IndyCar announces compromise on controversial restart rule

INDIANAPOLIS — Responding to outspoken criticism from drivers concerned about their safety, IndyCar on Saturday announced a compromise to its controversial rule requiring drivers to restart during the race side-by-side.

The rule, which was first implemented in January in an attempt to boost fan excitement, was the subject of considerable discussion at a closed-door driver meeting on Friday. During interviews with the media earlier this week, several drivers predicted that the rule could result in an unnecessary tragedy at Sunday’s race.

As part of the compromise, announced by former driver Al Unser, Jr., the so-called “double-file restart” will still be in place. But, the restart zone will be changed so drivers will go into Turn 1 in single file.

“It’s a compromise for everyone involved, because we just don’t know what it’s going to be like,” Unser said. “This is the alternative that is beneficial to everyone involved.”

The rule had been in place since the start of the IndyCar season two months ago. But since all of the courses so far have been on road tracks, the impact hasn’t been felt on an oval track until this week.

The double-file restarts have been successful at building up excitement in NASCAR, but the drivers are concerned with implementing the system at the Indianapolis 500, which is considered a single-file track because of its low banks.

“The double-file restarts are a disaster, I think, especially for this track,” Indy 500 pole sitter Alex Tagliani told reporters earlier this week.
“I don’t want to be responsible for injuring anybody in the grandstands,” he said.

When cars are bunched closely together, it increases the chances of them running into each other. That may not be a huge concern in NASCAR, where the cars are larger and there is more protection. But in IndyCar, where the cars are open-wheeled and have no fenders, it could very dangerous.

“I’m expecting that there will be a bit of carnage,” Ganassi driver Scott Dixon said this week, before Saturday’s compromise.

The drivers have been petitioning to get the rule changed for this weekend, but IndyCar officials didn’t budge until Saturday.

The restart zone will now allow drivers to accelerate between Turns 3 and 4. The original rule had the green flag being thrown when the drivers were completely even with each other.

This change will allow the outside cars to avoid the loose rubber, or marbles, that can build up on the outside area of the turns, which was a major concern for the drivers.

“It’s just kind of frustrating because if you’re on the outside, you’re kind of getting screwed,” Dixon said this week. “Instead of typically losing a spot on a single-file restart, you could get hung out in the marbles and lose five or six spots. I don’t think anyone’s too fond of the two-wide restarts.”

The change also attempts to fix a problem in Turn 1.  With cars reaching 200 mph around the turn and trying to get into the best position, it makes for a tight fit for the cars if they are double-wide. By moving the restart into the north chute, it allows drivers to be single-file when they enter Turn 1.

While the drivers still aren’t thrilled with the idea of double-wide this Sunday, some are trying to take a more positive approach to looking at their situation.

“I haven’t heard many positive things about the double-file restarts from the other drivers,” driver Davey Hamilton said. “They say instead of being single-file and being aggressive and trying to race the guy that you’re around, that you get put into a position that you don’t want to be in. I’ll tell you this: I pray that it works great. I hope when Sunday’s over we all go ‘Wow, that was good. It was great for the fans, it was good for us, it was exciting, it made it challenging’ and everybody’s good with it. That’s what I hope for.”

Fellow driver John Andretti agrees.

“You kind of have to ask me at the end of the race, and if it all works in my favor, I’ll love them,” he said. “If it works against me, of course, I’ll be on the other side.”

Ryan Stieg is a reporter in the Indy 500 News Bureau, a part of the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center.