Full length races

[jgf]

Caught part of the "Indycar" race at Laguna Seca today. And was again reminded of something for which I've lobbied for decades - yellow flag laps should not count towards the race total!

Today's race was "96 laps", but 27 of those were merely parade laps so the race was only 69 laps. It was advertised as a 96 lap race, people in the stands paid for a 96 lap race, it will show in the record books as a 96 lap race. But it was a 69 lap race.

Not just Indycar but F1, NASCARE, indeed all racing of my acquaintance counts parade laps as race laps. Other sports do not count time outs as part of the event - football goes four quarters no matter what happens or how long it takes, baseball goes nine innings. It's time for auto racing to step up and give us what is advertised - a 100 lap race should be 100 laps of racing.

End of soapbox.

 

[Durge Driven]

Extending races has consequence not least of financial.
For some series it would mean refueling where that is not allowed.

Laguna spent 15 million resurfacing so the track is more grippy then the kerbs, that is why there were so many offs. Bet no one saw that coming.

 

[jgf]

I do not see it as "extending" the race, I view the current system as curtailing the race. Especially when a fourth to a third of a "race" is noodling around under a yellow.

This is exceedingly egregious when a "race" ends under yellow.

 

[jgf]

duplicate.

 

[Durge Driven]

I agree in principal I just saying there is a lot to consider.
They would want to charge fans more to recover costs of running longer.
Burning more fuel would set back green racing a decade.
Frankfully I don't see how drivers or teams would cop it either.