Nascar's Lucky Dog

[mcgyverit]

This has probably been talked about before, but what is everyone's thoughts.

Mine - not really in favor for it, I liked the old days when they had to race the leader back to the yellow. I mean with a guy being 3 laps down and gets back on the lead lap within about 15 laps due to cautions, something isnt right.

This isnt about JJ or anything, I think what they did was very cool, but he should have had to work harder to get back on the lead lap.

[Chrud]

I am against the "Lucky Dog" rule as well.

When a driver loses a lap, it is usually because they are way off the pace, a mid-pack car during a long green flag run or they put themself in that position (ie speeding on pit road, mistake in the pits, etc.). I don't think you should reward a 20th place car for being slow. How often has a Lucky Dog car gone on to win at a speedway? I can't think of any off the top of my head. It is more likely at a short track when a fast car might mess up in qualifying, but short tracks are only 6 of 36 races.

If a car is fast enough to win, the will find a way to get back on the lead lap. Especially with the double-file restarts.

Get rid of the Lucky Dog but keep the "frozen field" when the caution comes out. Or go back to the last completed lap positions.

[VermontHunter]

I'm not a fan of the lucky dog either .... but I do love these double file restarts ..

[ruttinbuc]

It is dumb really. The car is lap(s) down for a reason. Just like a crash looking for whose fault. That is racing! Benefiting by being in the pits when a caution flies needs to be looked at, too.

[Bowhntr]

It is really a double edged sword. There has got to be some way for cars to have an opportunity to get a lap back. So do we let them race back to the line? From a safety stand point I'd say no. The double file restarts have eliminated any chance of racing your way back on. The "no pit wave around" doesn't really help unless there is a caution in the first two or three green flag laps after the restart. So, that leaves the "lucky dog". I see no problem with letting the first car ONE lap down come back around and rejoin the tail of the lead lap. However, I do think that once you are multiple laps (2 or more) down, regardless of if you are the first car lapped, you should not get the pass. One other thing to think about is that the only track I've ever seen a car multiple laps down come back and finish strong on is POCONO! So what does that say about that race track? I could see the same situation at Daytona or 'Dega but I can't remember it ever having happened.

[Chrud]

There has got to be some way for cars to have an opportunity to get a lap back.

There is. They can race and get past the leader. They could use pit startegy also. If they are a lap down, they can stay out and wait for a caution. They will likely fall through the field because of worn tires, but unless it is a long green flag run, they should catch a caution and get back on the lead lap.

I don't see a need to reward a 20th place car. They aren't fast enough to win or run up front. Why put them back on the lead lap to get in the way of the faster cars?

I do see you other points though. I just think there are plenty of ways to make up a lap without getting a free pass.

[Bowhntr]

There is. They can race and get past the leader. They could use pit startegy also. If they are a lap down, they can stay out and wait for a caution. They will likely fall through the field because of worn tires, but unless it is a long green flag run, they should catch a caution and get back on the lead lap.

I don't see a need to reward a 20th place car. They aren't fast enough to win or run up front. Why put them back on the lead lap to get in the way of the faster cars?

I do see you other points though. I just think there are plenty of ways to make up a lap without getting a free pass.

I disagree. Pit strategy MIGHT work and then only on a few of the tracks. Most of the bigger tracks one can make a green flag stop WITHOUT loosing a lap (or letting someone gain one). The new double file restarts, which I LOVE, virtually eliminate any opportunity of a car racing their way back on. Like I said, I think a car multpile laps down even if they are the first car down should NOT get the pass and I could even agree with limiting the number of free passes to each car to one or two. That way you do away with a car that is not fast enough to run with the front and keeps falling off, but allow someone who makes a pit mistake or has plug wire come off to get the lap back and have a chance. Also, one can look at it from a standpoint of Bristol, Richmond and even some of the 1 1/2 milers. The lucky dog does allow more cars to be on the lead lap at the end to make for a better finish. Remember Atlanta in the spring? When one teams pit error on the FIRST green flag stops caused a caution and trapped almost the entire field a lap down,leaving only NINE cars on the lead lap 50 laps into the race? What about that? At least the lucky dog brought it back to where there were 15 cars on the lead lap at the end.

[William]

Nascar needs to do away with the lucky dog and wave arounds. Earn your lap back.stop giving the dog a bone