How about this as a rule change?

Question

How bout when there is a caution for debris, the pace car picks up the field, the debris is removed and they start racin' the next time by? If anyone wants to it..go ahead and pit. The pits were open before the caution and they should remain open during the caution; but we're goin' green the next time by.
I think that would do away with all of the usless caution laps. Although NASCAR uses that opportunity to go to commercial and sell, sell, sell!!!

Answer 1

The reason the pits are closed as soon as a caution comes out is for scoring. Keeping Pit Road closed for a lap allows all the cars to pass all the scoring loops in sequence.

A car going down pit road can trip a scoring loop out of sequence even though are limited to Pace Car speed, they travel a shorter distance. Any car that enters a closed pit incurs an EOLL penalty.

That is also the reason lapped cars are not allowed to pit with the lead lap cars. If a lead lap car trips a scoring loop before a lap car, it does not matter.

Generally, the postions are scrambled with lap cars separating Lead lap cars through the field when a caution comes out. By forcing the lead lap and lapped cars to pit at different times ensures that they enter pit road in the right sequence. How they get off Pit Road is up to the pit stop. Getting a better pit stop is the only legal way to still pass under yellow.

If NASCAR wanted to alleviate the grousing about the debris yellow, they could try and institute an "Interval Rule." That would create a firestorm the likes of which has never been witnessed in NASCAR. All fans, drivers and team owners except for the Leader of course, would all be saying that NASCAR was biased toward who was leading, giving him an unfair advantage.

NASCAR can't look good, no matter what they do. Penalize the leader by allowing everyone to close or penalize everyone else to keep the leader happy.

Fans have been complaining about debris cautions for 25 years, but only some of the current spoiled beyond belief drivers have put themselves in a no-win situation with NASCAR over it.

In the past, drivers realized they were hired to drive racecars and the implication was to race. Drivers who whine about losing a little lead and having to race someone, wouldn't be a driver on my team if I were an owner and they won't ever get my respect as a race fan.

Shut up and race!

I love debris cautions when someone other than my drivers are leading and I'm benevolent when the leader is my driver. I just move to the edge of my seat and await what is about to transpire when the green flag waves.

I don't buy the argument that debris cautions should only be called if the debris is large enough to be easily seen.

I recall a Daytona 500 which Earnhardt lost on the last lap because he ran over something and cut his RF tire. What cut the tire was never known. It was not known how long it was there before he ran over it as no driver saw anything. The tire did not just go flat, it was cut.

Answer 2

Its been done before, but usually at the end of a race where they know most drivers won't pit. Especially if a caution was just out a few laps ago.

The reason they won't set this in stone is if there is alot of cars that are a lap down, they would play a role on pit road and you don't want to cause someone to lose a race because a car 3 laps down causes the leader of the race to have an extra second or 2 because he's in the way or pulling into the stall as the leader is pulling out. It just won't happen.

Answer 3

That would definitely be interesting. Pit Strategy would be a large factor in wins. Debris cautions are just boring. They should just embrace side by side commercials. All too often we see a caution after a wreck because it happened during a commercial. And caution for debris would be less if disgruntled fans would stop throwing empty beer bottles at #24. They should at least toss him full ones:).

Answer 4

I love that rule change! Cautions shouldn't be used to give the crews a chance to pit, they should be used to make the race safe... If its something small you can get off in one lap of caution then hell yea get it and lets go back racing! You are 100% right too many useless caution laps!

Answer 5

Let me set this you for you... Ready.
(your driver) says " we were runnin up front all day, 10 to go NASCAR threw a quick caution and didn't get everything picked up, we ran over something, blew a tire and hit the wall, and now instead of a top 3 we finished 38th. We really needed the points and NASCAR should have seen it. but what can you do?"
Now thats just what I think will happen. Then is NASCAR's fault and everyone here will be talkin about the " quick caution"

Answer 6

Here are the rule changes that are needed.
1- Remove sheet metal from the front of the car so it does not go to the ground.
2- Reduce the spoiler.
Those two moves will allow drivers to pass one another more and make more interesting racing.

Except for Restrictor plate racing and a few other high speed tracks, bumping should be allowed. People go to races to see bumping and to see wrecks.

3- Tires is another problem. In the old days, they would wear out the tires and blown tires would happen. The tires are just too good now.

Answer 7

I deinitely agree that it shouldn't take so many laps to get a piece of rubber off the track, but do you seriously think NASCAR is going to give up that commercial time? After all it is a business, not a sport.

Answer 8

what do ya mean sell sell sell the other day i was watching a 4 hour commercial and they interupted it 20 times with 2 min worth of racing

Answer 9

Hey, they go to commercial and sell, sell, sell even when it's GREEN! I cannot tell you how many times during Talladega we had to endure commercial after commercial after commercial on green flag runs!

Answer 10

Sure depending on what type of debris was on the track.
If it is little... freaking get it off the track and lets go green!