when a caution comes out, when does the field become frozen?

Question

if one spins out durning the frozen field on a caution, does the drive keep the spot they were in before they had spun out?

Answer 1

It is suposed to but I think Nascar decides to do it when they feel like it .

Answer 2

The field becomes frozen at the point which the leaders last crossed a marker on the track. These markers are at various points around the track so the officials can tell who the leader was when the caution came out and what order to line them back up in.

Answer 3

The field automatically becomes frozen the very second the caution comes out.

Answer 4

Positions are immediately frozen upon a caution provided certain conditions are met.

Condition 1: Cars are to immediately begin reducing speed and stop racing! Whether you are aware of a caution or not is of no consequence as your actions under caution are paramount in any ruling, not your "impressions".

Whether the leaders know there is a caution or not, if they are racing, they are culpable and eligible for penalty because the Caution was out.

Does the statement, "Honest officer, I didn't realize I was doing 75 mph in a 35 mph zone", ring a bell?

Condition 2: Any car involved in bringing out a caution is allowed to be overtaken under caution and may rejoin the line, if he can, and will be scored in the position in which they rejoin the line. If you are turned while ignoring Condition 1, positioning is a crapshoot.

Condition 3: Any car that overtakes under caution will be allowed to voluntarily surrender the spot to the rightful owner. If he does not, before taking the caution flag, he is subject to NASCAR intervening and being placed EOLL.

Penalty for failing to heed NASCAR's repositioning request is Black Flag w/ End of Longest Line.

If a driver is operating outside of Condition 1, then all bets are off on his "frozen" position.


Those are the rules folks.


Now consider the rules and what took place in Montreal.

The Leader and 2nd place were indeed racing under caution, which is a violation of Condition 1.

The 2nd place driver spun the leader under caution and overtook him. He immediately came under scrutiny for passing under yellow, regardless if he was or was not in violation of Condition1. The dethroned leader rejoined the line in 13th, according to where NASCAR told him he should be, presumably not allowed to regain his "frozen" position for being in viloation of Condition 1. He was considered by NASCAR to be like the cars involved in bringing out the caution, eliglble to be overtaken under caution.

As soon as the new leader had been made aware he had passed under yellow, he should have pulled over and rejoined in line behind the old leader before he took the caution flag as that would have made him in compliance with the rules. As it was, both drivers took the caution flag out of position and both were subject to NASCAR enforcement of the rules.



NASCAR already had one driver involved not heeding orders so they were pretty sure the other one wouldn't either, so why bother issuing any immediate punishment for racing under caution.

Anyone here want to be the NASCAR official ordered to go stand in front of Gordon's car, at that point?

By all the rules, both the dethroned and new leader should have restarted in the back for being outside of Condition 1. However, neither seemed intent on operating under the rules so NASCAR figured, let nature take it course.

What happened after that was pretty much what should have happened, neither of them won and it was far more entertaining than just watching NASCAR line up the cars.

I don't know why the new leader was allowed to restart up front other than NASCAR was aware that he wouldn't be there long. Since Gordon was beyond control, why not just let him “issue” the penalty? Neither of them was going to be scored the winner anyway because of the violation of Condition1.

It was just NASCAR's way of saying, "If you don't like our rules, how do you like it when we let drivers make up their own as they go along?"

Answer 5

it's SUPPOSED to be frozen at the time of the caution, when the cars pass the closest scoring monitors..... but, here lately, it's frozen whenever the NASCAR suits decide it's frozen.... Is it just me, or is the NASCAR 'government' beginning to act a lot like our country's government..... Adopting the 'cuz I said so' type of tyranny?

Answer 6

It is SUPPOSED to be frozen immediately, as long as you maintain your speed. However, it is at their discretion (apparently) if you get spun out AFTER the caution and cannot maintain your speed until you are done spinning!

Answer 7

What Scott said.
I think it's kinda funny that the exact same thing that happened to Robby Gordon happened to Jamie McMurray during the Pepsi 400 this year. The only difference was Jamie got his spot back, Robby didn't.

Answer 8

It is according to the incident...if the driver spins do to not slowing or driving recklessly then he must go to the end of whichever lap he was on line and restart from there. That is what MIKE HELTON SAID

Answer 9

Sometimes it seems as if it's determined by who the driver is that has spun. The rules are really no rules.

Answer 10

No, they have to maintain "pace car speed". I'm pretty sure the same thing happened to Tony Stewart either earlier this year or last year.

Answer 11

yes they do. the field is frozen when caution flag is given. robbie gordon should have been given his spot back.