Get rid of fuel mixture button?

[Mad_Hatter]

First off, this is in response to what Kanaan said about the Kansas race being boring for the drivers. Personally I thought the race was ok, but not a particularly great one.

Since he says it is a fuel game, wouldn't the races be more of a driver skill showcase if they had to conserve fuel without the fuel mixture button. Either for the entire schedule or just for ovals. They already have to lift(somewhat) into the corners, but this would(IMO) put more of a premium on the drivers.


Granted the strategists and engineers would probably find some way to eventually gain the time and on-track performance back, but this seems like it could be a solution to the drivers' boredom and produce more passing without too many wild changes. The ICS could try it at one of the 1.5 ovals and if it didn't show any positives go back to the current setup.


What do you think?

[Jonesi]

First off, this is in response to what Kanaan said about the Kansas race being boring for the drivers. Personally I thought the race was ok, but not a particularly great one.
Since he says it is a fuel game, wouldn't the races be more of a driver skill showcase if they had to conserve fuel without the fuel mixture button. Either for the entire schedule or just for ovals. They already have to lift(somewhat) into the corners, but this would(IMO) put more of a premium on the drivers.
Granted the strategists and engineers would probably find some way to eventually gain the time and on-track performance back, but this seems like it could be a solution to the drivers' boredom and produce more passing without too many wild changes. The ICS could try it at one of the 1.5 ovals and if it didn't show any positives go back to the current setup.
What do you think?

Don't like it, and it would lead to MORE boring races. Each team makes guesses as to race conditions (temp, humidity, fuel economy, etc) and tunes the settings for their best guess. If they have no in race adjustments, and they guess wrong they're screwed for the whole race. If they have adjustments and guess wrong they have some options.

[Vegasguy]

Each team makes guesses as to race conditions (temp, humidity, fuel economy, etc) and tunes the settings for their best guess.

Actually... that is all done just like in your passenger car, automatically and hundreds of times a second.

The mixture button allows the driver to adjust the mixture to create more Power or gain more fuel economy. If you take that knob away. (like CCWS did last year) the driver is then forced to do it with his right foot. Short shifting, lifting and coasting into a corner, applying power slower on exit are just 3 ways that they control that. It's then up to the engineers on pit lane to watch the telemetry and see if they are meeting expectations. This is a lot more work for the driver and would make his race much more exciting. Would we see it?
Sure, we would see the slower lap times or a car catching up to the one in front of it that is trying to save fuel.

[NickFalzone]

Um, the entire '07 season they had no fuel mixture settings other than max. Dario was excellent at lifting and conserving, and that's part of the reason why he won the championship. IMO it's too early to tell if the fuel mixture settings are really going to make things less exciting, but Kansas certainly was a bore. Honestly I don't think it makes as much of an impact on the racing as your making it out to be, the aero package is much more of an issue.

[NickFalzone]

Also I would add that last year one of my favorite races was Iowa, which had such a crazy aero package that it was like a restrictor plate race. I know the drivers hate that, but it is very entertaining.