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INDYCAR Sets New Rules For 2011 And Beyond

 
457 views Jan 12, 2011



The IZOD IndyCar Series (IICS) has been making waves throughout the winter with new alliances.  Now comes even more interesting changes set for this coming 2011 season and for 2012, when there will be a new car, at least three aerodynamics kits and three new engines for teams to grapple with.

This year’s changes will be quite beneficial for fans.  From the first oval race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, celebrating its Centennial this May, the Indy cars will line up side by side for restarts – and, one hopes, for the initial start of the Indianapolis 500.  The IndyCar Series will also move the restart area closer to the start/finish line, enabling fans to see more action.

Following input from team owners and drivers that led to this decision, the IICS will have the race director will instruct drivers to line up according to running order on the final caution lap, with the race leader taking the inside pole position and second-placed driver next to that person.  

This restart rule won’t be enacted for road and street-course events initially, because of their generic characteristics of being narrow with quick corners, making it difficult for drivers to make side-by-side restart maneuvers.  Additionally, there’s usually tire buildup off-line on the road courses.  

IndyCar Series officials will monitor racing at each road/street course venue to potentially integrate them for future seasons with side-by-side restarts.  Location for restarts has been between the third and fourth corners of most ovals, depending on the pit entry.  

Moving to accelerate interest in the series, INDYCAR – as the sanction is now going to be known – wants to change pit assignments, negating the advantage of owner points for pit space.  This season, pit selection will be based on qualifying performance from the previous venue, provided it’s the same type of circuit as the current event’s.

For instance, the starting order from the first race at St Petersburg determines the pit box selection for the next race, the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.  And qualifying at Barber designates the pit selection for Long Beach, which follows immediately.

The objective is to reward drivers for their qualifying efforts and also to provide variety – lately it’s been the same teams starting from the pit-out area of the road, a huge advantage.  Since these same teams don’t always end up at the head of the grid, that could change things around a bunch.

The 107-percent rule is being changed to keep fields viable, allowing only drivers that qualify within 105 percent of the polesitter to take part in races this year.  This ruling will ensure CEO Randy Bernard’s desire to see only the best and most qualified drivers competing in the IICS.  It’s long overdue.

The Edmonton race that was cancelled this fall is back on the docket now that Octane Group, promoters for the Canadian Grand Prix, have secured funding to keep the race happening.  The group will have to look for a different venue after this year’s July contest, because renovations to the airport are being planned.

There was another announcement from INDYCAR but this one had to do with the future.  Although it would have been more inclusive to race with a Global Racing Engine (GRE) in 2012, the IndyCar Series has adjusted displacement downward for a more viable solution, economically, environmentally and for appropriate power levels at the variety of tracks the sanction visits.  

The 2012 Honda, Chevrolet or Lotus entries will have a maximum displacement of 2.2 liters, down from the 2.4 liters originally proposed last July.  The rationale for this change is that Turbocharging really doesn’t appear necessary to meet the performance parameters set by INDYCAR’s rules-makers, who would like – one of the days – to hear those famous words: “New track record” once again.

© 2011 Anne Proffit



 
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