Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
 

taken from the indystar.......curt cavin wrote........



NASCAR-style restarts are coming to the Indianapolis 500.

Like their stock car brethren, Indy-car drivers will be lined up two-by-two for restarts on all oval tracks in 2011. That's a change from the single-file restarts used for years.

The difference is in the positioning of lapped cars. NASCAR sends its to the rear to provide the best opportunity for frontrunners to battle one another.

The Izod IndyCar Series will keep lapped cars in their spot in the running order because, as competition director Brian Barnhart said, the leaders "have earned that advantage."

Officials will discuss the plan during a state-of-the-union presentation today at The Westin. It is not open to the public.

Reaction from participants to the double-file restarts has been mixed, Barnhart said. Those with NASCAR experience say the procedure is exciting. Others say it may be a recipe for accidents.

"This is not like NASCAR, where we can rub wheels and doors and get away with it," three-time 500 winner Helio Castroneves said Monday. "It will be a very stressful moment.

"I feel it's creating more of an issue, but I have to give compliments to the officials for trying something. It will be great excitement for the fans, no question."

Also expected to be announced today is the return of the Edmonton race July 24. It was called off last year because of costs associated with changes to City Centre Airport, site of the race.

The 500 is the first of eight oval races. Road courses and street circuits will continue to have single-file restarts because there often is only one lane through tight corners.

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They don't even start the Indy 500 double wide anymore, how will they do this?
:35:

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I guess we'll see if any of these guys have balls big enough to haul it down into one on a late race restart to win the 500.

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I think it is the dumbing down of IndyCar to match Nascar, which is already dumbed down to ridiculous levels. It's racing, not a circus.

---------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 AM ----------

Are you including Danica & Simona in that?:2:

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the "d" word will never be spoken from my lips....simona has more talent in her pinky toe than "d" has in her entire body!

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[/COLOR]Tru dat.

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I can see how this could work for the American drivers, that we would rather watch. ""PUT THE ENGINES BACK IN THE FRONT OF THE CARS" Then we could have real three wide starts like we did for 60 of the 100 years. The American drivers could do restarts same way. Non USA drivers would refain and go home. Take their money and run!!!!!!

Lynn

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Don't that put Milkbags on the front row for every restart?????????????:14::5::7:

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just my thought too,remember when they started the race 3 wide in 11 rows and you could see them all on the main straight at the green ? Now their strung out over half the track with no signs of rows. this is for a lack of good open wheel (sprint car) experienced drivers. Now days if you can bring million dollar sponsors and your from anywhere outside the US your a driver. Just my thoughts. time will tell if this is just a thought in the minds of the officials or if these drivers can really pull it off ,or even try.

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BINGO!!! We have a winner!!

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They have this thing backwards. The ovals are almost always good shows with close finishes. The road courses are where they should restart 2 wide. They are going to wreck some equipment with this lunacy.

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according to indy star today they are reconsidering this after many drivers complained.

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The last time an open wheel group (USAC) tried to be NASCRAP like they got their a$$ handed to them. I guess the INDYCAR guys didn't pay attention. Their better off staying the way they are.

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I don't wish to see doublefile restarts in Indycar, but I would like to see them adopt a "no yellow flag finish" rule.

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Just what we need, another series with simulated passing. I would much rather they do away with telemetry and put drivers back in the cars any day.

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They should just make them start the 500 right and leave the rest alone. Those starts have got out of control....takes away the excitement.

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They can't get them 3 abreast for a start!:15:

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I wrote the IRL (Fred Nation) about the parade laps and the starts after the first couple of lousy starts. Until the 2nd year of the IRL, they used to line up 3 abreast for the Parade and Pace laps and the start. Since 1997, they now run single file for the parade and pace laps and don't form up until going down the back chute approaching the start of the race. Most of the time they come out of turn 4 strung out already. If you sit on the front chute, like I do, you never get to see them 3 wide anymore. It stinks and I told them so in my letter. They did have the decency to respond but, the response was that safety supercedes the spectacle and the tradition and, they have no plans to resume the 3 abreast warm-up laps. They are afraid that there could be an accident before the start of the race when the drivers are "scrubbing" (weaving back and forth on the track) the tires in preparation for the start. In the past, I don't recall a rash of accidents while "tire scrubbing" in the 3 wide formation (maybe Roberto Guerrero in 1991?). Oh well, they've destroyed the most spectacular and exciting part of the race and, to date, have no intentions of correcting the problem.

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cecil98, they actually did bring back lining up three abreast on the pace laps in 2010. They even had a wave lap, even though I only saw about 1/3 of the field waving back. Despite all that, the start was still a mess like it is everytime Helio wins the pole. There's been one year since the mid-90's that was actually a really good start. I believe it may have been 2008. Everybody was on the main straightaway when the green flag was thrown.

From Robin Miller's mailbag, he states: Instead of letting the front row accelerate between Turns 3 & 4 and string the field out, the new mantra is to go racing “closer” to the start/finish line. At IMS, this might mean a little slower speed at the green flag but it gives the chance to have a true, fair flying start.

Hopefully we'll see that because the "world's fastest flying start" roaring down toward the yard of bricks three-wide is a tradition that needs to be brought back.

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You are correct richie. We attended the public drivers meeting the day before the race. The three biggest cheers were for the announcements of the 3 wide parade laps, telling the drivers about the wave lap, and Mrs. Fisher going to her seat. I know BB takes a lot of heat from Miller but it was really cool of him to being those things back to the speedway. These things got the day started off right and I had more fun at last year's 500 some that came before it.