BTCC- what is this obsession with safety cars?

[Icebaby]

Along with the rules Im starting to see a side of BTCC which I wish I hadn't in that situations are artificially created for the purpose of TV and the championship and thats a great shame as it dilutes the credability of the sport.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by mini1400

Hmmm... The second and third races had delayed starts to fit in with the TV schedules, not the other way round...

However if the safety car had been used in the Clio race the BTCC races would have been delayed beyond the already TV delayed start.

[Stephen Green]

Yes overtaking can resume once the yellow flags have been withdrawn.

[Dave Brand]

Maybe the answer is to reduce the need for the safety car by a rigorous clampdown on driving standards?

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

Maybe the answer is to reduce the need for the safety car by a rigorous clampdown on driving standards?

But then they'd have to change all their publicity and all the "vultures" wouldn't tune in/come to watch the carnage!

[Sodemo]

Perhaps if they hadn't had wasted 34 laps?! on a 10 car Porsche race there would be more time in the schedule to do other stuff like put out safety cars.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Perhaps if they hadn't had wasted 34 laps?! on a 10 car Porsche race there would be more time in the schedule to do other stuff like put out safety cars.

34 laps of the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit doesn't take that long, when you consider how short the circuit is, and how quick the Porsche's are.

[Chigley]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

Maybe the answer is to reduce the need for the safety car by a rigorous clampdown on driving standards?

How about the prima donna's and all support race drivers learn what a yellow flag means and obey it and CoC's have the "gonads" to publicly punish infringements. When can anyone remember a driving standards flag or black flag being used at a BTCC meeting for flag infringements?

If drivers understood what the flags meant (instead of thinking they are fluttering bunting) then there wouldn't need to have as many safety car interruptions as marshals could work safely at the trackside. It might even make more realist TV coverage

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by redshoes

My problem isn't so much with the use of the SC during BTCC races but it's lack of use in support races. As we've already said, in the Clio race there was a car left in what at best was a marginal position. If you adopt the 'safety is paramount' attitude then you must err on the side of caution and send the SC out so that the stricken car can be removed.

Trouble was it wasn't just the position that was marginal, it was the timetable. We were already a few mins behind schedule - the SC would have extended the race and pushed the BTCC race (live on TV don't forget) beyond it's scheduled start time.

Every race yesterday afternoon was live on TV, so I think you're being a bit paranoid.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Every race yesterday afternoon was live on TV, so I think you're being a bit paranoid.

You exaggerate - the first BTCC race certainly wasn't.