Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:52 pm
My theory on plate Qualifying
Way back in the day when the plates were smaller it took almost two laps to get to full speed so it seems. Which is where they started that way high line to get the cars wound up for lap 2. But there have been many plate changes since then & the cars get up to top speed faster. So I was with Jeff Gordon on his method. (using the inside lane) Notice he was still moving forward on the ticker when he finished his lap. The Commentator said it was ok, but maybe Jeff didnt have the fastest car to begin with. So then while watching I noticed other drivers losing ground late in lap 2, when the cars start overheating they lose power which loses speed when they are all taped up.
So my theory is this.
Run the bottom on the warm up lap & Lap one, but go high in three & four on lap one so you get that momentum coming to the line for lap 2. Used the best of both methods. So you are going as fast as you can when you hit the line on lap two then of course hug the bottom on lap two.
Watched Ryan & he had the pole all the way towards the end of the back stretch & then the car faded to 3rd. He went as high as he could on the warm up lap & lap one. Cant help but to think what might have happened if he got through the warm up & lap one faster but still had that speed coming to the line for lap 2. With the difference of a pole or not, measured by thousandths of a second. I just cant help but wonder if the heat slowed him down just that little bit (same for Tony for that matter)
Anyhow that is my new theory on qualifying for a plate race. What do you think?
So my theory is this.
Run the bottom on the warm up lap & Lap one, but go high in three & four on lap one so you get that momentum coming to the line for lap 2. Used the best of both methods. So you are going as fast as you can when you hit the line on lap two then of course hug the bottom on lap two.
Watched Ryan & he had the pole all the way towards the end of the back stretch & then the car faded to 3rd. He went as high as he could on the warm up lap & lap one. Cant help but to think what might have happened if he got through the warm up & lap one faster but still had that speed coming to the line for lap 2. With the difference of a pole or not, measured by thousandths of a second. I just cant help but wonder if the heat slowed him down just that little bit (same for Tony for that matter)
Anyhow that is my new theory on qualifying for a plate race. What do you think?
