Mikey should have been DQ'd

[Lizzerd]

Hit a crewmember in the pits, and you are disqualified from the race. The rule was made by CART, and it was not enforced. Bad, bad... The reason Mikey hit his crewman was not overexuberance, it was another TEAM member telling him to go, so he went. Not his fault. Winning a race is a TEAM effort. Losing a race can, and should be enphasized as a TEAM effort as well. If a TEAM can win a race for a driver by giving him great pit stops, then if a driver hits a TEAM member because of another TEAM member's bad judgement (RF tire man?) or slip-up (vent man?), then the TEAM should be DQ'd, and too bad for the driver and his potential points. A rule is a rule. Enforce it or scrap it, CART.

[Crash Test]

I dont know if it is just because i have been listening oo much to Franie of late, but my crazy idea on the issue is as follows:
The pit crew go over the wall only when he car stops, and then car can't leave the pits until all of the crew members are back over the wall.

I know it is silly and wont happen, but you wouldn't get as many people being run down. It would slow the whole show down, but it would be the same for everyone.

Smiley

[Jay]

Funny, in Formula One they have twice as many pit crew, half as much space, the pit stops are done twice as fast, they don't have a stupid wall, yet they have almost none of these incidents that Cart has.

The reason there is more car to car contact is that in Cart half the cars come into the pits at once, where as in F1 it is rare if more than 2 cars are in the pits at the same time.

However this does not excuse the hitting of pit crew. I would suggest that the answer to this problem is simply being more careful. In F1 it is the guy with the lolly-pop's job to make sure that everyone is clear before he lets the car go. Someone on the team isn't doing their job, and I would suggest that it is particularily Micheal's crew chief that is at fault.

He should be DQed to send a message to the teams that this is unacceptable.

[Crash Test]

"half as much space"
- Ah, isn't there only 11 teams spread over the entire length of pit lane? It may look tight, but there would be heaps more area.
The reason they are so quick is because they have half the population of China woeking on the cars. I think you'd find if Cart had as much space as F1 it would be a heap better.

[Green_man4421]

Because the rules are what the rules are yes he should have been dqed.

But the rules are definatly wrong. Crew members need to be kept safe by crews crews have to look after their own crew memebers. IT is not up to CART to decide that if an accident happens someone should be Dqed. Accidents happen teams will do all to stop them happenin so what is the point of making it a bigger problem, by dqeying drivewrs they already feel bad enough.

When was that rule madE?

[Regs]

I agree with Jay in that CART could take a few lessons from F1. During an F1 pitstop, you'll notice each wheel guy raises his hand when he's finished. This is what the lolipop guy looks for, and if all the hands aren't raised, then the driver don't go. I think CART should adopt this same proceedure. The crew chief out there should be holding the same type lolipop and the wheelmen should raise thier hand and back off when ready. That is what I think they should do.

[Liz]

I agree with Regs. But it is the vent guys that Mikey keeps running over isn't it? Do they raise their hands too? They should if they don't, and back up to where the pilote can see them.

AND I agree with Lizzerd - it is a team error so the team gets DQ'd.

BUT we all know that nobody whose last name is Andretti is going to be punished for anything he does. That is just the way it is.... and no matter how he SAYS he is "upset" by his continuous running into and over crewmen and other pilotes, HE KEEPS ON DRIVING. A pilote with any sort of common human decency (e.g. My Gil, who did run over one of his guys) would show how "upset" he is by PULLING IN TO BE SURE THE FELLOW IS ALL RIGHT. And then by NOT DOING IT AGAIN.

I shudder for the day when Mikey kills a pit man and wins that race - and dedicates it to the man he killed to win.

[AndrettiRULES]

I find it quite ironic that Michael Schumacher runs over his crew member one week after Andretti runs over his. Who was saying it's so much safer in F1?!

I think we can all agree that something needs to be done to keep the crews safe, but with any competition, seconds and even split seconds are what truly matter to the crews....sad, but in most cases true.

AR

[Liz]

Someone has written an article on Seventh Gear about this and I had an email from him today that said essentially that the guy that was hit had stepped back and the engineer thought he was clear. As in the F1 incident, a misread signal and a dangerous one. Perhaps they should run the pit stops on Le Mans rules; no work on the car while the fuel is going in? If everybody has to conform, then they'd adjust their strategy accordingly and it would be safer for everyone.

[Green_man4421]

Looks like F1 took a book out of CARts Pit stratedies.

[craigmanning]

...what about Derek Walker's idea where the car stays up on the air jacks until the refuelling is done? Everybody stands back, the vent man drops the car, The driver watches the front tire changer who waves him out...apparently Derek wanted to move the air nozzle to a safer place on the car (I think toward the rear) for the man to operate it, but this was voted down by CART.

