Full Course Yellow

"Converse" (VortexAutosport)
04/20/2015 at 14:23 • Filed to: None

Finally got around to watching the WEC 6 Hour of Silverstone (thank you FS1 in the US) and I love their Full Course Yellow procedure.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s how it works (at least how I understand/saw it happen):

Race Director calls for FCY

Yellow flags are waved at all marshal stations

Drivers trigger their pit lane speed limiter and stay in position

Safety car is not deployed

Pits are not closed

FCY is not lengthened to ensure all classes have time to pit (stupid NASCARization of American racing, but I digress)

Track and/or incident is cleared by marshals

When course is cleared, Race Director declares track clear

Race Director counts down to the green flag and the field resumes as they were

I love this process for several reasons. The first is that the cars’ speed is controlled almost instantly as there is no need to catch the safety car. There is no loss of advantage if you’re the leader. Conversely, there is not advantage if you are far behind in a FCY. Because there is no safety car on track, once the track is deemed clear the racing can recommence asap.

I wonder if the powers in Daytona were paying attention...

Have a few great shots* from the weekend for your time:

*pictures not mine. All snagged from GIS.

DISCUSSION (6)

mwoodski > Converse
04/20/2015 at 14:26

I’m currently watching it as well, just entered their second FCY period...I don’t like it.

Converse > mwoodski
04/20/2015 at 14:27

That’s fine, but what do you not like about it? Not badgering, just curious. I love the conversations that come from opinions to be honest.

mwoodski > Converse
04/20/2015 at 14:46

I prefer a bunched up pack to give the marshals as much space as possible between cars to sweep and such.

Converse > mwoodski
04/20/2015 at 14:48

For problems on track, that makes perfect sense. When a car is in the wall or something off line, their procedure works well.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Converse
04/20/2015 at 14:48

Frankly I feel like restarts are some of the most exciting racing in all of motorsports, it adds a new element of strategy and the roar is amazing in perso. keeping cars the same distance apart that they were running in during green is a snoozefest

Converse > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
04/20/2015 at 14:50

And that aspect of things makes sense. I do like the Euro attitude of safety cars intervention in the race should be mitigated if at all possible.

I agree that the restarts to make for an exciting show and is probably the reason NASCAR started adopting the method they use. I’m just over the IMSA races that have such large portions of the race under caution in order to ensure everyone has a chance to pit.