CART Refines Restart Procedures for Oval and Road Course Events

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CART Refines Restart Procedures for Oval and Road Course Events
©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.
Changes affect last 35 miles of events
Championship Auto Racing Teams has amended its race restart procedures following a meeting of the CART Board of Directors held on Thursday, March 20.
Restart procedures have been amended for oval track events as well as road course events within 35 miles of their conclusion. On ovals, as soon as a caution flag has been displayed, the pace car will be dispatched and the pits will be closed. Once the pace car catches up with the field, it will [editor's comment: let pass?] pass all backmarkers until it picks up the race leader.
After the pace car picks up the leader, the remainder of the field will line up behind the leader in single file. At that point, the pits will open to all cars on the lead lap. On the following lap, the pits will open to all cars in the field. When exiting the pits, all cars will rejoin the field at the back of the line.
When the starter displays crossed flags, the cars will begin to align themselves for the restart. All cars between the pace car and the leader will be sent around the pace car and complete a lap in preparation for proper realignment. The leader will drop to the inside of the track, and all cars on the lead lap will go low and queue up behind him, in running order.
Cars not on the lead lap will go high and join the back of the upper line. They will not be aligned in running order. When the cars are aligned properly, the starter will signal one lap until the green flag, at the Chief Steward's discretion. The pace car will turn its lights out and proceed to the pits, after which the green flag will be thrown.
At road course events with fewer than 35 miles remaining, the pace car will be dispatched as soon as a full-course yellow flag has been displayed. The pits will remain open, subject to the leader's position on the track. Once dispatched, the pace car will pick up either a) the leader, b) the car on-track directly behind the leader, or c) the leader exiting the pits.
The cars will line up in single file behind the pace car, after which the pace car will pass around all cars between itself and the leader. All cars passed by the pace car must go to the back of the line. Cars on the lead lap which have not been passed around move forward behind the leader in running order. At road course events with more than 35 miles remaining, the field will not be realigned.
When the cars are aligned properly, the starter will signal one lap until the green flag, at the Chief Steward's discretion. The pace car will turn its lights out and proceed to the pits, after which the green flag will be thrown.
"These restart procedures will be faster to organize, simpler to communicate from Race Control, easier for the fans to understand and will reduce the risk of error," said Dennis Swan, CART chief steward, in describing the revisions.
The 1997 PPG CART World Series continues with the Sunbelt IndyCarnival Australia on Sunday, Apr. 6 at Surfers Paradise in Queensland, Australia.
Source: CART News Service


		Check out the latest Sports Guides from Starting Blocks Int'l

		CART Refines Restart Procedures for Oval and Road Course Events ©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. Changes affect last 35 miles of events Championship Auto Racing Teams has amended its race restart procedures following a meeting of the CART Board of Directors held on Thursday, March 20. Restart procedures have been amended for oval track events as well as road course events within 35 miles of their conclusion. On ovals, as soon as a caution flag has been displayed, the pace car will be dispatched and the pits will be closed. Once the pace car catches up with the field, it will [editor's comment: let pass?] pass all backmarkers until it picks up the race leader. After the pace car picks up the leader, the remainder of the field will line up behind the leader in single file. At that point, the pits will open to all cars on the lead lap. On the following lap, the pits will open to all cars in the field. When exiting the pits, all cars will rejoin the field at the back of the line. When the starter displays crossed flags, the cars will begin to align themselves for the restart. All cars between the pace car and the leader will be sent around the pace car and complete a lap in preparation for proper realignment. The leader will drop to the inside of the track, and all cars on the lead lap will go low and queue up behind him, in running order. Cars not on the lead lap will go high and join the back of the upper line. They will not be aligned in running order. When the cars are aligned properly, the starter will signal one lap until the green flag, at the Chief Steward's discretion. The pace car will turn its lights out and proceed to the pits, after which the green flag will be thrown. At road course events with fewer than 35 miles remaining, the pace car will be dispatched as soon as a full-course yellow flag has been displayed. The pits will remain open, subject to the leader's position on the track. Once dispatched, the pace car will pick up either a) the leader, b) the car on-track directly behind the leader, or c) the leader exiting the pits. The cars will line up in single file behind the pace car, after which the pace car will pass around all cars between itself and the leader. All cars passed by the pace car must go to the back of the line. Cars on the lead lap which have not been passed around move forward behind the leader in running order. At road course events with more than 35 miles remaining, the field will not be realigned. When the cars are aligned properly, the starter will signal one lap until the green flag, at the Chief Steward's discretion. The pace car will turn its lights out and proceed to the pits, after which the green flag will be thrown. "These restart procedures will be faster to organize, simpler to communicate from Race Control, easier for the fans to understand and will reduce the risk of error," said Dennis Swan, CART chief steward, in describing the revisions. The 1997 PPG CART World Series continues with the Sunbelt IndyCarnival Australia on Sunday, Apr. 6 at Surfers Paradise in Queensland, Australia. Source: CART News Service