On the lighter side of humor I'd like to see a bunch of smartcars
painted to resemble nascars, that would be a hoot!
Think so? Check out the result of the May 3rd
One Lap of America race held at Road America. If you look way, way down the list, you'll see the results for a Smart Car.
Without going into a lot of boring detail, here are the basics. Cars, in groups of between 8 and 14 ( the number depends on the length of the race course, Road America being just over 4 miles) are let out onto the course for one warm-up lap, after which they all re-assemble at the Start/Finish line. Once all cars are in position, one car at a time begins their 3 timed laps of the circuit from a standing start, separated by about 15 seconds so there is little chance of one car being held up by a slower one in front of them. Once the 3 laps are completed, their total time is recorded; the faster the time, the more points are awarded. This is repeated until all cars have had an opportunity to run. Fastest time gets 360 points, second fastest 355, and so on down the line. As you can see, the Smart Car got 40 points, beating only those that either didn't start (DNS) or didn't finish (DNF).
Putting it into perspective, a 500-mile Smart Car race at Road America would probably allow you to watch the start of the race, leave to meet with friends for dinner and a movie (In New York), drive back through Chicago's rush hour traffic, and still be back in time for the checkered flag.
