Red light RULE

[cuzzzy59]

Okay, here I am watching the mod main last night, out comes the red flag for a terrible accident. Out of the smoke and mayhem is JR GOING INTO THE PITS. And not surprisingly, he reappeared with the car fixed. Ok, do we now call this place BILLYVILLE and once and for all admit the place sux? I do and refuse to pay anymore for the joke of a show that we all viewed last night. Go ahead, bash my opinions, say what you want, but the fact remains the same is that what went on there last night wasn't racing. If the rules don't apply for all, then throw out the rules.

[W. J.]

Let's straighten this out right here. That RED was not displayed immediately. It did come on AFTER all the cars had been removed from the immediate area of the wreck, with the exception of Ken Darch's #03, which was badly damaged. It was to keep the field lined up as the track crew cleaned up the fluid that was on the track. Once that was completed, yellow came on again. Total time of caution? 15-20 minutes. Total time of red? Less than 5 minutes. Were cars (besides the #2) worked on during any of that time? I'm sure they were, because all involved suffered damage of some kind and most pitted. Was it right and within the rules? I'm not totally sure of the answer for that.

[Jeff T]

To the best of my knowledge, I believe that you are allowed to work on your car in the pits during a red flag situation. I remember that being an issue a couple of years ago during a race and we asked the officials. They said that it was decided in the previous winter meeting that it would now be allowed. I know in the Cup, Busch and Truck series you can not work on cars during a red, but I believe they leave the decision up to the local tracks as to how they wish to pursue the red flag rule.

[RacinRob]

besided the 02 and the 96 were both bein worked on also.....so lets not be biased

[Rich Mergl]

Cars are not allowed to be worked on under red light conditions. Ask Sterlin, what was it ,three or four years ago? If Riverhead is Nascar sanctioned nobody is allowed to work on cars when a red light caution is displayed. The same rules apply to the TOUR MODS.

[RickFigure8]

The NASCAR rules, as per Riverhead, are more or less guidelines. The track has it's own rules for each division. Cup, and Busch have pit road, relatively easy to keep track of things. The mod tour is set up so everyone pits up front, also relatively easy to watch over. There's no way they could enforce a no repairs during red rule at Riverhead. Remember you could also have cars being worked on that came in during previous cautions and they would have to stop work too. You could have six,eight, even ten or more cars scattered throughout the pits being worked on and have no way of knowing if they are working to load the car or get back in the race.

Rick

[Jaws]

The more important part, was every one OK from the wreck???

I hope so.

[unowho243]

I believe so, Jaws.

[cuzzzy59]

Like I said, if the rules are not applied to all when needed be, then it's favoritism. So either do away with them, or follow the same guidlines as NASCAR itself does at all its races. 2 years ago at the North/South shootout, LW Miller's crew member went to work on the car DURING THE RED FLAG, state troopers came over to him and told him to stop. The kid gave the trooper some lip, and almost got himself arrested. I guess all you can say is welcome to BILLYVILLE!!!

[allhailunc]

red flag means no working on cars PERIOD.but i guess the more things change the more they remain the same-we get handed the Nascar "rule" book when we send in our applications but i gues what we should be asking for is the Riverhead version-subtitled "thats why they put erasers on pencils"

[outlawfab]

You are permitted to work on your car in the pits if a red flag is out. It has been that way for probably 3 years now.

[LongIslandJam]

Red flag rule has not been enforced these past few years. And once again, I have to remind everyone that the NASCAR rulebook is a guideline more than anything. Tracks can choose to follow it or amend it according to their needs.

Track procedures vary from track to track, and this should be known. For instance some tracks have open pitting during the race, Riverhead does not.

There is no issue here. Just a misunderstanding.

If driver's want to change this rule, please bring it up during the winter meetings or before hand to the powers that be.

To be honest, I don't feel the red flag rule should be enforced, as the pitting situation at Riverhead is difficult at best to get your car repaired and difficult to monitor as well.

[cuzzzy59]

JA, can you sit here on the Jam and state that monitoring pit stops is difficult. If you, as an official, stay on the "ramp", well then sure it's difficult. Let's state something right here and now, favoritism runs wild at Riverhead. How is this you ask, simple: Denniston goes in the pits for a "problem" and gives JR more time to fix his car. Not to mention the 6 laps of caution to correct the lineup. Dude give me a break, I've been at this game for 30 years and have never seen a group of officials who state the rules are enforced, yet breaks them everyweek.
Case in point Saturday night, a GIRL in the pits watching the race drinking a beer,[albeit] in one of those fancy holders. When the track crew came over to attend to the spill from the 0 car here MR. SHORTMEYER looked and spoke right to this girl and simply walked away. If this isn't a blatant disregard for the rules, this is one of many infractions against them. Say what you want to me, but the truth comes out every night at the 'head. And to be honest, it is an issue and probably will never be resolved as long as we go to BILLYVILLE.

[W. J.]

2 years ago at the North/South shootout, LW Miller's crew member went to work on the car DURING THE RED FLAG, state troopers came over to him and told him to stop. The kid gave the trooper some lip, and almost got himself arrested. I guess all you can say is welcome to BILLYVILLE!!!

Just to clarify: the North/South Shootout IS NOT a NASCAR sanctioned event, it has it's own set of rules, set by the promoter of the event.

[Tower Man]

I'll clear this up and then you can close the thread.

In 1999, I felt we could not enforce the Red Flag rule imposed by Bill Brice III. I would have needed 24 officials, one in each pit stall, for each feature. In the winter meetings of 2000, I stated just that.

Yes, Riverhead is a NASCAR track and follows NASCAR rules, but the Red Flag rule is for the national and touring series, whereas each Weekly Racing Series track may have there own rules, as stipulated in the rule book. I believe it's section 10-1 which states in part, "...The procedure for use of flags by Track Officials may vary for indivdual tracks or races."