Major Newbie Question

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

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> 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

Lessee- #3 crashes...Alright, Mike, you've been watching that Daytona 500 replay again, haven't you...hmmm? 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