Pit Windows

[Andrew Longman]

I guess I missed it. They dropped the mandatory pit window rule?

Tracy has concerns from the Champcar web site:http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7630


Paul worries that getting rid of the mandatory pit window will lead to processional racing with everyone trying to get maximum fuel mileage.

“My feeling, and from talking to my engineers about it, we think getting rid of the pit window could have a negative effect on the races. Effectively what we had last year was that everybody went flat-out as fast as you could go, and then we all had to pit on a certain lap. So there was no holding back. You went as hard as you could go from the green flag to the pit stop.

“Now, allowing you to pit whenever you want, you will basically want to go as long as you can possibly run on a load of fuel and make as good fuel mileage as you can.

“This rules package is basically what we ran at Brands Hatch last year because they didn’t want everybody pitting at the same time because the pits were so small there. And that race turned into a fuel mileage race. That’s what I’m worried about, that the races will turn into a big parade of guys trying to save fuel and run as long as you can.

“Those type of races aren’t any fun. You don’t see anybody going hard because you just can’t afford to use fuel. If you pit one or two laps before the next guy, you’re going to come out behind him.

“I’m not sure they looked as carefully into it as they could have. Last year there were guys who were just driving the wheels off their cars, getting sideways off the corner and really manhandling their cars, going as hard as they could go. I’m afraid that with no pit window you’re just going to have guys cruising around trying to make fuel mileage, just trying to go as long as you can go to each stop. I’m a little bit worried about that. It takes the racing out of it.”

I hope this doesn't undo the benefit of gumballs and push to pass.

Still the mandatory pit window seemed contrived and cause odd races, most notably Australia in 02. :rolleyes:

[Insomniac]

I guess I missed it. They dropped the mandatory pit window rule?

Tracy has concerns from the Champcar web site:http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7630



I hope this doesn't undo the benefit of gumballs and push to pass.

Still the mandatory pit window seemed contrived and cause odd races, most notably Australia in 02. :rolleyes:

This is pretty old news. Now they are going to require X number of green flag stops. Which I think is odd, because it pretty much makes pitting under yellow pointless.

Australia 2002 was more a consequence of weather than the mandatory pit windows.

I think with the single engine and no fuel settings, I'm okay with the removal of the windows. Now it will take some skill to save fuel, plus you need to gain time. The hope is they can't make it in one less stop (which the mandatory number of stops eliminates). That rules out that strategy. The other hope is the number of stops required is more than the minimum to finish on fumes by conserving.