NASCAR changing restarts to double-file for Cup
Thursday, Jun. 04, 2009
LONG POND, Pa. – As expected, NASCAR unveiled plans Thursday to begin using double-file restarts with lead-lap cars up front beginning with Sunday's Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway.
Under the previous format, cars on the lead lap would restart in a single-file line while cars that had been lapped would start in a line next to them.
The use of the new format at Pocono, first reported Sunday by The Observer and ThatsRacin.com, should produce more opportunities for side-by-side racing among the best cars in the race.
"We've heard the fans loud and clear: 'double-file restarts - shootout style' are coming to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series," said Brian France, the NASCAR chairman. "This addition to the race format is good for competition and good for the fans."
The push to adopt the format got a boost with its use in May's Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, which produced several exciting restarts in the final 10-lap segment.
Although the double-file restart format will not be used in this weekend's Truck and Nationwide series races, NASCAR officials said those series will see the new format "in the near future."
"I'm behind NASCAR 100 percent on this," said driver Tony Stewart, who won the all-star race and its $1 million first prize.
"I'm excited about it," the two-time Cup champion siad. "The good thing is that when they drop the green, you're going to be racing with the guys you're racing for position instead of trying to clear lapped cars.
Said driver Kevin Harvick: "This will not only benefit the lead-lap cars, but also the cars that go a lap down, so you get the best of both worlds."
With the change, the race leader can choose to restart in the inside or outside lane and the second-place driver would restart next to the leader. But drivers in odd-numbered starting positions would always restart in the inside lane and drivers in even-numbered spots the outside.
Under the new rules, it is also unlikely there would be any cars trapped on the end of the lead lap and taking the green flag before the race leader.
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