>On Mon, 9 Nov 1998 06:30:04 GMT, rick_wil…@email.com (Rick Willis)
>wrote:
>>Another rule I’m not very fond of is the previous year’s Champ getting
>>pit choice for an entire season.  BIG advantage to someone who obviously
>>doesn’t particularly need one.  I guess pit speed limits has negated
>>this advantage to an extent.
>>–
>>Have a hardcore day…

>>Rick

>Earth to Rick, Earth to Rick…

>That particulaer abomination was eliminated two years ago

I gather that the fastest qualifier gets his choice, second fastest gets
second choice and so on.  How did JG get a spot so close to the front of
the pits with a qualifying position of 21?  Seems like close to the
front would be desirable.

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

>Jack R. Ceman, in article <3648b99b.74018…@news.jacksonville.net> from
>jce…@mediaone.net on Tue, 10 Nov 1998 22:13:59 GMT, took a mighty swig
>of Jack Daniels, deeply inhaled a lung-busting hit of chronic, coughed
>profusely and then uttered…
>> On Mon, 9 Nov 1998 06:30:04 GMT, rick_wil…@email.com (Rick Willis)
>> wrote:
>> >Another rule I’m not very fond of is the previous year’s Champ getting
>> >pit choice for an entire season.  BIG advantage to someone who obviously
>> >doesn’t particularly need one.  I guess pit speed limits has negated
>> >this advantage to an extent.
>> >–
>> >Have a hardcore day…

>> >Rick

>> Earth to Rick, Earth to Rick…

>> That particulaer abomination was eliminated two years ago

>> Blue Skies,
>> Jack
>> NCB108…

>LOL…my bad.  Guess wishes DO come true, even if one isn’t aware of it
>:-)
>–
>Have a hardcore day…

>Rick

BTW, I didn’t cough….

…and it was Maker’s Mark!
Blue Skies,
Jack
NCB108…

behind

How does the start/finish line figure in to pit selection?  I seem to
recall that being a factor a few times when caution came out during green
flag stops, some pits were in front of the line and some behind, and a lap
was lead from the pits by somebody who was stationary or something like
that… pretty fuzzy on details I wasn’t paying that close attention at the
time…

-Russ.

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

> On Mon, 9 Nov 1998 06:30:04 GMT, rick_wil…@email.com (Rick Willis)
> wrote:
> >Another rule I’m not very fond of is the previous year’s Champ getting
> >pit choice for an entire season.  BIG advantage to someone who obviously
> >doesn’t particularly need one.  I guess pit speed limits has negated
> >this advantage to an extent.
> >–
> >Have a hardcore day…

> >Rick

> Earth to Rick, Earth to Rick…

> That particulaer abomination was eliminated two years ago

> Blue Skies,
> Jack
> NCB108…

LOL…my bad.  Guess wishes DO come true, even if one isn’t aware of it

—
Have a hardcore day…

Rick

>Given the way that team works, Ray’s probably got a whole pit choice
>strategy broken down by track, qualifying position, and who knows what
>else.  Even when they have had first choice, they haven’t always
>chosen the first pit stall.  I guess for some tracks it’s an advantage
>to be able to cross the line quickly and for others it’s not…

At tracks where you expect all or nearly all pit stops to be under caution, the
first pit is the best choice.  At tracks where you expect nearly all stops to
be under green, the pit in the middle of pit lane that has the gap to go
"behind the wall" is the preferred pit, since you are back up to pit road speed
before you get to the #1 pit, making the overall time in the pits lower, yet
you still can’t get blocked in by the guy in front of you.

In any case, the pits with extra space in front of them (#1 and the one or two
I just mentioned) are some of the best, followed by the ones with space behind
(so you can actually pit at the very back of the pit box giving yourself more
maneuvering room to get back out) and spots like the #2 pit stall are also
good.

Eric
—
Eric O. Troldahl, etr…@flash.net
Lead Moderator, rec.autos.sport.nascar.moderated
http://rasnm.carracing.com/

>Another rule I’m not very fond of is the previous year’s Champ getting
>pit choice for an entire season.  BIG advantage to someone who obviously
>doesn’t particularly need one.  I guess pit speed limits has negated
>this advantage to an extent.

That rule was dropped this season (or was it last season?).  JG just
usually qualified well enough that it might have looked like he got
first choice.  

