Double points but no double distance for finale, standing starts scrapped
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IndyCar will offer double points for the Indy 500 and the season finale at Sonoma next year:
http://www.indycar.com/News/2014/12/12-2-Verizon-IndyCar-Series-rulebook-for-2015
This year IndyCar offered double points at the three 500-mile races, which made some sense as those were around twice the length of typical events. But unless they’ve upped the Sonoma finale to 170 laps, that doesn’t seem to be the case this time around.
That being so, it’s hugely disappointing to see IndyCar make the same mistake F1 was deservedly pilloried for this year.
IndyCar has also scrapped its efforts to hold standing starts, which seems like a sensible move as they weren’t using them that much anyway.
Ah, the silliest part of the silly season yet?
Double points for the Indy 500 is fine, its the marquee race. Sonoma doesn’t need it, the title chase would go there anyway based on the competitiveness of the series recently.
@jb001 I agree entirely – without double points IndyCar went down to the final race in every season since 2006 (before it was reunified).
The standing starts either needed scrapping or serious work, especially after the nasty shunt we saw at Indianapolis. I don’t see what is wrong with a rolling start anyway.
I’m pretty miffed that IndyCar has decided to try to be more like F1 by having a useless double points race for a race which isn’t double the distance, even if it is at Sonoma – a track I am rather fond of.
I do like this way of getting around the qualifying group conundrum however:
Groups for Segment One of the three-segment road/street course qualifications will be set by lap times in the latest on-track session. The rule corresponds to the Promoter Day at St. Petersburg, NOLA Motorsports Park, the Indianapolis road course and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course that immediately precede the race event weekends. The sessions on the extra day at each venue will not be used in determining Segment One groups.
To determine Segment One, INDYCAR shall rank the cars in order of time, with the driver posting the best time ranking appearing in the first position and continuing through the rest of the field in order of increasing time. The driver with the best time ranking shall determine the groups and notify INDYCAR of his/her decision within 30 minutes following the conclusion of the practice session that determines the qualifications groups.
As for double points, they’re even more useless in IndyCar than in F1. End of. No argument.
With every season coming down to the last race already, I fail to see the point of this rule. Argh!
To be honest, I’m against double points even in the Indy 500. Winning the Indy 500 is a reward in itself – teams are giving it their all anyway, so I don’t see why they need to bring in more points to raise the stakes.
Perhaps the thing I’m most against is how disjointed the lower positions become thanks to the double points. I mean, 7th place with double points is worth more than a win at any other race. A driver could also crash out at the first corner at Indy and score more points for 33rd (10) than they would by finishing 21st (9) at a different event. I’d be more in favour of slightly scaling up the points for just the top 5 at Indy. I’d like to the see the top 5 be awarded points like maybe 75 – 60 – 50 – 42 – 35, then the same number of points as every other race for 6th downwards. I just don’t see why a poor performance should be worth more at some events than others. That’s my real gripe.
And obviously there is no sporting reason to have double points at Sonoma, but that goes without saying.
Sad to see double points ‘gimmicked’, as there was rationale behind it before, balancing up the Ovals with Road/Street, and matching ‘double distance’ with ‘double points’, also giving 3 ‘Triple Crown’ events.
Dropping standing starts is probably wiser in the Indycar, seeing the Indy wreck. They’re not as safe as F1, and cruise at higher speeds on ovals, so more precautions are needed.
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