You usually make these misguided posts when we are talking politics, but I suppose you're entitled to a few on motorcycle racing. How many times have I heard you say car racing cannot be compared to motorcycle racing? Yet here you pull some google .... referring to car racing. The Daytona 200 is NOT a flag to flag grand prix style race known as a "sprint race" buddy, it is certainly an endurance race. Even in your attempt to post something definitive, it still left room for other lengths, as it states "common lengths", so a 200, though not common to CAR racing, is in fact a test of endurance for motorcycle racing. Ah man, you get great training from Fox in trying to make outlandish definitive statements.
Anyway, its irrelevant, as the rules were in place before the race, and that is the only relevant point. Its just a freakish thing this happened. There were other teams changing other substantial .... unbeknownst to you or the highlighted in the media but were significant parts to the motorcycle. The engine change was simply a very dramatic series of events that occurred because it happened at the exact time of the red flag and was one of the front runners, coupled with the odd extended stoppage. The rule is usually limited because most red flags expire in less time and foreseeing such an extensive part change is a non issue. But you sound like they wrote in the new stricter rules because they wanted to cheat. If anything, you should be bitching about Dunlop and their failure to bring in a durable tire foreseeing a degree change. Though I give them props for deciding to stop the show at the expense of them looking like idiots in favor of rider safety. Because fact is, if somebody would have got seriously hurt or killed, a decision to look incompetent on national TV is pale in comparison. They did the right thing. (Tangent: Yeah, some of you may be thinking it was an overreaction, but your not the rider behind the bars risking his life. If you have it recorded, listen to Eslick's interview while in the race. He is asked how do you feel about going back out there, he says, not that great, as the tire issue will be on the back of his mind. These are real life and death situations, and Dunlop did the right thing, so kudos to them. )
Anyway, make no mistake, this is an endurance race, it is not however a car race. DiSalvo's team was under the same rules as every other team. At any point the race could have ben restarted, say even 3 minutes before they were complete and the race would have gone on without him. That was an extraordinary effort, and it paid off. Its one for the record books!
