Probably posted in the wrong spot before, so reposting here
This has probably been requested before, but wondering why the race ranking calculation uses finishers rather than starters to calculate race ranking points?
I think if people drop out out (or have a dropout e-mechanical!) their race ranking should still be used in the calculations for that race. This would also decrease the number of races where a ranking score isn’t calculated because there are fewer than five finishers.
Anyone got any Intel on why the system works like this?
Totally agree… it is very irritating when you beat someone, and they just leave the race before the end, seing they won’t be able to win. Dnf and count the points.
My understanding is that it’s a direct implementation of the USAC points system, I don’t think there’s been any attempt to adapt it that’s been deployed yet.
That being said, the points for the winner are based on rankings of the top 10 finishers (or of the race if higher than the top 10 - not positive that bit was implemented) and the points for everyone else is based on points of the winner and a points per place based on size of field (# of finishers). Someone deliberately not finishing can’t help their own points, only hurt them, as their ranking is based on their best 5 finishes in the last 3 months. Someone whose ranking is the best in the race could negatively impact the rating of the race by not finishing, but I think the biggest reason to use finishers and not starters is that I’m not sure DNS (registered but not crossed start line) data is easily and reliably available.
As I understand it, a racer that is doing a DNF, would only have affected the points per position if he was expected to place among the top 10 and having top 5 lowest ranking points among those 10. Then he would have lowered the race quality.
He would also have lowered the Average Ranking of Finishers and therefore lowered the points per place.
To give all racers better ranking points because a racer did not finish the race, and assume that he potentially could have placed high, seems very speculative and wrong to me.