INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Kanaan doesn’t like the double-file restarts that will invade the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for today’s Indy 500.
“(Speedway officials) keep saying fans love it,” he said, “but now we have a bigger chance to hit the wall. Hopefully, we have more than six cars finish the race.”
In previous years, restarts were done single file. In an attempt to boost race excitement, IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard instituted NASCAR-like double-file restarts after cautions for this season.
Drivers insist that the Indy speedway, built near the end of the horse-and-buggy era (the race is celebrating its 100th anniversary), is ill-equipped to handle it.
“In general, I think double-file restarts are OK,” defending Indy 500 champ Dario Franchitti said, “but I don’t agree for the Indianapolis 500. I don’t think the track is suited for it because of marbles (rubber tire debris) in the corners and the narrowness of the lane.”
Tire debris makes it harder for drivers to control their cars. Franchitti said it’s like driving on ice.
IndyCar president of competition Brian Barnhart agreed to a compromise. Four sweeper trucks will be used rather than two to clean debris. And instead of beginning restarts on the front straightaway, they will begin at the start of turn four, meaning cars will line up two-by-two on the backstretch. This will make it more likely cars will be in single- file racing by the time they reach turn one.
Stenhouse a rising star
CONCORD, N.C. — It took less than a week for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to rise above the logjam of NASCAR drivers looking to make an impression.
Last weekend, the 23-year-old became the first non-Sprint Cup regular to win a Nationwide Series race. Stenhouse won the pole for the Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday morning and then finished fourth. He will make his Sprint Cup debut today.
Footnotes.
Matt Kenseth passed Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards with two laps to go and hung on to win the Nationwide Series race at CMS.
• Formula One leader Sebastian Vettel secured his fifth pole of the season after posting the fastest time in a crash-marred qualifying session at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Today’s races
INDYCAR Indianapolis 500
TV: KMGH-7, 9 a.m.
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval, 2.5 miles)
Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps
NASCAR SPRINT CUP Coca-Cola 600
TV: KDVR-13, 3:30 p.m.
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
Race distance: 600 miles, 400 laps
FORMULA ONE Monaco Grand Prix
TV: Speed, 5:30 a.m.
Track: Circuit de Monaco (street course, 2.075 miles)
Race distance: 161.9 miles, 78 laps
