Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

My son and I watched the National Open Saturday on Dirtvision. Johnny routinely reminds the fans that, as a benefit, on a double file restart the leader gets to fire first in the restart zone. On the restart that Marks took the lead we both thought that Brent clearly jumped. I’ve watched replays several times since the race and my mind hasn’t changed.

Obviously as it turned out, it had no impact on the final result, but just curious if anyone else  noticed or maybe my old eyes are betraying me. If it does happen is there a penalty for the infraction?

Yes, I agree with you.  Brent jumped that start.  I was surprised they didn't penalize him.  I saw it live and I also saw a replay of that start.  

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

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Every restart is jumped...............in every form of racing. 

I've always wondered if there isn't a better way:  when the one to go sign is given, the flashing yellow becomes a solid yellow.  Then, at the flagman's discrection, somewhere in the restart zone, he flips it to green.  Anyone accelerating prior to the green is actually jumping the start.  

Otherwise, any discussion of jumping the start is really not relevant.  I don't believe I've ever been to a sprint car race where the leader didn't accelerate prior to the restart zone-----ever!  There are not degrees of this either.  

I'm not a fan of double file restarts for a couple reasons. One is the jumping and judgement calls mentioned here. Another is because it allows too many cheap passes. It's not always easy to pass a car racing. You can work and work to get around him then have a restart where you end up in a lane you don't want to be in and he drives back by you. Some will say it all evens out over time but not necessarily. The outlaws know it's gimicky because they drop it with 10 to go. Just give me single file with a cone. That way no one can really jump and passes are more legitimate. I get why they do it. But the granddaddy of them all gets along just fine without it. Everywhere else could too. 

Bingo! All are jumped and techincally all could be called back. Its kind of like holding in football, happens every play. The call on the track is the call on the track and every monday morning quarterback who has never had to make a call will be evaluating an officals call saying it was easy when they themselves would have missed about 20 if they had the position.

I don't think there is any way of getting around it as drivers and teams are always looking to get an advantage in any area. On restarts the leader should have some advantage as he has earned that with being the leader. Almost every race i have been to I have seen the leader accelerate prior to the zone as well, along with the outside car, and the cars behind them. Or the even funnier occurance when the leader goes slowly to the line and doesnt accelerate until he gets there and you see the 3-4rows behind him bottleneck and run over each other while he takes off. 

Starts and restarts are what they are. No sense in people getting on a message board complaining about them. There is no magic solution to make everything "fair" as the old saying goes nothing in life and especially racing is fair. 

First of all, I wasn’t complaining merely pointing out what I think was a blatant violation of the ‘leader fires first’ rule. Just curious what other people thought and is there a penalty if the rule is violated.  Thought discussion was the purpose of having a message board.

I don’t disagree that drivers jump on most restarts, but IMO it happens almost exclusively in the rows behind the leading pair.

I think double wide restarts are a much fairer way to do it.  There are still jumps on single wide restarts that don't get called back and not only that the leader can approach the starting line in at a snails pace and then holeshot it at the line which is not fair to the other racers. Especially the ones in the back of the field that are still trying to get past the cone when the leader is already coming out of turn 2 and heading down the back stretch. No matter how you slice it, Someone is usually going to get screwed!

You get penalized a row for jumping the initial start, I assume the same applies on restarts. Lance in VL interview said Brent caught him sleeping on the restart so not sure if he agreed that Marks jumped. 

Either way it seemed like the outside lane was getting a better jump than the inside, Gravel kept losing a spot to Bayston every time he was on the inside. 

Easy there killer, didn't call you out specifically. Would have clicked the reply button next to your name and told you quit complaining so don't get too triggered. Just made a general statement that anyone can point out, disagree, or even complain about the call all you want on a message board, in a coffee shop, diner, McDonalds, barber shop, bar, parking lot, uncle Buck's, worksite, or wherever it doesn't change it in the record books and the bank is not going to do anything different to the checks and most of all the rule/call will not change.  

Agreed 100%

A

I agree, to a point. I hate the cone. If it's a neccesary evil, why not put the darned thing halfway up the track in turn 3? I agree with the line of thought from someone up the line here. Why can't there be a green light that the flagman flips a switch for as soon as the leader hits the cone?

The only thing double file restarts are present for is the fans. I say throw the cone out, single file restart with the green dropped as the cars are coming off turn 4. Gives drivers the option of running up top or hugging the rail. The leader should not be a part of any double file restart, he's out front for a reason and should be given that courtesy. Cars down a lap should also line up in the position they were, the leader had to get by them, why should the car chasing him get a free pass. 

I agree, When the flag drops everybody races. You snooze you lose and not everybody behind you. Single file and throw the cone away.

The problem with this is cars in the back will take off early and be passing before the flag is dropped or the leader takes off. It's nearly impossible to watch every car and make sure no one does. That's why the cone came about in the first place. It's easy to police and it puts everyone in the same boat. It's easily the fairest way to restart. No one gets any gift passes. Even if the car in front of you doesn't take off well you don't get passed waiting for him like you can on a double file. Everyone's opinion of course. But that fact is more cars get burned and more get free passes with double file than with a cone. 

Single file and ditch the cone. When the leader fires its game on. I like the green flag drops and they fire also.

Yup.  Cracks me up when someone says "he should have been sent back for jumping the start" or "am I the only one that thinks he jumped the start?"----you're probably correct----------can say that on almost every, single, start or restart.  I find it funny.  Makes for more huge conspiracy theories----most likely Brad Sweet jumps the most starts and the Outlaws never lets the locals do it...........................   

Correct.  At the Knoxville Nationals, cars start accelerating much earlier during single-file restarts than they do when starting double-file.  

We should go back to the old days of the WoO when they could fire on the backstretch and Sammy or Steve would have a half straightaway lead at the stand. The "good ol' days"

Interesting times indeed. I remember big shows at the grove where the leaders would start at the infamous blue bridge.

As a racecar driver I absolutely HATE HATE HATE double file restarts. When they started implementing them at the weekly shows at the tracks where I raced I would not go to the tracks that were doing it that's how bad I hated it. Within a couple years they had all implemented it. They f******* suck.