CC Announces Modification To Mandatory Pit Stop Rules

[Dov]

From Cart.com..... http://www.champcarworldseries.com/N...le.asp?ID=8187

A single mandatory pit stop, made under green or yellow flag conditions, is now required within a specified race lap window during all Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford events. The one stop, during which the car must take fuel and four tires, will be the only stop mandated during Champ Car races.

[Kicking-back]

A step in the right direction.

Just needs one more step to have no mandatory stops.

[jv#12]

why can't you just pit when you need to. i guess one mandatory stop is better than two or three.

[racinthestreets]

[scooby_au]

excellent news!

[Flatspot]

A very ggod step in the right direction. As far as I can tell the only thing different here than a pit when you want rule is the placement of the window. It will be interesting to see how they do it. In a race that normally requires three stops will the window be in the front, middle, or final third, small window vs. large window etc. Looks like some heads got turned over the results at Road America.

[racinthestreets]

From Flatspot:

Looks like some heads got turned over the results at Road America.

Well said. It also shows that not a single hombre, PG, controls the rules. He and GF benefited from the pit rules for the win and podium finish for Lavin. I like this movement and would further like to see no mandatory pit requirements moving forward.

[Snrub]

GF benifited from the RA result? His #1 driver PT is essentially out of the championship now. If you were him would you trade a Lavin 2nd place for that?

I'm tempted to say that they should just stop messing with the pit rules. Leave it open and let the drivers and teams figure it out.

[Mags]

I tell you what. I won't be happy until there are NO pit stop rules.

We are talking about a spec series right now. A *cough* top flight series that has a single engine. It should be up to the teams to employ every single bit of strategy they can to win.. and mandetory pit stops SUCK.

JMO.

[esorniloc]

I don't see why they have to have mandatory pit stops. If some drivers/teams can make a race on one stop less than others, but are slower, then I don’t see a problem with that.

I think it would create more exciting racing than we have had since the start of 02.

[dubby99]

I guess mandatory pitstops were first put into place to get rid of economy runs so what will you rather see:
Driver (A) shortshifting and not going hard out lap after lap saving fuel or
Driver (B) going 10 tenths every lap at the limit as if it was qualifying?

I am with driver (B) but does that mean we need mandatory pit stops, no not really but maybe if we take these fuel mixture setting in the cockpits away from the driver then we will find out who is the faster driver not the sunday driver conserving fuel.

[macdaddy]

Perhaps instead, set a "maximum" number of pitstops allowed during the race? (Exceptions in the case of damage or mechanical failure). This would make it impossible to pull a MGF, pitting 12 times and still winning the race.

[f1manoz]

Step in teh right direction, but WALLED's first sentence does have a real element of truth...

[Kicking-back]

If someone wants to lap slower, save fuel and capitalise on track position - fine.

If someone pits twelve times and still manages to win a race - fine.

[paulzinho]

This pit window thing is a load of

It was that sort of decision making which turned alot of fans away from the sport.

Hopefully they'll get rid of them completely soon.

[macdaddy]

I'm really torn here.
I accept the arguments against pitwindows, and even agree with them.
On the other hand, I agree with what they were intended to do.
The "3-green-stops" format used at RA wasn't too bad, IMO.

I applaud OWRS however, and their willingness to at least TRY new things, for thinking outside the box. And they're willing to admit it when things don't work, ala qualifying.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by Mags
I tell you what. I won't be happy until there are NO pit stop rules.

We are talking about a spec series right now. A *cough* top flight series that has a single engine. It should be up to the teams to employ every single bit of strategy they can to win.. and mandetory pit stops SUCK.

JMO.

I agree...they really do....

Get rid of them and let teams devise their own stop strategies....that is what racing is about...

[Kicking-back]

Give Tim the job of running the series.

[luke]

Yeah, but we I very much doubt we would get as many different winners, for instance I doubt Alex Tagliani would of won at road america because the front runners would have been in squence.

[SPRacer]

Did it say anywhere how long the one mandatory pit window will be open or when it will take place each race (approximately)? Couldn't you still get the shrot end of the stick if you have to pit for some unforeseen reason just before the window opens, as you will then have to go right back in?

Pit windows do stink.

[jjspierx]

I think they will just have to pit before a certain lap is my guess.

[esorniloc]

In 2001, Max Papis pitted many times on his way to winning at Laguna Seca. I don't see a problem with how many times he pitted in that race, he won with a great stratergy.

In 97 in Detroit the PacWest cars nearly won by only pitting once, again it was a good stratergy.

I really DON'T see a problem with either of these cases.

[Kicking-back]

Totally agree, esorniloc - there's more than one way to skin a cat.

And if they were able to restrict the (often needless) yellows, it would help stop "economy runs" more sensibly.

[Hazard]

In 97 in Detroit the PacWest cars nearly won by only pitting once, again it was a good stratergy.

Yep, would bring back interesting racing like this...as you say - 'nearly won', as they both ran out of fuel.

[Omega99]

The thing with a (near) spec series is that the cars are so evenly matched that they don't get very spaced out. If the leader were trying to conserve fuel, the other dirvers/teams behind him would smell blood and go for it. I don't think there is really a need for mandatory pit rules of any kind, provided the track has some places to pass at it. Brands last year was a snoozer because everyone took it easy, and had little choice because they had no where to go.

If there MUST be some rules, I would say make the drivers take, say three pitstops in a race at anytime. As long as they do three, it's ok. You'd see some very interesting strategy at the back of the pack. Under yellow, a backmarker pits, then catches up to te field, and pits again, loads up on fuel and goes the distance. That's probably what the whole "green flag pitstop" thing was trying to avoid.

Really no matter what, there's as much strategy, it's just different. There's advantages and disadvatages to both. This year can be an experimnetaion year, and hopefully they figure it out and can keep it consistent throughout next year.