Cart to dump mandatory pit window ?

Jay · 27 Mar 2003, 02:48 (Ref:549543)

Autoweek is reporting it will be dumped as of the Brands Hatch round. Anyone have any other news, sources, word of mouth, etc on this?

I think it would make the races a lot more exciting, and put the action back on the track instead of in the pits as it is now. More passing would occur too, as cars on different pit strategies would jostle for position. Right now most of the jostling is in the pits.

And I haven;t heard a single person both inside the sport and out say they like these rules, so hopefully this the rumour is true.

Snrub · 27 Mar 2003, 03:18 (Ref:549559)

Agreed, no one likes the manditory windows.

The problem in the past was that races were becoming fuel runs. While this can be interesting to the guy watching TV, it takes out some of the driver competition. People at the track do not have a clue why one car is in front of another. Any suggestions what can be done to reduce this issue?

Jay · 27 Mar 2003, 03:21 (Ref:549563)

I don't see that that is an issue.. it happens in every other form of motosport that has pit stops. Guys run different strategies, and will naturally be in different positions as the race goes on (which makes it more interesting I might add). Of course only the last lap counts.

Lee Janotta · 27 Mar 2003, 04:07 (Ref:549579)

It's about damn time!

brightline · 27 Mar 2003, 04:57 (Ref:549591)

I think the pit window was an interesting experiment that CART thought they had to try, but why they kept it this season is beyond me. The only track it worked at was Fontana.

An idea to keep teams from making "economy runs" would be for CART to instate a minimum number of pit stops per race.

A race like Monterrey for example, instead of saying you have a 25 or 26 lap pit window, just say you have to make a minimum of three stops today. If they happen to be under yellow fine, if they are all under green great. CART would simply have to mandate that pit stops would not count towards the minimum if they were back-to-back under yellow.

Maybe this is a bit complicated, but it seems better than windows opening up and 15 of 19 cars all pitting at the same time. Any thoughts.

f1manoz · 27 Mar 2003, 05:47 (Ref:549616)

I thought the mandatory pit window was good when I heard about it, but once put into practice it proved it didn't really work.

Brightline's idea of a minimum number of pitstops sounds ok, but I'd like to see it put into practice before I jump on that bandwagon!

macdaddy · 27 Mar 2003, 08:11 (Ref:549673)

The cars no longer have fuel-adjustment knobs in the cockpit. And that's why I was as taken aback as Mario Andretti was when they decided to stick with that rule coming into this season. To me it makes no sense. You can't lean the engine out anyway. Not significantly, at least. The rule, when first presented, looked great on paper. The way Andretti won at Toronto a few years ago was, well, just plain wrong. He made 57 pitstops. And so CART knew that this was an issue that they needed to address. And they did. The mandatory pitstop rule was a great bandage that was effective last year. But now that the engines are Ford-spec and the fuel knob is banished, it no longer seems to make any sense.

rustyfan · 27 Mar 2003, 09:04 (Ref:549707)

I for one hope it's true. Won't get my hopes up until I actually see something official about it though...

BootsOntheSide · 27 Mar 2003, 11:32 (Ref:549804)

I think Brightline has the right idea there. The mandatory window was brought in after soem of the races in late 2001, including the one where Papis and Gidley finished 1-2 from near the back absed on their strategy (I forget which round), but its added nothign, and the idea of setting a minimum number of pitstops (with only one stop conted during each yellow) makes much mroe sense.

racer69 · 27 Mar 2003, 12:03 (Ref:549834)

Good to see the mandatory window go if it does happen.

I'd prefer if pitstops were done away with completely.

Jay · 27 Mar 2003, 14:34 (Ref:550020)

I'd just like to go back to the old way, you can pit as many or as few times as you want, whenever you want. Like F1. If a team has a car that's more fuel efficient than the others than it's their privilege to be able to run a little longer and take advantage.

gttouring · 27 Mar 2003, 14:42 (Ref:550023)

Pit windows-maybe V10's (like premier1-for shame)-this and that buy oout by bernie-
OK how about the racing is great no mandatory pit nonsense, and if you want gas engine go with the 5 litre aluminium V8's and stick it in the toyota atlantic chassis with bigger tires and - OH they've done that before, evryone liked that racing so try it again -Champcar F5000.

paul-collins · 27 Mar 2003, 14:45 (Ref:550029)

Quote:

Originally posted by macdaddy
The cars no longer have fuel-adjustment knobs in the cockpit.

Does that include the "overtake" button? Or do they still have that?

The only other fuel strategy available is short-shifting.

I too hope that the mandatory stops go away - it allows driving methods other than "red mist"...

Snrub · 27 Mar 2003, 17:32 (Ref:550206)

I forgot about the lack of fuel nobs now.

Even so, watch a typical CART race and watch an F1 race. The fuel stratagies seem to play a bigger role in CART. Perhaps that's more to do with yellows.

Why have big engines? The only replacement for displacement is forced induction.

tanalised · 27 Mar 2003, 19:03 (Ref:550319)

Quote:

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
I think Brightline has the right idea there. The mandatory window was brought in after soem of the races in late 2001, including the one where Papis and Gidley finished 1-2 from near the back absed on their strategy (I forget which round), but its added nothign, and the idea of setting a minimum number of pitstops (with only one stop conted during each yellow) makes much mroe sense.

Its was Laguna Seca and an absolute travesty of justice. I'd like to see the current pit stops situation changed. What about no fuel stops, okay the gas tank would probably have to be bigger, the only time they would stop is for tyres unless they could conserve them or if they had a problem.

esorniloc · 28 Mar 2003, 22:09 (Ref:551581)

Great!!!!!! Why was the rule ever there in the first place?
It has created BORING racing!

extreme · 28 Mar 2003, 23:35 (Ref:551677)

With all the cars having the same engine thoritically everyone is going to have to stop on the same lap anyways so the pit window will probably be the same for everybody anyways. the oonly thing that will change that window is tires and with these tires they seem to be able to last a long time before falling off.

The Other Chris · 29 Mar 2003, 01:37 (Ref:551762)

yeah but with no pit window, even with the same engines you can have different levels of fuel, so the slower guy on a full tank will last longer then the quick guy on a low tank. This would be more exciting than pit windows as it could mix up results which would be more exciting for the viewer.

Jordi · 29 Mar 2003, 12:42 (Ref:552083)

With no fuel knob, it should be free. Racing is also that, strategy. Without the knobs, only different starting fuel loads and refuelling would play a part, not really allowing a guy who's been 18th all day to win.

Bleu · 2 Apr 2003, 19:05 (Ref:556330)

I haven't watched CART races so much during this and last season, and so I can't say much about that rule.

Last year mandatory pit stops caused this:
http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/...to/g_dom_i.jpg

Lee Janotta · 2 Apr 2003, 20:15 (Ref:556404)

Quote:

Originally posted by Bleu
Last year mandatory pit stops caused this:
http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/...to/g_dom_i.jpg

Gah! Makes my skin crawl!

Snrub · 3 Apr 2003, 01:55 (Ref:556701)

Excellent point Bleu, any past injustice paled in comparison to that one. CART could have done something a surfer's to run a race. Push the schedule back one day and eliminate anything that would have happened thursday, perhaps even friday.

JohnSSC · 3 Apr 2003, 03:47 (Ref:556757)

Lack of mandatory stops seems to work for (shudders as he types the acronym) NASCAR so why not Champcars? Get rid of the windows and mandatory number of stops. I really don't want Chris Knieffel sitting up late figuring out if Cleveland should be 3 or 4 stops - one need only look at the Surfer's parade last season...

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