Question to the more knowledge amongst you:
At the Todd Cholmondeley Divisional last weekend the Sunday feature race was black flagged during the 3rd lap for a drenching summer rain shower. Of the cars able to make it to the hot pits some were allowed to change to rains "in line" others changed in their pit box and some drove off to their paddock, but I am not sure if they were allowed back? The GCR says:
""6.9. RAIN RACING
If a race is started in the dry, and it starts to rain on all or part of the course, the Race Director or Chief
Steward may use one of the following procedures:
A. If the race has covered half or more of the scheduled distance or time, it may be finished with the
checkered flag.
B. If the race has not reached half distance or time, the black flag “ALL” procedure shall be used to bring
all cars into the pits, and 15 minutes will be allowed to install rain tires, at the driver’s discretion. The
cars will restart single file in the physical order of the cars on the last completely scored lap.""
Nothing is mentioned about where "or how the "rain tires" can be placed onto the car. "15 minutes will be allowed to install rain tires"
1. May a car drive to it's paddock space to place rain tires and return? Is there a specific statement in the GCR telling us where the R/R must take place?
Anyway we stayed on drys, thinking it might dry up quick, but that gamble did not pay off. Kind of fun and exciting anyway.
Rain stoppage and rain tires
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Hi Mark - I don't have a crew to help change tires but I ran back to the paddock and changed to rain tires by myself. When I returned to the pit lane I was gridded in the order of the last scored lap. Not sure I made it back in 15 minutes but close to that. Sounds like they did it correctly. Thanks. Larry Morris
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Alot of people race without much of a crew so I'm glad it's OK to return to the paddock for the unusual need to change tires in a sprint race. Heck, some pit lanes are too short to accommodate a full SRF field changing tires all at once!
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We had a similar experience in Portland, Oregon quite a while ago, where we were allowed to go back to the pits to change tires. I was quite impressed that my wife and I managed to get all four rain tires on in the 15 minute window we were allowed! She wasn't quite so impressed ;-(
Bob Breton - SRF 51 - San Francisco Region
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Thanks for the observation and congratulations Larry on a terrific race. Clearly the rains were the right choice. I have no excuse for not driving out to R/R drys to wets. I've only done this 30 years so I should have known the rules, but till now had not read the exact wording. There was confusion, my crew guy was told "5" minutes initially then was told if we went out of the hot pits to the paddock we couldn't come back, but here again, if I had known the rules in GCR I'd have hustled over to pick up my tires. It was fun trying to keep the thing on track for the remaining 3 laps though.
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Hutch, you got a big applause from the entire pit lane after your bit of "dirt tracking" on the front straight.
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Thanks Stu, I went back and looked at my data and video. I thought i was too hard on the gas at the start causing the spin. But, it was the differential grip in the pavement and asphalt that caught me out. I think Charlie Rogers had same problem on the first re start. I was bummed. But, was lucky to stay off the wall and drove the car onto the trailer.
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My definition of a "good" race: "drove the car onto the trailer". I'm still working towards achieving "a great race".
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That was a crazy half lap. Full speed to zero traction in less than a minute, and it rained hard!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCJacxOCGSU&t=220s
So the default is that you could get protested if you go to the paddock, but there is leeway for the stewards to just allow it. |
I really tried to keep the field in line on that restart. I was sure at least one person was going to spin the rear tires on the restart by not being on the proper rain line when the green came out. I tried keep in the low range of the gear and drag the conga line out to rain line, but that apparently wasn't enough
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