Random thoughts on "single car qualifying"

[WickerBill]

One of the advantages, in my mind, of road racing vs. ovals is that the qualifying is much more dramatic -- at least on television. At the track, of course, quals seem like "open practice", but watching one car at a time on the track just isn't as gripping on television.

However, I don't think I've heard anyone complain in F1 about being blocked on their hot lap this year ( ;) ), so perhaps it's something to consider. However, the "one and done" aspect of F1's qualifying stinks, to me. What about this for road/street:

- Drivers are put on the track from slowest to fastest
- When driver 19 is halfway around the circuit on warmup lap, driver 18 is sent out, when 18 is halfway around on warmup lap, 17 is sent out, etc. The penalty for slowing someone down on your "in", or cooldown lap, is that you lose your fast time. With this setup, there are several cars on the track, but not EVERYONE. I think the penalty could even be enforced if the following car even catches you. So you have to hustle back to the pits.
- When driver 1 has gotten halfway around on his warmup lap, driver 19 is sent out for his second time, and so forth, through the field twice. This makes quals more of an "event" for the paying customers, and doesn't penalize the drivers for one mistake in one corner on their only lap.

Or how about this?

- Single lap quals a la F1
- Top 5 qualifiers advance to a "pole position" round, where those 5 get 10 minutes, together on the track, to try to gain, or keep, their position.


I'm just not enamored with the single car "oval style" qualifying on road and street circuits.

WB

[Ankf00]

superpoles are too arcady imo, just let the guys go out when they want to go out and if they get blocked, well tough ****. they know where other cars are and where their competitors are...

[Warlock!]

I get no thrill from the multi-car qualifying. Having the ability to put it all together for one lap friggin' amazes me. Lots more pressure... "Should I go conservative and just assure myself a top 5, or let my bag hang out and go for pole?"

I'm completely mesmerized by F1 quals this year, minus the stoopid fuel rule.

Warlock!

[nrc]

I was thinking about something like this but I would do it the other way around.

Instead of single car, run everyone together - all skate, unlimited laps, no whining. Then just put the fast four or five out during the last ten minutes. Start them out evenly spaced. If someone gets within five seconds of you on the track you lose your fastest lap and you're done for the session.

[scanman]

Single lap qualifying...no no no ...
If you have to watch on TV or in the stands, who will
watch -Papis-Lavin-RHR-etc.etc.etc....until they
get to the top runners......F1 qualifying is BORING
to me....put them all out there, let them bitch, and the
creme will rise.......PT did just that today......
"Put up or shut up" is basicly what he said...;)

[Race Dog 99]

Maybe the way is back to multiple sessions. Take three sessions of 20 minutes each in groupings of fastest lap for the weekend. That would give 6-7 cars at one time. With only that many for 20 minutes it would maintain cars on the track, easier to monitor blocking, and allow for greater spacing, fewer cars on the track.

[Sean O'Gorman]

put guns on the fronts of the cars for qualifying, so they can shoot at the tires of any cars that try to block them. That'll get you to try and drive quicker in a hurry! ;)

[cart7]

I'm all for single lap quals and then locking up the cars. It puts more strategy into the race when you put pressure on the driver to qual well in just one lap but also doing it with the race set-up in place and strategy you'll use. Ties qualifying in to the race better and makes for more stories on raceday.

[flobee1kenobi]

gobucks and I discussed this just the other day! I believe that all cars should qualify at once, and at random times during the session a pace car or safety truck comes out onto the track going in the opposite direction just to make things interesting! That way everybody gets blocked, everybody is on equal ground. Not to mention the added exitement!:laugh:

[Hink]

Single car qualifing sounds as if it's already decidecd for next year. It's happening. While they didn't exacly say that in the fan forum, Flemming did say that over the PA before the race. (I like the "All Skate")

[RaceGrrl]

Originally posted by Hink
(I like the "All Skate")

I did too, but it dates us.
:p

[Hink]

Believe it or not that's what they refer to it as. it came up in the fan forum.

[Kate]

Personally, I think that we ought to go ahead and leave the qualifying the way it is, but levy big fines for whining, doubling the fine if you repeat something you have already said. Put the funds into a Crybaby Fund and give Pouting Points -- at the end of the season, award the Winning Whiner a dummy and some toys to throw out of his pram.

My point being that everyone knows the rules, everyone knows that the track gets crowded in the last 10 minutes, and if they choose to all go out together, to hell with them and their "He blocked meeeeee..." whine.