[slicktoast]

Not to worry he'll DNF this weekend anyway.

[bella]

ah, so so true.

retire before it gets embarassing, mikey dude.

[jms]

About the original question, yes, the team should have been disqualified. Its too bad CART didn't stick to what they said in the drivers meeting. I don't care for Mikey, but it wasn't his fault. It was a team thing and they should have paid the stated price. Not some Mickey Mouse interpertation of a stated stance.

[Joe Fan]

I think that the penalty that Michael received was fair. Michael didn't move until one of his pit crew members waved him out on the replay. The injured pit crew member didn't appear to be hurt that bad as he showed little pain when he was being hauled away in the cart. I don't like rules that DQ a driver and a whole team when it is a mistake by one crew member. However, if the crew member was seriously hurt, then DQ them as the health of a conrad should be more important than a race. Overall, I think CART did the right thing in Andretti's situation.

[Liz]

But if you change the name to Paul Tracy, would you say the same?

Yes, the whole team including the pilote should be punished when someone on the team makes a dangerous mistake. That way they will watch one another and learn to be careful. Just like when the teacher keeps you all in at recess because Louie was throwing spitballs and nobody would confess. You want the behaviour to stop, and you can't watch everybody, so you make the situation such that they will watch each other.

[Joe Fan]

Liz, Paul Tracy is brutal but in the same scenario, the penalty should be the same. The penalty that Michael received was fair. I don't get into all the politics and conspiracy theories but the bottom line is that Michael received a penalty that wasn't his fault, it was the fault of one of his crewman and the injured crewman was alright as it appeared his injuries were minor. Any update on his condition? The show rolls on.

[slicktoast]

So if a pit crew member gets run over it's not the driver's fault (injured or uninjured) and shouldn't get a penalty. If a hose gets run over it's not the driver's fault and the team should get a penalty. Most pitlane penalties are the crew's fault and the team suffers a penalty. Isn't the driver part of the team? Why do the rules get grey all of sudden depending on who has broken them?

[AndrettiRULES]

As if everyone didn't already know that CART did DQ Andretti and take away all of his points as well as prize money, I'd like to make a comment. It's not Michael's fault that CART "doesn't" want to penalize him because his last name is Andretti. Take your arguments against CART and not Andretti....it's the same deal with NASCAR and Earnhardt.

AR

[Liz]

Actually "everyone" DID NOT know that the stewards finally did the right thing.

I'm not saying Mikey is to blame for not (originally) getting punished as he would have if he didn't have David Letterman, Paul Newman and the world's most expensive PR machine on his side - but what I am saying is that the rules are for everyone and should be enforced equally against everyone. Dallenbach was in Newman-Haas' back pocket and everybody knew it, and it looked for awhile as if this new guy was going to climb right in next to him. Obviously not, though and good for him.

I don't know anything about NASCAR so can't comment on Earnhardt et al.

[floid2000]

Yup ! Mike should have probably been DQ'd.
But , Liz and most of you, Why do you hate a guy because he may have had an easier life than some of us. Mike is always nice to us fans at Homestead ,Spring training too.
And Liz, Your Gil doesn't exactly work for a mom and pop organization. You once said yourself how rude some of Penskes people were to the fans. Being born with a silver helmet on your head shouldnt be a crime.

[Liz]

No, it should not. Only if you take advantage of it blatantly and frequently to circumvent the rules.

As in: What about that "passing in the pit lane" stunt he did last night? Any penalty assessed for that? NOT THAT I HEARD ABOUT!

[slicktoast]

My humble apologies to MA fans , I said he would DNF. Well then he goes and wins... at least for the next few days anyway. I don't think I missed anything in the ABC coverage, they showed MA passing in the pits under yellow but I don't recall any penalty. I recind my DNF call and submit a DNGP (did not get penalized). CART officials are starting to look like fools!

[Liz]

I guess they were all waving black flags at Kurasawa and just missed Mikey trying to hit Brack in the pit lane. It couldn't have been a "freebie" to apologize for last race, now, could it?

And was that Mikey on TV saying that he thought it was the crew's responsibility to get out of his way? Heck if I'd be on his crew if he really has that attitude!

[AndrettiRULES]

If you would have actually witnessed this 'pass' and not have listened to Parker Johnstone maybe you wouldn't be saying what you are. He clearly passed Brack before the yellow line which is considered the beginning of pit road because that's the line where the speed must be 50 or below. So technically he didn't pass in the pits...but then that'd be stating that he passed while under yellow?!?!

David Letterman isn't on Newman/Haas FYI. He's a part owner of Team Rahal. Again I think you should be taking up an argument with CART and not Michael. Don't blame him for not getting penalized by CART.

AR