Okay I'm going to try this again in a new thread, not to beat a dead horse, but rather to see what you think as fans, competitors, interested observers. I didn't see much comment on it and I'm really interested in what everyone else thinks. I've started to ask around a bit with the drivers and gotten a mixed response so far. I've heard that the drivers were all individually polled on it and privately voted it in as recently as this season.
Let's see if we can discuss it here without any personal attacks.
Do you like it? Do you think it improves the show? Is it fair? What are the pros/cons?
My own thoughts (and this is my own opinion so keep my relatives out of it :)) from that other post are:
I think that the bunch-up restart rule has to go and we've seen both sides of it from a good/bad impact standpoint. It is gimmicky and artificial and it has several negative impacts. Personally I think it helps the fast cars too much and that passes should be made under race conditions not under yellows.
It also bunches the field way too much on restarts. That last melee could well have been avoided if there was a single file or 3 up and cars doubled like most tracks.
Another thing is the administration of it during the restarts. There were cases of guys making the move to double-up too late then they just go back in position in line. Not only does this delay the race program but shouldn't there be a penalty for that? Better to just eliminate the whole rule and keep the restarts more simple.
I still would prefer the old way but recall that one isn't perfect either given the possiblity for the leaders to play brake and go games (can transponders help police this?) and the times when that 5th place car would get a run on the single file 3rd place car and snooker 4th (might work in reverse now that the inside is so much better).
Thanks for your input 🙂
wow this could open a huge can of worms, but could be very interesting, personally it makes it way more exciting, but is it the cause of the wrecks?? if it is then get rid of it. Maybe try the old way and if the wrecks stop???it will be interesting to see the different views from the stands then the drivers.
From a fans stand point the new re start is the best thing Barrie has done, it has made it very exciting. Nothing is worse then a mid pack car starting at the front & driving the whole race with his doors open blocking the whole track & leading every lap. However the new re start is part to blame for the increased big wrecks, but would the outcome have been any different with Lewis lined up behind Reynolds? I don't think so. I say keep the re starts the way it is & start penalizing the drivers who cause this crap.
I dont think it matters which way they do the restarts there will always be wrecks eventually, wrecks are bound to happen sooner or later, as far as that last wreck saturday, there's a possiability it might not of even happened if the track had noticed that it was Lewis who had spun Baker 2 caution's earlier, If Lewis had been sent back for that then maybe the wreck may have not even happened...
From a fans stand point the new re start is the best thing Barrie has done, it has made it very exciting. Nothing is worse then a mid pack car starting at the front & driving the whole race with his doors open blocking the whole track & leading every lap.
But how does allowing cars to gain positions under caution (where no pit stops are involved) have anything to do with RACING!
I agree that there is nothing worse than cars blocking and not providing a lane for the pursing car to try and pass. The starter has two flags that can be used to varying degrees to solve that problem without taking away from the way racing has been done forever.