Posted on 07/16/2004 10:45:34 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Yellow-flag finishes are all but finished in NASCAR.
The sanctioning body said Thursday it will go to a green-white-checkered format, hoping all Nextel Cup and Busch series events will end with the cars racing.
The new rule will take effect with the races July 24-25 at New Hampshire International Speedway. The truck series already has the rule in place.
``The green-white-checkered format is an attempt to achieve everyone's goals -- a green-flag finish,'' NASCAR president Mike Helton said. ``This change, hopefully, will provide competitive finishes in the relatively rare occasions it is warranted.
``This format has been successful in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series and, considering the tight competition week in and week out in the other two national series, we feel the time is right to use the same procedure in all three national series.''
The new format will not mean a race can't finish under yellow. If there is another caution after a green-flag restart, the race will end immediately.
The rule in the truck series has allowed multiple green-flag starts at the end of the race to assure a green-flag finish, but NASCAR said that also will change beginning with the race Aug. 21 in Michigan to assure uniformity in all three series.
The new procedure will be used in case of a caution period that would in the past have forced the race to end under yellow, with the cars finishing behind the pace car. Instead, the competitors will restart under a green flag after the track is deemed ready for competition and take the white flag -- signifying one lap to go -- the next time around.
The new rule also will eliminate the need for late-race red flags, which have been used in recent seasons to stop the event, clean the track and finish under green. The red-flag rule was used -- usually with four or five laps left -- to allow more than one lap at racing speed.
Still, four of the last 10 Cup races have ended under caution, meaning the drivers did not get to race to the finish. That didn't make the drivers or the fans happy.
Fans were particularly enraged with the finish under caution in the spring at Talladega Superspeedway.
Under the rule NASCAR adopted last fall, freezing the field when a caution is displayed, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was first scored in the lead when the caution came out on the 184th of the 188 laps. race. But replays showed Jeff Gordon was about three-quarters of a car-length ahead, and he was put in front.
With fans booing and throwing beer cans and food onto the track, Gordon drove slowly to the finish, just ahead of Earnhardt.
Some drivers are not in favor of the change to green-white-checkered finishes.
``All these race fans drinking beer and screaming and hollering have not been in a helicopter upside down with 30 tubes hanging out of you after going end-over-end 30 times like I've been before because of these green-white starts,'' Rusty Wallace said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. ``I think it's ridiculous and it's unsafe.''
It is. I can't recall the exact speeds, but it goes something like:
They come down the hill at well over 100 mph, then they need to downshift and hit the turn (the shapest on the track) at about 30 mph. It ain't easy.
I used to love to stand there.
The most impressive thing I ever saw was Kenny Roberts (the best motorcycle racer who ever has or likely will ever live), head out from the start line in a noisy pack.
There was complete silence for a time after that, as the course takes them up over a hill. You could hear a bird chirp.
I went over to turn 9 to watch the crashes.
After a few minutes, one motorcycle came down that hill, all by itself. Roberts. It was amazing. I have never seen anything like it.
I also once watched him race at the San Jose Mile against "The Springer", who himself is a wonderful rider, and who just retired last year.
Springsteen was riding for Harley; Roberts for Yamaha. Harleys were better suited to that track, but Roberts was the (very slightly) better rider.
I have also never seen anything like that race. I doubt I ever will. Roberts won by about two inches.
If you get a chance, go to Laguna Seca sometime. It's worth the trip, and they have a variety of different races. You can hit the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Big Sur too, all within a few days. Very well worth it.
I miss NED Jarrett, RICHARD Petty, RALPH Earnhardt, COO COO Marlin, and Curtis Turner, Fred Lorenzen, Junior Johnson (the driver), and that whole generation.
These new kids are the biggest bunch of prima donnas I've seen since Major League Baseball.
Phooey!
DIRT TRACK RACIN' THIS WEEKEND!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Have fun!
Hey!
You left out Harry Gant :o)
Is that "open wheels". I like those. They seem to have disappeared.
Mario Andretti was still a driver back then.
He was a class act.
No, it's not.
You know that they hang their knees out during turns in order to keep track of their angle on the turn? The best racers have well scuffed knee-pads (and broken knees). You can't be looking at the speedometer.
I find that frightening. I couldn't do it.
Rusty knows what he is talking. He was involved in the wild incident at Talladega in 1993 which sent him flying in the air violently, and Mark Martin was injured in a one-lap wild sprint at Daytona. This two-lap sprint format precariously could cause a serious injury in the future.
And the NCTS races can NOW end under caution. One NCTS race lasted 14 laps after its 186-lap distance because of excessive cautions at the end of the race.
Larry McReynolds also dislikes it because it prevents the crew chief from "running the race backwards" and that's important.
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