Given the way that team works, Ray’s probably got a whole pit choice
strategy broken down by track, qualifying position, and who knows what
else.  Even when they have had first choice, they haven’t always
chosen the first pit stall.  I guess for some tracks it’s an advantage
to be able to cross the line quickly and for others it’s not…

Matt Thul
[to reply via email, please delete 'dont.spam.' from my address]

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

> On 7 Nov 1998 15:16:02 -0600, etr…@flash.net (Eric O. Troldahl)
> wrote:

> >pr…@motorsport.com wrote:
> >>   37 3  Dale Earnhardt    Chv Provisional
> >>   38 5  Terry Labonte     Chv Provisional

> >Apparently took regular provisionals so that:

> >>   43 35 Darrell Waltrip   Pon Past Champions’ Provisional
> >DW could extend his record of Past Champ provisionals.

> I believe that the rules were changed this year to require that a past
> champion who needs a provisional *must* take a regular provisional if
> one is available, and that the 43rd starting spot is available to
> others if a past champion does not need it.

> This change (a good one, imho) was no doubt triggered by the race last
> year when Terry Labonte could have taken a regular provisional,
> leaving the 43rd spot for DW.  Instead, he chose to take the past
> champion provisional, which allowed then-teammate Ricky Craven to use
> the last regular provisional, and left DW out of the field.  

> Matt Thul
> [to reply via email, please delete 'dont.spam.' from my address]

Frankly, (yes, I DO like DW) I think there should be some sort of time
period, say five years, to take advantage of Past Champ provisional
‘gimme’.  I know DW struggles from week to week, but is it fair to knock
someone else from starting a race that DID qualify better to allow a
driver who, in all likelihood, will never see another top ten spot in
points at season’s end (much less another Championship)?  While they’re
at it, maybe they could limit a regular provisional as well, say a
twenty race limit since posting a win.  I know my ideas on this subject
aren’t likely to be popular with many, but it just seems to me that
Champions, past or present, have a guaranteed starting position while
those who can usually afford it the *least* are sent packing.

Another rule I’m not very fond of is the previous year’s Champ getting
pit choice for an entire season.  BIG advantage to someone who obviously
doesn’t particularly need one.  I guess pit speed limits has negated
this advantage to an extent.
—
Have a hardcore day…

Rick

>Rick

Earth to Rick, Earth to Rick…

That particulaer abomination was eliminated two years ago

Blue Skies,
Jack
NCB108…

>pr…@motorsport.com wrote:
>>   37 3  Dale Earnhardt         Chv Provisional
>>   38 5  Terry Labonte  Chv Provisional
>Apparently took regular provisionals so that:

>>   43 35 Darrell Waltrip        Pon Past Champions’ Provisional
>DW could extend his record of Past Champ provisionals.

I believe that the rules were changed this year to require that a past
champion who needs a provisional *must* take a regular provisional if
one is available, and that the 43rd starting spot is available to
others if a past champion does not need it.

This change (a good one, imho) was no doubt triggered by the race last
year when Terry Labonte could have taken a regular provisional,
leaving the 43rd spot for DW.  Instead, he chose to take the past
champion provisional, which allowed then-teammate Ricky Craven to use
the last regular provisional, and left DW out of the field.  

Matt Thul
[to reply via email, please delete 'dont.spam.' from my address]

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

"Eric O. Troldahl" wrote:

> pr…@motorsport.com wrote:

> > Starting Grid
> > NAPA 500
> > Atlanta Motor Speedway
> > Race No. 33   /  November 7, 1998

> >  Pos No.  Name                Make Time     Speed
> >   37 3  Dale Earnhardt        Chv Provisional
> >   38 5  Terry Labonte         Chv Provisional
> Apparently took regular provisionals so that:

> >   43 35 Darrell Waltrip       Pon Past Champions’ Provisional
> DW could extend his record of Past Champ provisionals.

> Can anyone tell me how many times DW actually made an effort in 2nd round, vs.
> how many times they said "we missed it, let’s try to do better for the race"?

I’d say judging by practice speeds(not just this week, but every week)
DW has no chance of making the field without a provisional.

John

–

John ‘aka’ Deliveryboy http://www.mindspring.com/~deliveryboy/index.htm

"Pa, what’s a hussy?"