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05/12 10:46 CDT Delayed full-course caution in Indianapolis GP prompts IndyCar
officials to make rule change
Delayed full-course caution in Indianapolis GP prompts IndyCar officials to
make rule change
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) --- IndyCar officials announced Tuesday they will no longer
consider the running order or the pit windows to determine when to throw a
full-course caution flag.
It's the second rule change officials have made since the series moved to
Indianapolis for the month of May, though this one won't affect the series
biggest race --- the Indianapolis 500 on May 24 --- since there are no local
yellows on oval courses.
The move comes three days after an angry Alexander Rossi criticized race
officials for not immediately throwing a full-course caution when his No. 20
car stalled on the front straightaway next to a concrete wall and out of the
standard racing line on Lap 21 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, eventually climbed out of the car and
over the wall separating pit lane from the race track and walked to his pit
stall.
Race officials initially responded by throwing a local yellow to alert other
drivers to the stalled car near the track's start-finish line before throwing a
full-course caution on Lap 22.
Series officials said Tuesday the initial decision was based on a standard set
of considerations that will remain in place and two that will not --- pit
windows and running order --- moving forward.
"The Lap 21 incident on Saturday made clear there needs to be a cleaner
standard for how race control moves from a local to a full course yellow," said
Raj Nair, chairman of the series' Independent Officiating Board. "IndyCar
Officiating, with IndyCar's full support, has made this change of approach to
ensure that the only inputs to the full course yellow escalation are safety
ones."
The decision came just hours before Rossi and 32 other drivers were to begin
practice for this month's Indianapolis 500.
"The most important job in race control is to ensure the safety of our drivers,
crews, safety workers and fans," IndyCar President Doug Boles said. "Saturday
highlighted that we must not waver from that central mission and aligning
everyone on that philosophy was critical to discuss over the last 48 hours."
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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