Not trying to complain, but asking a question...

[AI#97]

I hate to ask this question so soon after the season is over but I didn't even really think about it till about hour 3 of the 5 hour drive home last night.

Has it not been discussed NUMEROUS times that the out lap in qualifying is a under yellow and that the track goes full hot at the timing stand and a waving green flag? Reason I ask is during Sunday Qualifying, Marvel shot past me and Dave Irwin in the carousel on the out lap. I didn't think much of it at the time because there were NO yellow flags being displayed at the corner worker station at that corner....however, I thought it was Clifton's mandate the out lap was always under yellow? Maybe I am wrong but for some reason that sticks in my mind.

This is not an attempt to cover up my wrong doing by passing chris under yellow...it is likely the mistake that ended up costing me the AI championship and I admit to it 100%. However, for future consistancy, can NASA TX make the final determination if the out lap is yellow till green or not, then convey that to the corner workers so they 100% know to have the correct flags showing? Overall I think it's a safety thing because it wouldn't be good to have a car on a flying first lap run up the back side of a car "warming up" at the back of the qualifying field.....?

Thanks, please drive through....

[Mike Bell]

Mike Patterson taught me a long time ago (the hard way) on qual sessions track is green when you see the first corner station NOT displaying a yellow. Sometimes this the first corner station, sometimes it's the 4th or 5th.

I'd love to see it clarified in drivers meetings in the future if someone doesn't know about it - warming the tires as someone is blasting by might be a bad accident waiting to happen.

[j3ffbrooks]

Matt,

I think you are a little confused.

In a DE session, you wait for the green after the warm up lap.

In a qual session, you GO right out of the pits.

Someone chime in if I'm wrong.

[AI#97]

I'd love to see it clarified in drivers meetings in the future if someone doesn't know about it - warming the tires as someone is blasting by might be a bad accident waiting to happen.

Hence the concern for safety and clarification and why I thought it was discussed before.....primarily because I was about to start scuffing tires and had I NOT seen him coming it would have been a BAD accident.....food for thought in 2007!

[donovan]

Just like the others stated, the track is green unless you see a yellow... its Go Go Go...

I also learned that lesson back in 04 from Mike Patterson...

David D.

[Rob Liebbe]

I was also under the impression that qualifying lap 1 was go-go-go unless I see a flag to the contrary, but my first 3/4 lap is usally run with more caution than a warmed up green lap.

[AI#97]

understood to all your points....however, a strong, clear notice in the driver's meeting and direction would clear this up for the future...

Thanks.

[y5e06]

I made that mistake this weekend. Luckily the person behind me (forgot who) realized that I didn't realize it was green the 1st lap...

[Boudy]

Green out of the pit on Qual. Wow, I didn't know that. Thanks.

Boudy

[dirwin]

Matt,

If you will remember back, Chris was on the grid first for Sundays qualifing session. I got there second and waived to you to pass me in the pre-grid so that you could go out right behind Chris and not have to get around me in order to get a clean lap for qualifing. When we left the grid the order was Chris, you and then me. That was the order that we left grid with and there was a yellow flag showing in the first flag stand. Chris didn't pass us in the carousel, he was just on the track first.

As far as I know qualifing with NASA is always green out of the pits unless there is other flags at the stands it is go, go, go. At nationals they covered it that the there was a CCR mandated warm up lap for all races, but qualifing was green from the pits. That being said, it never worked that way, there was always a yellow showing at all stands until the first lap was completed, but that was the rule none the less.

That said, I do agree with you, if there is questions on the procedures of qualifing, they should be answered and the process laid out in the drivers meeting. The CCR really leaves qualifing up to the race director and it woudn't be a bad idea to get clarificaiton from the RD.

Either way, you put up a hell of a run this season and should be very proud.

[AI#97]

Matt,
Either way, you put up a hell of a run this season and should be very proud.

Dave, no complaints about performance or any motivations at all. It was a great season and thanks for the kudos.

The more I think about it, it might have been Saturday honestly...Sunday qual it was wet so I wouldn't have been scuffing tires anyway. Saturday had armstrong, me, you then Chris.....the more I think about this it was saturday qual.

Sorry for the misinformation gang....weekend was kind of busy for me trying to stay focused on many other things most of which were staying on course while pushing hard and TRYING not to make any mistakes...

Either way, great weekend with some very close and VERY hard racing. Overall, you can't ask for any more than that!

[Todd Covini]

Dave, no complaints about performance or any motivations at all. It was a great season and thanks for the kudos.



You can't complain about being the 2006 AI Rookie of the Year!
Many congrats, and see you at the banquet Matt!!!

-=- Todd