[treecitytornado]

Chuck, How does Group Qualifying not save time and the track?! You qualify in your Hot Lap group and get maybe one more lap than you normally would if it was regular hot laps! USAC is putting each car on the clock for 2 laps! They are not doing group quals for the Midgets as they have done in the past. Kokomo and Bloomington have it going on with Group Quals for Sprint Cars! The fairest way to qualify and set your heat race line-ups, hands down!

[jjones752]

Seems like they were running about an hour behind from the get-go (heats started pushing off around 8:30), which prompted me to leave before the features, today being a work day. That being said (speaking as a fan; I may have a different opinion on a night I'm behind the wheel), I generally enjoy single-car quals as it's easier to watch an individual driver, and I think there's a certain amount of drama built into the format, waiting to see if somebody can make a last minute run at quick time. I just couldn't hang last night, and that's strictly on me.
Speaking of format, does USAC not use Raceceivers, or use a different channel than the universal default 454.000? I brought mine to test a new set of earbuds and only heard chatter during the sprint car sessions.

[Sandy Lowe]

JT, one way that group qualifying could wear out the track more is if there is a yellow flag thrown in the middle of a group session.

Let's say you have 6 cars on the track. You throw the green flag, all 6 cars take the green, 4 cars complete 1 lap and then the 5th car spins in turn 4. Since the yellow waived with only the first 4 cars getting a timed lap (the 5th place car spun, the 6th place car didn't make it to the start/finish line before the yellow) you have to erase that lap for everyone.

You do that because it isn't fair to the 6th place car to receive 1 fewer lap than the others.

And while the car that brought out the caution is being attended to the remaining cars are circling the track waiting for their qualifying session to resume.

I don't go to many USAC races anymore but the last time I was at one where they group qualified I believe they hot lapped everyone first.

At a track like Bloomington where cars enter the track in turn 3 & immediately take the green to begin their qualification run & then exit off the backstretch when their run is complete, single car qualifying puts less laps on the track (3 per car).

[Sandy Lowe]

jjones752, USAC has their own Raceceiver channel. It is posted in their entry forms at usacracing.com.

[jjones752]

Thanks for the info Sandy. I guess if USAC were that far behind on technology somebody would have been on here bashing them for it....

[Charles Nungester]

Yellows in group qualifying or reds. You also have cars running more grooves. Instead of just pushing the cushion up.

Like someone else said, There is real drama in single car as a fan can see every move, bike and surprise time posted on every car. Laps are announced as they happen instead of after the fact and drivers get aplauses and hoots and holler's for a excellent effort.
No matter how hard you try.

Also, Whats fair for the racer isn't always best for the fans. and watching someone overcome a used up track to post a top five or fast time is a work of art to see.

[stockracer]

I hope the rest of midget week pushes off on time. starting late make it hard to get to work next morning. If they started on time it would not have been so bad...

[Coach]

Originally Posted by jjones752 Thanks for the info Sandy. I guess if USAC were that far behind on technology somebody would have been on here bashing them for it....

Ossuks

[mscs20]

Originally Posted by jjones752 Thanks for the info Sandy. I guess if USAC were that far behind on technology somebody would have been on here bashing them for it....

MSCS also runs on that channel too. It's channel 1165.