NASCAR modifies Indy restart procedure
NASCAR has made two procedural changes for the Indianapolis road course, hoping the third year will be the charm when it comes to cleaner competition through Turn 1.
The restart zone has been moved to before the final corner (between Turns 13 and 14) where the field comes onto the frontstretch. It is the same change NASCAR had made with the restart zone on the Chicago street course last month. By backing up the restart zone, NASCAR hopes the field will be more spread out by the time they reach Turn 1, trying to stop the urge for divebombing into the tight right-hander.
“We have one data point by relocating the restart zone and we go back to Chicago; I thought our drivers and athletes did a great job there,” Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “Obviously, we dealt with weather there as well, so we were single-file restarts and the start of the race was single file there due to the fact that we had wet conditions. The goal would be clean up carnage in Turn 1. So, by backing it up, giving the guys the opportunity to get going, maybe the first two or three rows, they’ve earned the opportunity to have a little bit of an advantage that we want to give them that.
“We will start the weekend, as we do every weekend, with double-file restarts and if things happen that we feel like we need to call an audible and go to single file, we have the ability to do that. But our race fans for overtime have come to really enjoy double-file restarts; we don’t want to take that away unless there’s a real need to do that. So, the goal is to hopefully eliminate some of the carnage in Turn 1.”
Once the field goes through the restart zone, cars will be able to change lanes. Drivers will not have wait until crossing the start/finish line as is mandated during restarts on an oval.
Once the field goes through the restart zone, cars will be able to change lanes. Drivers will not have wait until crossing the start/finish line as is mandated during restarts on an oval.
NASCAR will not change the restart zone at Watkins Glen next weekend. Sawyer said it’s not necessary because of how the track is laid out. However, NASCAR will consider whether it’s something that’s needed at the Charlotte Roval in October.
Another change is how NASCAR will be police Turn 1. Ross Chastain chose to avoid making a turn into the corner last year and drove straight through the runoff area in Turn 1. Doing so allowed him to avoid the chaos unfolding in front of him and gain positions.
If a driver blows off Turn 1 this weekend, NASCAR requires that the driver perform a stop-and-go before rejoining the race. The same rule will apply for other parts of the course.
“You’re off line, short cut the course, then there’s an opportunity where on the motorcycle course in-between oval Turn 1 and 2 where you can reset — and reset being that you have to do a stop-and-go,” Sawyer said. “The drive-through would come if you don’t perform that and you continue to run, then we’ll make you do a drive-through. But the first part to reset is just a stop-and-go in each of those positions.”
Additionally, NASCAR will use the choose rule this weekend for the first time on the Indianapolis road course. It will be located before Turn 7.
For more information: www.racer.com
For more information: www.racer.com
