Boys:
I initially made this post at Digital Sportspage, but I thought it might be helpful for some of those who have purchased the strong new IndyCar Series 2005:
>>>>>
There's no doubt that IndyCar Series 2005 has flaws and a few bugs -- I'm not using this post to debate this. But I'm convinced that some of the "bugs" we're seeing surrounding extended cautions aren't bugs but actually a case of some of us not knowing the rules about caution periods, packing up behind the Pace Car, etc.
For example, last night in our 100-lapper at Indy, each of our first three cautions were extended by at least two laps because a human racer didn't follow the wavearound rule and pass the Pace Car when it didn't have the green triangles over it, delaying the field packing up behind the Pace Car.
So I thought a quick primer of how the yellows work in IndyCar Series 2005 might be in order:
1. You cannot pass any cars with the green triangles over them once the yellow appears. No racing back to the caution. Slow down immediately when you either hear the spotter call "Yellow" or when you see green triangles appear over the next car in front of you, signalling a caution.
2. If the car in front of you does not have the green triangles over it, you can pass it under yellow. Sometimes you're trailing the Pace Car under yellow, and green triangles DO NOT appear above it. If so, you can pass the Pace Car. This is the "wavearound" rule, which gives you a lap back. Sort of like the "lucky dog" rule in NASCAR, for those who follow the sport. Once you pass the Pace Car after a "wavearound," ensuring no green triangles are above the Pace Car, step on the gas pretty good to get around to the back of the pack quickly. Don't just lolly-gag around at the same speed you were while approaching the Pace Car or it will take forever to pack up the field again. Increase your fuel setting to 1 to gain enough speed to reach the back of the pack quickly. But remember to slow down as soon as you see the green triangles over the car that's in front of you in the order. You can't pass that car -- it has the green triangles over it.
3. If you're the leader when a caution starts, slow down the first time you get into Turns 1 and 2. The Pace Car exits the pits and approaches the track via the pit exit lane adjacent to Turns 1 and 2, entering the track at the exit of Turn 2. If you slow down enough while leading, sometimes you can give the Pace Car enough time to get on track in front of you, cutting a lap from the caution. If you arrive in Turn 2 and don't see the Pace Car, then pick up the pace to intercept the Pace Car quickly on the next lap. During cautions, the goal is to get the field aligned in proper order behind the Pace Car as quickly as possible.
4. Remember to set your fuel mixture to 0 during cautions. This serves two purposes. One, it saves fuel. Two, it almost acts as a speed limiter during cautions, as your top speed while in fuel mixture 0 is around 120 mph.
5. There's still some confusion over pit road speed limit. The limit is measured at the entrance of the pits, before pit lane autodrive takes over. Pit lane speed violations are NOT an arbitrary thing. There's usually a white or yellow line just past the start of the pit wall that signifies the pit lane speed line. If you're going faster than 60 mph, or whatever the pit lane speed limit is for that race, when you reach that line, you will be black-flagged.
6. Black flags only can be served during green-flag racing conditions. So don't dive into the pits under caution expecting a black flag to disappear.
7. You can enter a closed pit to get damage fixed and I believe enough fuel to last two laps. But you can't change tires, make wing adjustments or get more than two laps worth of fuel.
8. The Pace Car slows pretty significantly when pulling off the track at the entrance of Turn 1 on the final caution lap, signified by your spotter saying, "Green next time by." Be sure to give the cars ahead and behind you quite a buffer zone and get off the gas as you approach Turn 1 of the final caution lap. The green doesn't drop until you're in Turn 4, so you're not going to lose any space by backing off in Turn 1 and preventing a big pileup under yellow.
9. You can pass someone as soon as the green flag flies and the triangles disappear from over their car, even if it's before the start-finish line to begin the first complete green-flag lap on a restart. This differs from the start of the race, where you can't pass anyone until after crossing the start-finish line.
I hope this helps you cats enjoy this game even more. Last night's 100-lapper was fun, even if we had way too many caution periods. I ashamedly caused too many of those!
Post any follow-ups to this primer or please point out where I'm wrong in any part of this.
