You be the judge.

My friend and I were having a discussion about an on track incident. I will describe all of the relevent information first.

Sanctioned race series
Pro - semi pro mixed set if drivers.
Cars staged in the hot pits, pit exit marshall is given the OK to let them out
the session is a qualify session
first car out does the zig zag, slow speed to warm tires up
all cars in the session follow and do the same
still on the same out lap, somewhere near the back straight a car in the middle decides to pass the car in front
those two cars come into contact
the passing car is struck at the rear quarter panel, spins
the car being passed contacts the other car on the left front corner
both cars return to pits under their own power

Given the course was under yellow, the passing driver is at fault. No question regarding that aspect.
Since the course was green, who is at fault?

Passing driver for not executing a safe pass?
Driver being passed for not giving the other driver racing room and or not driving a consistent line
All drivers for not driving a consistent line, and forming a conga line?


I do understand that the cheif stewart has the final say.

 

Sometimes the first lap in a qualifying session can be under yellow, but I personally prefer when the track is green from the time the first car leaves pit road. Having the first lap under yellow I guess would allow everyone to slowly warm up his or her tires, and provide a place for some "safe" zig zaging. However IMO, doing it this way has a high chance of ruining the following lap too, in the event you can't get a good run out of the last turn because of a slower car in front of you and the green as not come out yet. Secondly, this is not the fastest way to warm up tires either. Getting up to speed as fast as you can right out of pit lane will put more heat into your tires by the time you come around to start the first hot lap. It will also get you into rhythm faster.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ITACivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the session is a qualify session
first car out does the zig zag, slow speed to warm tires up...
somewhere near the back straight a car in the middle decides to pass the car in front
those two cars come into contact
the passing car is struck at the rear quarter panel, spins
the car being passed contacts the other car on the left front corner
...
Since the course was green, who is at fault?
</TD></TR></TABLE>
If you're going to zig zag on a green course, you better be predictable in doing it and also leave at least a car width somewhere on the track for other cars to go by if they want to. If the car being passed that is zig zaging without being aware of its surroundings hits the passing car in the rear quarter panel, again on a *green* track, I see it as definitely the passed car's fault.

Normally, a car is fastest early on in the session and only gets slower as you put more excessive heat into your motor, tires and brakes. At a race weekend last year (ARRC), I was in kind of a similar situation to what you described. We needed a good qualifying lap, so took the car down to grid early. Doing so I was the 3rd car out of pit lane. The two cars in front of me start zig zaging right away at about 30 mph. I made sure over the radio the track was green and I passed one of them on the outside of T4 and the other one going into the esses. Both times it seemed as thought I surprised them a little, but I was right along the grass to give them all the room I could for their slaloms. I just wanted to get to 100% as soon as I could, and it worked out since we had pole by the end of that session.

Just to not be misunderstood, I'm not saying zig zaging is bad. It is good (and the only thing you can do) to put some heat into the tires when behind a pace car. And even so you need to really throw the car around to get any kind of a significant heat built up. However when you have a green track, there are faster ways to heat up your tires. But if zig zaging is what makes someone comfortable, by all means do it, but be predictable, be aware of what is around you and leave some room for other cars to pass. Good topic I've never seen it being discussed before. Interested in hearing some other opinions.

 

I agree with Hracer. Laps at 9/10ths = the quickest way to heat your tires.
Gotta be smooth and ready to catch the tail!

If you are zig zagging in a green track you'd better be watching your mirrors.

Hmmm.... is it like blocking? More than one move = lead car shares blame?

 

Under green? The passed zig-zagger is at fault.

Having said that, back in SRX-7, the top guys would grid early for qualifying and purposefully drive VERY slowly over the first half lap (green) in order to let all cars onto the track before anybody was going 10/10 - in theory so they wouldn't get held up by slower cars coming out of the pits and getting up to speed.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Crack Monkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Having said that, back in SRX-7, the top guys would grid early for qualifying and purposefully drive VERY slowly over the first half lap (green) in order to let all cars onto the track before anybody was going 10/10 - in theory so they wouldn't get held up by slower cars coming out of the pits and getting up to speed.</TD></TR></TABLE>

NASA usually puts a pace car out for the first lap of a session. You have to work really hard to get any tire heat during the pace lap, but you'll usually get two hot laps before catching backmarkers.

 

In ICSCC the track is green as soon as the qualifying session starts and there is no tire scrubbing unless behind the pace car (green = no pace car).
So how did the chief steward rule?

 

by that logic, shouldn't all of the cars been black flagged for blocking? after all, they were making repeated moves off of their lines with cars directly behind them....

 

luves to race is right,most sanctioning bodies qual out lap is green , you can only scrub behind the pace car when his lights are still on after that the pole car becomes the pace car and NO MORE scrubbing The cars that were scrubbing were acting danderesly they should have been delt with by the chief stewart/SOM Was the coarse green or yellow ,This would determine ther pentlies.......When i go do my Shumie empression I go out at 90 per cent on my out lap and if that happend to me there would be hell to pay [iam alsways the first car out in qual] OK the coarse was green they are still in the wrong You cant do that its Dangerous thats why only behind the pace car and you have to do that with extreme caution.These drivers have no idea hoe to qual. a car end of story .

 

OH By the way love my car Love to race nice pic

 

Might say equal blame. Car 1 is stupid for ZZing on green lap, and car 2 is quilty for passing a stupid driver. He had to see him ZZing before he passed him.