[Cglrcng]

Everyone in the thread so far is correct according to the following article from 2009, explaining how it all came about.

It only puts the drivers in control for a limited (and reasonable period of time, the key word is reasonable), period of time to set their own fate, to limit games
being played, and take it from guess twork, to repeating reasonable actions by drivers. Get in, or go red.

The game has certainly evolved. Computers are wonderful. It has sharpened drivers into some amazing .000 trip zip machines, worthy of the machines loaded down with electronic devices, and those of us still foot braking it, that we drive.

Better yet, nobody really cares about the guy flipping the switch (no quick tree), of The old days gone by long ago. If you ever raced at an outlaw track of the 70's-80's you would know what I was talking about (back then who you knew, could be better than what you knew!)