The view from the back of the field was quite peculiar. Due to the
combination of the pace car driver speed and the line-up speed used by many
drivers, the entire rear half of the field in both races was completely
strung out over the length of the back straight when the flag dropped. Pace
car technique should have been entirely different. I never have seen
anything like it. Of course part of the blame is having the starter's stand
in a position where the entire field cannot see the green flag drop at the
same time. Atlanta and Road America are like that. mid Ohio has corrected
the problem.
Even more weird was the red flag procedure. It was different than SCCA and
all other sanctioning bodies I'm familiar with. With SCCA, red means stop
on the course. Black for one car means that car must come into the pit.
Black full course means everybody come into the pit. For the life of me, I
can't figure out why all the various clubs reinvent this.
Even more weird was coming over the crest of the hill after the red flag
had been thrown and having one worker at the bottom of the hill waving us
to the wrong pit lane on the other side of the track. I think only three or
four of us got caught up in this, but that was too many.
At 08:25 AM 5/4/2005, Henry Frye wrote:
>At 08:11 AM 05/04/2005 -0500, Jack W. Drews wrote:
>
>>Pace car behavior was truly weird. It makes me appreciate good pace car
>>drivers, never before a consideration for me.
>
>What in the world possessed him to go so slow? And the cut to the right,
>then dive to the left to clear the field was just crazy.
>
>Just ask Randy... Or Jeff! ;-)
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