Pit Windows for Milwaukee

[macdaddy]

This, paraphrased from CART.com...

Champ Car will bring back the mandatory pit windows that were used last year...

The pit windows, which are currently slated to be in effect for the Milwaukee race only, will be set for 59 laps for Saturday night’s 250-lap event at the Milwaukee Mile.

"We have learned through our experience that the use of pit windows works exceedingly well for us on oval tracks," said Champ Car Technical Director Lee Dykstra. "Milwaukee is a very important event for us and we want to ensure that the fans get the most competitive racing that we can provide."

http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7800

I dunno what to think. The pit windows may look good on paper, and perhaps they'll work just fine and provide a very interesting race. But if I were to watch the 97 Milwaukee race again, I'd be reminded of just how exciting a race can become, based on strategy alone. (To earn his fisrt-ever victory, Greg Moore ran the final 92 laps without stopping).

[D.R.T.]

I aggree, I really enjoy the tactical battles with full levels.
I'm not sure if I like the organisers playing with rules every new race. They could start to annoy the teams etc

[Kicking-back]

I'd just say - you've got your car, pit when you want to. Go and race.

[sgjb]

I agree cars should run and let it be, but I did hate watching Max Papis win by being basically the slowest driver on the course and still win a race.

It doesn't seem fair to the guys working hard competing all day but not conserving fuel.

If we had tracks like F1 one and had crews removing cars properly right away as to remove yellows, then all would be great. You don't see backmarkers in F1 winning because they conserved fuel!

Is it feasible in CART to have cranes at all corners to help be like F1?

[macdaddy]

But then again, removing the yellows could easily produce massive leads and strung-out cars, as demonstrated by F1.

[Flatspot]

If it were up to me alone I would vote to:

Pit when you feel it necessary.
Limit fuel consumption.
Limit numbers of tires and run softer compounds.
Use the boost button.
Let the yellows fly and use the pace car.
Put all the cars not on the lead lap behind those that are on the restarts.

I relaize that it doesn't lead to the fastest car always winning but it does lead to speed, stratagy, and luck playing a part. Most of the time it leads to exciting racing and more potential winners.

[Dov]

Originally posted by sgjb
I agree cars should run and let it be, but I did hate watching Max Papis win by being basically the slowest driver on the course and still win a race. It doesn't seem fair to the guys working hard competing all day but not conserving fuel.

sgjb, how often did Max Papis, Roberto Moreno and other backmarkers win races by conserving fuel? Not too often if I remember correctly. Yes, sometimes the backmarkers held up Zanardi, Unser Jr., Moore, Tracy, Andretti, etc., for part of the race, but in the end the leaders usually made it back to the front of the field!

Giving the teams and drivers the choice to decide on how many times they wanted to come in for pit-stops, how much fuel they wanted to take on board and if they wanted to stay on the old rubber or have four new sticker tires put on the car is what made the CCWS so exciting to watch and can be again!! One of my favourite races was Detroit 1997 when Greg Moore passed the PacWest Racing Team (who was conserving fuel) on the last lap to win the race......Great Stuff!

Originally posted by sgjb
If we had tracks like F1 one and had crews removing cars properly right away as to remove yellows, then all would be great. You don't see backmarkers in F1 winning because they conserved fuel!

I'm not a huge fan of yellow flag racing myself, but I think the occasional yellow made the races more thrilling. If your team gambled right, you had a chance at winning the race or at least finish on the podium, but if you gambled wrong, your race is shot! Regarding your F1 statement....you don't see anybody other then Michael Schumacher winning these days and if F1 did have the occasional yellow flag during their races then maybe the other drivers would have a chance at winning the odd race.

P.S. I'm not sure how to do it, but it anyone on the CC forum would like to start an online-petition asking OWRS to change the rule(s) re: the mandatory pit stops, I would be the first to sign it!

Cheers,

Dov

[Omega99]

OWRS have shown that they have no problems with experimenting with new ideas, and have no problem scrapping them if they don't work out. So they might as well at least try a race with no pit rules. How about Portland? Just like the good old days. It's worth a try, anyways.

[Hazza]

Yeah, I'm not realy happy about the pit windows - I think they'd find that with out the the race would be more exciting and unpredictable.

[Snrub]

I don't have a big problem with going back to the old-old system as has been suggested. Moore's win in '97 was the ultimate fuel conservation win. He truely deserved it because he was fastest. Yes he went a long way on that last stint, but he was lifting on the straights to make it happen. It's an extremely hard way to win!

One way to limit wild stratagies is to reduce yellow flag situations. What is the top cause of yellows? Field filler, it's the Hiro Matsush!tsas of the world who typically cause yellows. The recent IRL race was a perfect example where the Foyts caused yellows because they didn't belong there. Yellows are fine and they happen, but the wild stratagies work best when one can count on deadwood crashing to match a fuel window.

As for yellows in F1, the one race MS didn't win was when he/JPM took him out during the yellow flag period. Coincidence?