came thru the top of the rollercoster at VIR, yellows had dropped and there is a 7 car train with the first car warming tires…these guys had no idea that the course was green…Chris covered it in the meeting but it happened in 2 seasions that weekend, that is what I meant when I titled this "green means go" when the yllows drop it is a green course…

Al

#6

Well, the issue here is that when the track is green, you go, you can pass, etc, right?. But you are not going to force me run 10/10 with a cold car (tyres, brakes, tranny). I’ll stay out of your way, out of the racing line, and give you plenty of room for you to qualify/practice.
And I really hate calling out people, or confronting them, specially in public/meeting pointing fingers, like when I was in 5th grade, so childish. What’s next, throw our helmet to the other driver in the middle of the track, like NASCAR?:wink:

#7

all Al is saying is to be predictable on track when the track is green. A weaving car isn’t predictable or very passable.
bruce

BETO wrote:

[quote]Well, the issue here is that when the track is green, you go, you can pass, etc, right?. But you are not going to force me run 10/10 with a cold car (tyres, brakes, tranny). I’ll stay out of your way, out of the racing line, and give you plenty of room for you to qualify/practice.
And I really hate calling out people, or confronting them, specially in public/meeting pointing fingers, like when I was in 5th grade, so childish. What’s next, throw our helmet to the other driver in the middle of the track, like NASCAR?;)[/quote]

#8

Not to mention the fact that driving fast warms up the car a lot better than weaving and you need to have a run onto the front straight in order to get anything out of your first hot lap.

#9

mskeen wrote:

BINGO!!! why can’t people understand this?

there was a thread on the nasa forums this week about scrubbing tires under green conditions in a time trial…why scrub? why not just GO?

-David

#10

dmwhite wrote:

[quote]mskeen wrote:

BINGO!!! why can’t people understand this?

there was a thread on the nasa forums this week about scrubbing tires under green conditions in a time trial…why scrub? why not just GO?

-David[/quote]

For cars on R spec DOT tires running at 7/10s on the out lap is probably fine but there are some cars on slicks that don’t stick worth a darn when cold. Every year at Daytona for example, someone sticks it in the pit out wall due to cold tires.

Due to the fact that this is amatuer racing and at every event there is some stone cold rookie who has never been in race conditions before, I support the standing yellow on the first lap approach.

Don

#11

The problem with the standing yellow for qualifying is that we had only 15 and 10 minutes, respectively, to qualify Sat/Sun. And, on Sunday there was no practice.

It’s hard enough to get halfway-clean laps with 52 cars and 10 minutes. We had a fairly goofy grid order both days as a result.

If people would just pay attention, and notice the darn green flag that was positioned right at the pit-out and get on it, it would have worked out fine.

#12

FWIW with my limited experience and advice given to me from some OG’s, the best way to warm up the type of tires we are using is from the inside out. i.e. the brakes. Braking hard on and off will heat up the tires quicker and in a uniform manner.

That’s what i’ve done and it works really well, and braking on and off is alot more predictable for the passing car.

#13

Come on - why can’t people just look at the flags and follow them? We run green from the get go in HPDE3! If they are not seeing the flag or listenting in the meeting, should they really be out there?

#14

FYI - for anyone interested here is a link to the "bumpee" at least it sounds that way…

http://forum.specmiata.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=33;t=000063;p=0