148 replies to this topic

[Danica Davison]

And the Mazda dominance at the Runoffs continues:

Mazda                                  239
SCCA Enterprises (Ford)     147
Honda                                   58
Chevrolet                              48
Ford                                      35
SCCA Enterprises (Mazda)  30
Stohr                                     25
Nissan                                  21
BMW                                    19
MG                                       17
Van Diemen                         16
Acura                                    13
Swift                                      12
Volkswagen                          12

[davew]

If they ever hold the Runoffs at Blackhawk, I am in. But I know where my talent lies, and it ain't in the drivers seat. I will be there as an entrant, car owner, crew chief, assistant cook and head gopher. I may not be on track, but I do have some skin invested.

 

Split the group into 2 qualifying groups. Based on order of entry received, evens and odds. Equal sizes. For first qualifying session. Grid the cars in this order.

 

For Tuesday and Wednesday, I have 2 options: Remain with the Monday groups, you know who to partner up with at that point. OR; split into fast and slow groups. Still 50% per group.

 

Thursday; Top 50 cars qualify together. Remaining 40+ cars have their final qualifying as a race. Top 22 cars advance to Championship race. I think 50 is the right cutoff. It gets all the expected guys/gals into the final. It also leaves enough spots open that there should not be heroics (crashes) to get through the "B-main".  I would like to see at least 2 sessions between the final q and the B-main. Many of the crews (me) will be scrambling to get final impound done and get the next group ready to go. Or maybe the B-mains (assuming SRF3 will also need one) are at end of day.

 

Just my thoughts

Dave

[LarryKing]

 

It also leaves enough spots open that there should not be heroics (crashes) to get through the "B-main".

 

I love your optimism!

[Jim Drago]

. However, I think it would look really bad on the SCCA and the Spec Miata class if we told everyone that we can run 72 cars in the race in the beginning of the year ... and then people spend time and money all year long to go to Indy knowing this rule... and then we turn around and say "no no only top 50 cars", I think that would just be a bad PR move for the class. 

 

 

I have to admit, I agree with you here. 

Jim

[scott sanda]

While I am not looking forward to 10 minutes of functional qualifying per session for the big car (52 As and GT2 cars will be a crash fest), and trying to qualify in the Gen 2 will be challenging, I'm looking forward to the SRF gen 3 and SM "qualifying races" Thursday.

 

It should be the best show of the week, for certain values of best.  30+ drivers fighting for the main will be entertaining.

 

Now, if they only invert the top 15 qualifiers for the main, like they do at our local roundy round track.....

[davew]

If they ever hold the Runoffs at Blackhawk, I am in. But I know where my talent lies, and it ain't in the drivers seat. I will be there as an entrant, car owner, crew chief, assistant cook and head gopher. I may not be on track, but I do have some skin invested.

 

Split the group into 2 qualifying groups. Based on order of entry received, evens and odds. Equal sizes. For first qualifying session. Grid the cars in this order.

 

For Tuesday and Wednesday, I have 2 options: Remain with the Monday groups, you know who to partner up with at that point. OR; split into fast and slow groups. Still 50% per group.

 

Thursday; Top 50 cars qualify together. Remaining 40+ cars have their final qualifying as a race. Top 22 cars advance to Championship race. I think 50 is the right cutoff. It gets all the expected guys/gals into the final. It also leaves enough spots open that there should not be heroics (crashes) to get through the "B-main".  I would like to see at least 2 sessions between the final q and the B-main. Many of the crews (me) will be scrambling to get final impound done and get the next group ready to go. Or maybe the B-mains (assuming SRF3 will also need one) are at end of day.

 

Just my thoughts

Dave

 

A couple new thoughts.

 

Have the b-mains at end of day on Thursday. this give the teams plenty of time between final q and b-main. They (we) can give proper dedication to both the fast group and the slow group. And the 2 b-mains (SRF3) will be great spectator events.

 

It is important to start 72 cars. Finishers 23 and 24 should be asked to be race ready for friday, just in case someone can not make the starting grid.

 

dave

[pmiranda]

Looks like there's room for the 73+ entries to qual with STL. 

I would think the folks double-dipping enough to enter would be at the sharp end of SM, but I haven't looked to see...

 

No idea what they'll do with SRF qual... FF/F5 is already near the 72-car limit, and I'd hate to be running a FV with a SRF tank. Maybe the production cars are a better match? Room for another qual group M,Tu,W and then SM and SRF3 last-chance races Th?

[Johnny D]

With some mentions of crashes...did you want to discuss turn one ?? 

