?

[jenoo4]

why is it the first car a lap down gets it back, this weekend kahne had a good car after they got it fixed, he was up front for most of the race, but because he was more then one lap down he didnt get the free pass, i have seen races where there are a lot of yellow flags real close together and the same person keeps getting the lap back, then in 3 or 4 laps they are back down a lap, if it stays green they go down alot, but if its one of those tracks that gets alot of yellows they dont, to me shouldnt it be the best car no matter how many laps they are down, they get one back, i guess to me couldnt it be if under 5 or 10 and theres still 50 laps left it should go who evers up front, not just the one with only 1 lap down?

[metrojoe]

I believe the driver could be more than one lap down. they just have to be the first driver to go down a lap. Thats the way I understand it, but I've still got my rookie stripes.

[harvey lee]

If you are a lap down and the first one in line,then you get your lap back on a yellow.If 10 drivers are a lap down then the one at the front of the line will recieve a freebie.

If you are 2 laps down,then you wait your turn.If your 2 down,then after the caution you will be down one and last in the 1 down line.Takes alot of cautions to get back on the lead lap if there are many down.

I hope this helps.

[Longline]

I think they should change it to that you are the first car 1 lap down but within so many seconds of the leader. You could be the first car 1 lap down and just about to get lapped again and get the lucky dog.

[JohnMickish]

Ok, it all started when they stopped racing back to the yellor (start/finish line). They used to race back and whoever was infront of the leader got one lap back. Sounds simple and it is until you have a car sitting sideways at the start/finish line which happens. That is why they don't race back and to make it interesting they give the first guy his lap back. I don't think they should give any lap back, go race for it.

[harvey lee]

mnfishinguy

We agree again.There should be no such thing as a free lap,you lost it now go and earn it back.

[LMITOUT]

In a way they are racing for it as they are racing against other lap-down cars to be that first car to get the free pass.

I do understand what you are saying though about earning it though.

[metrojoe]

So no matter how many cars are a lap down only the lead (lapped)car gets the pass?

[harvey lee]

Correct

[VMS]

I don't like the free pass either... They need to race to get it back. Put em' in front of the lead lap car and see how long he can keep it. If a caution comes out, then he can come all the way around and get to the tail end.

I also think it should be the first car in line that has 1 or more laps down. That at least makes it so they are not just riding around, waiting to get their lap back...they need to race other lapped cars (regardless of number of laps down) to be first in line of the lapped cars.

I miss seeing the race to the start-finish, but it is much safer the way it is.

Steve

[lawdog]

The only problem with that theory of not giving the laps back on this "lucky dog" is that they always gave them back anyway, and usually to way more than one guy. Remember how the leader slowed down and let guys pass him before he took the yellow? Talk about lame, and horribly unsafe to have these lap down cars going full speed and lead lap cars slowing and then coming up on a wreck. This change needed to happen!

As to the specifics of it, why give the cars multiple laps down the break instead of the better cars that are just one lap down? That makes no sense.

[jbell1981]

Quote:

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As to the specifics of it, why give the cars multiple laps down the break instead of the better cars that are just one lap down? That makes no sense.

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I agree. If a car is multiple laps down, there is a reason that he went down that many laps. Just because he happens to be the fastest car behind in laps doesn't mean he deserves to get those laps back. The first car a lap or more down is who deserves it. He has had a better day than a car that is muliple laps down. Whether or not he stays on the the lead lap I think is irrellevent.

[BUSHWAC]

I think the Lucky Dog scenario is a Lame Duck scenario. I myself much prefer racing back to the yellow and giving the leader the option to let people get their lap back or not depending on who is leading and how they feel about it. I guess they used to refer to that as the gentleman’s agreement or something like that. Racing back to the yellow is racing. Dangerous, I would say yes it is. That’s part of the sport; NASCAR wants it to be some Sunday drive for a bunch of old ladies it looks like! Now with the so called car of the future it’s going to be worse yet. Let’s just turn it into a larger IROC/NASCAR series.

[lawdog]

That comment is absurd and uncalled for. Anything we can do to make racing safer is a must. Its dangerous enough to do it under the best circumstances. You woulnd't be so unconcerned about racing safety if you were strapping into a seat and laying it out there!!!

[JohnMickish]

I also feel that any driver should only be given one pass per race, and only if one lap down. The way they do it now if there isn't anyone 1 lap down they go to 2 laps down and so on.

[VMS]

Think about it for a moment...Think back to when they could still race to the stripe. It didn't matter how many laps one was down, you could race back to get A lap back. And...in the case of Kasey Kahne, he had an excellent car...much better than those who went only 1 lap down, but he was stuck because he went 5 or so down due to a plug wire...that doesn't make him a "worse" car in the field.

So...that is my logic in it. They could race back regardless before, so if we have to have the lucky dog, give it to the one first in line regardless of the number of laps down. Had they raced back, he would have gotten the lap back anyway. This at least allows for a good car to get back into things and potentially win the race. I can recall that happening at Indy a few years back where Dale Jarrett was 4 laps down at one point and almost won the race (due to being able to race back to the stripe...would lucky dog be any different if he raced his way to the first in line being laps down?)

Steve

[harvey lee]

Its pretty simple.Racing back to the stripe is very dangerous.They implememted the new rule for the safety of the driver.They make new rules all the time for safety.Better walls and such.

If you are a race fan,this may be fun to watch,but when they are cutting your family member out of the car,then maybe not so cool.Just my take.

[jbell1981]

Quote:

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but he was stuck because he went 5 or so down due to a plug wire...that doesn't make him a "worse" car in the field.

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But he did have a problem that put him in that position. The first car a lap down was running a better race because he didn't have a problem that put 5 laps down. I don't see why Khane should be rewared for that and the other cars ahead of him be punished for Khane's misfortune.

[BUSHWAC]

I totally agree that it is dangerous. Racing is an inherently dangerous sport that people choose or choose not to participate in. Do I think the safer walls and hanse device are great additions to racing and safety, sure I do. But I personally liked the race back to the yellow dangerous or not. You state anything we can do to make racing safer is a must, how about we put governors on the cars and let them drive around at 55. Absurd and uncalled for because I prefer the old rules of racing back to the yellow, I don’t think so.

[harvey lee]

Some fans also like to watch crashes and think they are also cool.I think not.Yes the speed and excitment is great,but you have to have some safety measures or you wont have any racers.They have a love for racing and speed,but not a death wish.

[lawdog]

Bushwac, you ever been in a race car? Been upside down in one? Been hit right in the door by a car while you are spinning out? Or hit once on each side like and feeling like a darn pinball? They all friggen hurt a lot, trust me, I've done all them things and they are not a fun part of racing...

Race like crazy when the flag is green, slow down and be safe when its yellow. There is already something extra unsafe out there then or there wouldn't be a yellow in the first place, the last thing we need is to add some guys slowing down and some guys speeding up at the same time as the other unsafe condition and maybe even in the exact same area as the problem!

[BUSHWAC]

Like it or not crashes are a part of racing. I certainly don’t want to see anybody get hurt but again there is only so much a governing body can do to prevent it with out taking too much away from the actual racing. I realize it’s a fine line between safety and a high speed racing event. Do I like crashes, that’s a catch 22 question all the way? Like I stated before, I don’t want to see anybody hurt but I like competitive action packed racing and the risk that the drivers face is a reality. I know there are those that don’t give a dang about the driver’s safety and some of you might think that of me but it’s not the case.