If a car has an accident on the first lap of a NEXTEL race and it takes the team 10 laps to get the car back on the track, and it is the only car not on the lead lap, is that car considered the "lucky dog" if a caution flag happens? Could that car go on and win the race even though it raced 10 laps less than all of the other cars on the lead lap?
2007-04-06 12:43:34 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Auto Racing ➔ NASCAR
Yes, the car would be the lucky dog. The first car not on the lead lap is the eligible driver (unless the driver was penalized a lap(s) for something like agressive driving). However, they only get one lap back per lucky dog. So, it would take ten LD's to get back on the lead lap, in your scenario. It would be pretty much impossible for 10 cautions to come out before another car went a lap down, so it will never happen. However, Kyle Busch got 5 laps back via the lucky dog at Watkins Glen last August. He finished 9th on the lead lap. Then again, at road courses, most of the cars running finish on the lead lap. Cars don't often get lapped there, unless they had an unscheduled pit stop or went behind the wall. In Kyle's scenario, he lost a wheel and they had to repair the tire mount, which took 5 laps for them to complete. Don't expect that to ever happen on an oval!
2007-04-06 13:35:53 · answer #1 · answered by jaynarie 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Technically, if that car was to get luck enough to remain the only car down on laps, then the driver would get back one lap per caution. So, it would take 10 cautions (without anybody else being a lap down), before the car would be back on the lead lap.
However, everytime the driver gets the lucky dog, he has to drive past the pace car and speed on ahead of the field and catch back up to the field. So, he is actually completing that lap. Mind you, he's doing it under caution, so he is still getting a slight fuel advantage.
But, yes, tecnically speaking, a driver can use the lucky dog to get back on the lead lap and win a race. Ryan Newman did it at Dover back in 2003. After getting the pole for the race, he went down a couple of laps. He ended up using the lucky dog rule a couple of times that day, ended up back on the lead lap, and raced on for a win that day. If I'm not wrong, that was the first race that used the "lucky dog rule."
2007-04-07 06:57:27 · answer #2 · answered by jpsmith479 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
First driver one (or more) laps down) is the lucky dog, unless the driver is the caution, in that case, no one is the lucky dog. If the driver lost laps due to a penalty, they do not get the lucky dog either.
If a driver is 10 laps down, and the only car not on the lead lap when the caution flies, they will still get the lucky dog.
And on your last question, If I am understanding it correctly, no, unless it made up the 10 laps. Once the race starts, anybody thats behind gets put behind, regardless.
2007-04-07 05:46:46 · answer #3 · answered by martin_rulz6 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. You have to be the only car one lap down of the leader or the first car leading the lapped cars to get the lucky dog, meaning to be in the end of the lead cars on the same lap. If you're more than one lap down and you're the only one behind, the laps you're behind are subtracted with each caution flag that comes out. But that's nearly improbable.
2007-04-06 19:56:46 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He would be lucky dog but still be 9 laps down.If he gets 9 more lucky dogs he could win,but not likely.
That's all I have to sat about that.
2007-04-06 22:45:53 · answer #5 · answered by blakree 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They only get one of their laps back
2007-04-06 23:11:46 · answer #6 · answered by Eric C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lucky dog....hahahahahaha!!!
how stupid!
LOL!
2007-04-07 05:15:40 · answer #7 · answered by Kaya 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