Cones, no 3 wide passing zone, 1st lap only ??

 

Could do another thread.

 

J~

 

[Danica Davison]

I don't see why we would put overflow SM cars in the STL group because they have already made room on the schedule for two SM qualifying sessions per day and the last chance race on Thursday afternoon.

 

I think the current process for grid order is fine the way it is. Grid the first qualifying session in order of HST points because rewards the drivers who went to all of those events and did well and I think it separates it out nicely.  And then Tuesday thru Thursday is gridded on cumulative lap time. 

 

What I don't understand though is having the last chance qualifying grid determined on Wednesday and doesn't include the Thursday qual.  That makes no sense to me why they wouldn't use Thursday's as well

[Bench Racer]

Did any of you view the three  wide pass at the BrickYard 400 yesterday? How'd that turn out................

 

https://www.bing.com...4C45E&FORM=VIRE

[davew]

 

 

What I don't understand though is having the last chance qualifying grid determined on Wednesday and doesn't include the Thursday qual.  That makes no sense to me why they wouldn't use Thursday's as well

 

Because the B main is a qualifying session. If the slow group got Mon, Tue,Wed and Thursday qualifyers. Then got the B-main and then a race, they would be getting an extra session.

[DrDomm]

Because the B main is a qualifying session. If the slow group got Mon, Tue,Wed and Thursday qualifyers. Then got the B-main and then a race, they would be getting an extra session.

 

That isn't true...and it isn't right.  I misread the Supps, and thought it included Thursday's qualifying.  As it is now, if you have to run the 15-minute Thursday qualifying race and finish outside of the top 72, you get less sessions/track time than someone who is inside the top 60.

[Jim Drago]

That isn't true...and it isn't right.  I misread the Supps, and thought it included Thursday's qualifying.  As it is now, if you have to run the 15-minute Thursday qualifying race and finish outside of the top 72, you get less sessions/track time than someone who is inside the top 60.

do you really get less time or is your time the same but one is a qualifying race?  I have not read it, but was thinking the opposite way.. Like the bottom 40 are getting more time than top 40 guys.. I guess I should read it at some point

[Jim Creighton]

"Did any of you view the three  wide pass at the BrickYard 400 yesterday? How'd that turn out................"

 

First, none of our sedans are going to be making the speed Cup cars do. Next, those cars have so much aero quirks that anything upsets the cars. Finally, the inside car  (Sir J J)  had a motor blowing up and only made the move to try to go out in the lead. It was stupid and could have piled up the entire field. Bad case of red mist. Not a KK fan but glad to see him win. It will increase his value when Hendicks replaces him with William Byron. Good kid much like Chase Elliott. Raced with us two years ago. And that win on  Saturday was Bryon's first ever visit to Indy.

 

Miatas will be able to run 4 wide in the turns and 6 wide on the straights. But, like Dayton, they will spread out into single line racing. It's the nature of rovals.

[davew]

Unless you run a "outside the top 72" consulation race, somebody will get screwed/ extra track time. My system FWIW gives everybody 3 qualify session on MTW. The fastest get another q session on Th. The slower get a q-race on th. Same amount of track time. The top 72 get to race on friday. Anyone outside the top 72 does not race on Friday. BUT, they did get to race on Thursday.

[DrDomm]

do you really get less time or is your time the same but one is a qualifying race?  I have not read it, but was thinking the opposite way.. Like the bottom 40 are getting more time than top 40 guys.. I guess I should read it at some point

 

You should read it.  Outside the top 60, gets a 15-minute "race" on Thursday, instead of the 20-minute qualifying session.  But if you're outside the top 72, you miss out on the 40-minute (19 lap) race.

 

No one inside the top 60 is gonna be envious of those (of us) racing on Thursday.

[DrDomm]

BUT, they did get to race on Thursday.

 

The time and money put into this aren't justified by a 15-minute race.

[Lee Thomas]

Curious if someone has actually verified all current SM entrants have qualified in SM to attend the Runoffs...?

[Bench Racer]

Lee, wanted to meet you at the Sprints. Was hanging with Kenny Kannard under the Mazda roof if you will with OPM, Advanced, X-Factor SM's. By time I got around to it, shit happened and I thought another time. Car analysis from Sprints?

[chris haldeman]

The time and money put into this aren't justified by a 15-minute race.

Simple answer is if you seriously feel you cannot be in the top 72 then why go at all? It is the runoffs. I remember the first year I qualified for the runoffs and how proud I was. It took national points which back then in my region were very hard to come by as it took a 10th just to get 1 point.