If given a choice, I'd rather have a split start than a mixed grid. I got caught at the back of a mixed field recently due to brake problems in qualifying. Even though my start was good, and I passed a bunch of cars at the strart, I soon got caught up in a production race and couldn't get shed of them. I stayed close to the other C cars for a while, but had to give up or risk crashing into cars I wasn't racing with. I've also seen where one car got a tow in qualifying off a faster classed car which put him about 10 cars up from the other C cars in the group. He was pretty tickled, but the other cars in his class were too excited about it. It pretty well guaranteed his win.