IndyCar – Standing starts abandoned in 2015

There will be change in IndyCar from the first race of the 2015 season which will be contested at Brasilia in Brazil on March 8. The rules of the American series will evolve, with several notable changes.

First of all, it is the standing starts, introduced in 2013 in Toronto, and used four times this year, which will be abandoned. “On most of the tracks we race on, only a few meet the space requirements for our cars, which are larger than most single-seaters, says Derrick Walker, IndyCar president of competition and operations. There is a necessary development to be made with these departures. I would not say that it is definitively abandoned for the future. We know the fans love it, and we love it, too. »

Other notable changes for 2015 include double-point races including the Indianapolis 500 and the season finale at Sonoma, California, which will award 100 points to the winner (Indy, Pocono and Fontana awarded 100 points in 2014). “We looked at the new calendar and the best option was to choose the last race and the Indy 500, which are worthy of the double points. » Walker says.

Several other changes will take place next year, notably the qualifying groups for road or city races which will be determined by the ranking of the free practice session which will immediately precede qualifying. The speed of the Rookie Orientation Program phases for the Indy 500 has also been increased by 5 mph.