timed race rules question

[ElmoRosenberg]

If a race is on a time limit, say 24 hours, and the leader passes the finishing line just before the race expiration time, he will then have to do another lap. Lets then assume that the car in 2nd place finish his lap just after the time limit (and should therefore get the chequered flag as he is completing his lap, and his race is over). Assume that prior to this, drivers in 2nd and 1st place were on the same lap.

Next assume that the driver in 1st place has a car breakdown and cannot complete his last lap. What happens then? (1st place driver never takes the chequered flag, but completed the same number of laps as driver in 2nd and before him)

 

[Third Reign]

I can only speak for the ruling on the Nürburgring 24H race, where each car has to make it back into the pits/parc ferme to be crowned victor. So in case of the leader passing shortly before the limit he would have to do his final lap and the in-lap to claim the win. Brake down and it's tough luck. Even a breakdown on the in-lap would cost them victory.

 

[ElmoRosenberg]

thanks for the reply Third Reign. Kinda tough to do 2 more laps on Nurb 24h circuit just because you went over the line at 23:59:59 (finishing lap + in-lap right?)

 

[GOTMAXPOWER]

thanks for the reply Third Reign. Kinda tough to do 2 more laps on Nurb 24h circuit just because you went over the line at 23:59:59 (finishing lap + in-lap right?)

There is no inlap as such at the Nurburgring 24 hours because it's easy to shortcut back into the paddock, kind of like at Spa in Formula One, they just turn right after La Source instead of having an inlap (They turn around into the pitlane at Le Mans too because they finish at a slow pace most years).

 

[SagarisGTB]

If a race is on a time limit, say 24 hours, and the leader passes the finishing line just before the race expiration time, he will then have to do another lap. Lets then assume that the car in 2nd place finish his lap just after the time limit (and should therefore get the chequered flag as he is completing his lap, and his race is over). Assume that prior to this, drivers in 2nd and 1st place were on the same lap.

Next assume that the driver in 1st place has a car breakdown and cannot complete his last lap. What happens then? (1st place driver never takes the chequered flag, but completed the same number of laps as driver in 2nd and before him)

The assumption in bold is wrong. The race is over only after the overall leader crosses the line after "time has expired", the chequered flag does not come out before then and other cars will have to continue to lap until the overall leader finishes his race. That's why at the end of long races you often see cars slow down and start lining up in formation (and not just sister cars) behind the leader/winner to not have to do another lap.

In your scenario, the "2nd place car" (still on the lead lap) would pass the previous leader and win the race.

Also, something to consider is that most "time limit" races require cars to cross the finish line under their own power to be classified. If a car breaks down on the last lap, even if they have a lead of many laps, the might not even be classified as a finisher, nevermind on the podium/winning.

 

[ElmoRosenberg]

alright sagarisGTB. In the GT games, if you run in 2nd place and go over the finishing line after time expiration, but the car ahead went over the line before the time expiration, do you then continue to drive another lap, or are you automatically classified as 2nd even though you should drive another lap, because the lead car hasn't finished yet?

 

[Bopop4]

I would think that in the 2nd scenario, the 1st place car would still win because it has completed the longest distance (Or tied for longest, but in a shorter time.)

Theoretically you could push the car to the finish, since everyone else wouldn't be allowed to continue racing.

 

[Third Reign]

thanks for the reply Third Reign. Kinda tough to do 2 more laps on Nurb 24h circuit just because you went over the line at 23:59:59 (finishing lap + in-lap right?)

The driver would be pretty dumb to cross at that time, they usually pace the last hour/lap to make if fit. The in-lap on the N24 is just one lap of the GP course.

 

[LancerEvo7]

I don't know how it works in Europe but here for endurances we throw the white flag when the timer gets close to 0, the leader finishes the last lap and the race is over regardless of time.

 

[Furinkazen]

At Le Mans it's chequered flag when the leader takes the chequered flag, so if the leader has just started a new lap with 10 seconds left, chequered flag will not be displayed until he comes back around again.

 

[Tired Tyres]

^ That.

Additionally, the race ends only when the leader takes the flag. Any lapped car that crosses the finishing line after the time is up but before the leader takes the flag has to do another lap.

 

[ElmoRosenberg]

ok, it's pretty clear now from all these replies that the chequered flag will only be displayed when the leader finishes the lap after time expiration, and it's not displayed just because someone else crossed the line after time expiration, which was my initial and wrongful assumption. Thanks for clearing this up.

 

[MrWednesday]

I don't know how it works in Europe but here for endurances we throw the white flag when the timer gets close to 0, the leader finishes the last lap and the race is over regardless of time.

Depends on the sanctioning body, I think. From what I recall, that's not how Grand-Am operated, and it's largely not how the amateur endurance races I've run (Chump and LeMons) operated either, though both of those were much more fuzzy on the end-of-session time. In the amateur series, the white flag is only shown to signal a slow vehicle on the track, it's a different meaning from one lap to go.