<<<<<
Take care,
PK
I initially made this post at Digital Sportspage, but I thought it might be helpful for some of those who have purchased the strong new IndyCar Series 2005:
>>>>>
There's no doubt that IndyCar Series 2005 has flaws and a few bugs -- I'm not using this post to debate this. But I'm convinced that some of the "bugs" we're seeing surrounding extended cautions aren't bugs but actually a case of some of us not knowing the rules about caution periods, packing up behind the Pace Car, etc.
For example, last night in our 100-lapper at Indy, each of our first three cautions were extended by at least two laps because a human racer didn't follow the wavearound rule and pass the Pace Car when it didn't have the green triangles over it, delaying the field packing up behind the Pace Car.
So I thought a quick primer of how the yellows work in IndyCar Series 2005 might be in order:
1. You cannot pass any cars with the green triangles over them once the yellow appears. No racing back to the caution. Slow down immediately when you either hear the spotter call "Yellow" or when you see green triangles appear over the next car in front of you, signalling a caution.
2. If the car in front of you does not have the green triangles over it, you can pass it under yellow. Sometimes you're trailing the Pace Car under yellow, and green triangles DO NOT appear above it. If so, you can pass the Pace Car. This is the "wavearound" rule, which gives you a lap back. Sort of like the "lucky dog" rule in NASCAR, for those who follow the sport. Once you pass the Pace Car after a "wavearound," ensuring no green triangles are above the Pace Car, step on the gas pretty good to get around to the back of the pack quickly. Don't just lolly-gag around at the same speed you were while approaching the Pace Car or it will take forever to pack up the field again. Increase your fuel setting to 1 to gain enough speed to reach the back of the pack quickly. But remember to slow down as soon as you see the green triangles over the car that's in front of you in the order. You can't pass that car -- it has the green triangles over it.
3. If you're the leader when a caution starts, slow down the first time you get into Turns 1 and 2. The Pace Car exits the pits and approaches the track via the pit exit lane adjacent to Turns 1 and 2, entering the track at the exit of Turn 2. If you slow down enough while leading, sometimes you can give the Pace Car enough time to get on track in front of you, cutting a lap from the caution. If you arrive in Turn 2 and don't see the Pace Car, then pick up the pace to intercept the Pace Car quickly on the next lap. During cautions, the goal is to get the field aligned in proper order behind the Pace Car as quickly as possible.
4. Remember to set your fuel mixture to 0 during cautions. This serves two purposes. One, it saves fuel. Two, it almost acts as a speed limiter during cautions, as your top speed while in fuel mixture 0 is around 120 mph.
5. There's still some confusion over pit road speed limit. The limit is measured at the entrance of the pits, before pit lane autodrive takes over. Pit lane speed violations are NOT an arbitrary thing. There's usually a white or yellow line just past the start of the pit wall that signifies the pit lane speed line. If you're going faster than 60 mph, or whatever the pit lane speed limit is for that race, when you reach that line, you will be black-flagged.
6. Black flags only can be served during green-flag racing conditions. So don't dive into the pits under caution expecting a black flag to disappear.
7. You can enter a closed pit to get damage fixed and I believe enough fuel to last two laps. But you can't change tires, make wing adjustments or get more than two laps worth of fuel.
8. The Pace Car slows pretty significantly when pulling off the track at the entrance of Turn 1 on the final caution lap, signified by your spotter saying, "Green next time by." Be sure to give the cars ahead and behind you quite a buffer zone and get off the gas as you approach Turn 1 of the final caution lap. The green doesn't drop until you're in Turn 4, so you're not going to lose any space by backing off in Turn 1 and preventing a big pileup under yellow.
9. You can pass someone as soon as the green flag flies and the triangles disappear from over their car, even if it's before the start-finish line to begin the first complete green-flag lap on a restart. This differs from the start of the race, where you can't pass anyone until after crossing the start-finish line.
I hope this helps you cats enjoy this game even more. Last night's 100-lapper was fun, even if we had way too many caution periods. I ashamedly caused too many of those!
Post any follow-ups to this primer or please point out where I'm wrong in any part of this.
<<<<<
Take care,
PK
Comment