In the Jewel of Yavin we have some rules for a race. A single piloting roll gets your from one point to another. Your "Place" never changes really since it is based on speed. Ahead of the pack is about the best you can get. Then some arbitary sum is used at the end to determine the winner.

For chases piloting roll is use to get your closer, or farther from the other target, but really isn't good for a race.

What about distances? The speed values are rather abstract.

Lets say I have a group of ships trying to reach a bouy that has it's single being jammed. At a certain distance from the bouy you can start making computer checks to try and filter out the signal. If i use the chase rules, there is really no distance mechanic for how long they have traveled along a path. if I used the JoY version there is a distance, but I rather have more then a single roll to determine the winner.

I might just have to cobble some other rules that merges the two

That sounds like a fun scene. I think, if you start to add crunchy bits to the game, you'll always have to use those crunchy bits. My preference would be to avoid the crunch and keep it narrative. The speed rules are great but the pilots are trying to outmaneuver each other to the buoy so, along with those rules, you can consider that they might be trying to nudge one other off course, take a tight turn near some debris rather than safely go around, or take advantage of a nearby gravity well... All allowing for the narrative dice to lead the way.

Extra successes? Extra time! Advantage? Came in just right to get a strong signal giving the slicer a boost. Triumph? I really don't know but that's why I play rather than GM!

A single piloting roll gets your from one point to another. Your "Place" never changes really since it is based on speed. Ahead of the pack is about the best you can get. Then some arbitary sum is used at the end to determine the winner.

I'm guessing that's to keep things tense. Otherwise a couple of good rolls could put a decent pilot in an unassailable position. As it is, it sounds like the rest of the racers are just behind you, breathing down your neck...