rec.autos.simulators

Can anyone give me a rundown on the rules governing the yellow flag.  It
seems that in the Nascar computer simulator if a car passes me under the
yellow flag nothing seems to happen to that car or, in most cases, cars.
But if I just once happen to pass a car under the yellow flag I am
immediately and summarily pentalized.

Thus-- and I'm a beginner here, for the most part-- if I qualify at the
8th poll position and the race begins under the yellow flag, it
oftentimes happens that I end up having seven or eight cars pass me and
when the green flag appears, I'm way in 16th place.

And, is there a particular speed which a driver cannot exceed when under
the yellow flag.

For the most part I think the manual to Nascar is poorly done.  Anyone
with little or no experience with the rules of racing is pretty much
lost, for the manual gives the reader nothing about the rules of Nascar
racing.

Thanks,

: Can anyone give me a rundown on the rules governing the yellow flag.  It
: seems that in the Nascar computer simulator if a car passes me under the
: yellow flag nothing seems to happen to that car or, in most cases, cars.
: But if I just once happen to pass a car under the yellow flag I am
: immediately and summarily pentalized.

: Thus-- and I'm a beginner here, for the most part-- if I qualify at the
: 8th poll position and the race begins under the yellow flag, it
: oftentimes happens that I end up having seven or eight cars pass me and
: when the green flag appears, I'm way in 16th place.

: And, is there a particular speed which a driver cannot exceed when under
: the yellow flag.

: For the most part I think the manual to Nascar is poorly done.  Anyone
: with little or no experience with the rules of racing is pretty much
: lost, for the manual gives the reader nothing about the rules of Nascar
: racing.

: Thanks,

Alan, you're not starting the game under a yellow flag, you're starting
it under what's called a "pace lap" - that's an opportunity for everyone
to come up to speed, for tires to be warmed up, etc.  Just keep your
position in the starting grid for the first lap, til you see the green
flag wave.  (Usually, the pace car keeps the field at 70 or 90 MPH...)  
Incidentally, you can turn off the pace lap under the options menu, and
start the race from a standing start.

If you're running under version 1.2, KEEP RACING when you first see the
yellow flag during a race, until you see the flag waving back and forth.  
The flag only applies to you once you cross the start/finish line.  After
that, you're always safe passing cars until you get the "stay behind # x"
message; you can then slow down and fall in line behind that car without
penalty.

Anyone have anything to add?  Keep trying, Alan, and good luck.  It's
really an outstanding game, and I hope you enjoy it...

--
David A. Byerman          
Independent Management Consultant
Specializing in Transportation and Environmental Policy Issues

I understand the process for coming under a yellow but get all
messed up going back to green.  A couple of times, when leading
a race and under yellow, cars coming out of the pits have
squeezed in ahead of me behind the pace car. (I yelled at them
but it didn't do any good!!).  Another time when I didn't
pit, a bunch of cars that did pit came flying up from behind me
and squeezed in again.  It seems to happen at the short
tracks when there a lot lapping/unlapping going on.

Any comments from anyone?

I don't know if you're talking about indycar or nascar, but
i play indycar and that happens all the time (especially in
two player games...) I don't know what to do about it except to
take the yellow flag option off.