rec.autos.simulators

Before you flame me, I realize this may be a dumb-as-all-hell question,
but here goes.  I don't get it.  How can you possibly make a pit stop,
both in playing a game (like N2) or even during a real Nascar race and
then ever get back into the running again?  With victory margins of only a
few seconds, it seems once you pulled into the pits, you'd never be able
to catch back up.  Am I missing something here?

because everyboddy has to pit sooner or later, all the cars will lose
sometime but make it up later when someone else pits later on.  This is
why the time spent in the pits is very important. The shorter the pit
stop, the better off in the long run.

Let's say  car 24  pits on lap 55 (leader)
car 6 pits on lap 57(2nd place)
car 3 crashes into the wall(3rd place)
car 5 pits on lap 59(4th place)

24 is in the pits for 19.6 seconds  (may be in same position when out of
pits)
6 is in the pits for 22.6 seconds (probably lost some time in pits)
3 is out of the race (all done for the day)
5 is in pits for 18.8 seconds ( gained some time on the 24 car in pits and
maybe even enough to move him in first or second place)

it all comes out in the wash

hope this helps

Mike Lewis

You have to remember that in a race that lasts longer than the number of
laps a set of tires or a tank of gas will last, everybody in the race will
have to pit sooner or later.

And that full course yellows (caution periods) have the effect of
bunching the field again, negating minor differences, as well as
providing an opportunity to pit almost for "free". (You may lose track
position, but you won't lose the entire time of your pit stop...)

---Jim Sokoloff

God Bless,
Steve

Don't forget that the AI cars will all pit as well so there is
your chance to catch up.

"Pit Road speed is 65, don't go over 5500. Watch that speed
now".

--

Nigel of Lakewood Motorsports
Nascar Coruba & Coke Chevy
Hamilton
New Zealand