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Double File Restarts

Guest · 2009-06-05T13:57:54Z

Hey saw this article on Nascar.com. think this will be a good thing or a bad thing for Nascar.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR on Thursday announced a change to its race format with the addition of "Double-File Restarts -- Shootout Style" throughout each race. Beginning with this weekend at Pocono Raceway, the first- and second-place drivers will line up side-by-side as the green flag flies for each restart."We've heard the fans loud and clear: 'double-file restarts -- shootout style' are coming to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series," said NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France. "This addition to the race format is good for competition and good for the fans."â€œ"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.â€TONY STEWART"I'm excited about it," said two-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. "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."Since NASCAR has adapted the 'free pass,' I think that's something that now justifies being able to put those lapped cars to the back and let them race with each other, and let the guys who are racing on the lead lap do the same. I'm behind NASCAR 100 percent on this."Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick said, "I think it's great that NASCAR is listening to the fans. These new restart procedures are going to make our sport even more exciting than it already is. 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."NASCAR recently used the "double-file" format for its non-points Sprint All-Star Race, which produced an unpredictable finish. The format will be adapted for the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series in the near future."The last 10 laps of the recent Sprint All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway proved that the double-file restart concept works well," said Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "Short tracks have been doing this for years, and I have no doubt that it will enhance the excitement of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing. I applaud NASCAR's decision to implement this change immediately. Close competition gives our fans a great entertainment value."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.Under the new format, the race leader will have the option to restart on the inside or outside lane. The second-place driver would then restart next to the leader. Regardless of where the leader starts, drivers in odd number positions (third, fifth, seventh places, etc.) will restart on the inside lane, while drivers in even number positions (fourth, sixth, eighth places, etc.) will restart on the outside. All restarts will use the same format regardless of the number of laps remaining in the race.The first-place driver will continue to control the timing of restarts in a designated zone on the track. Likewise, cars are to stay in line until they reach the start/finish line. The first eligible car a lap or more down will continue to earn one lap back following a caution, which is known as the "free pass." However, a new element beginning this week will be that the "free pass" will remain in effect the entire race.Lapped cars choosing to remain on the track will be "waved around" the caution car and will restart the race in respective track position, thus picking up a lap to the leader provided the leader also pits. This will also remove lapped cars from behind the pace car, allowing the leaders to take the green without interference."I think there'll be some weeks that it'll be good and I think there'll be some weeks where you could draw the short straw and get the shaft -- but that's going to be part of it," Matt Kenseth said. "I mean, if you're at Martinsville or Indy or some of these one-lane tracks and you're running fourth, and you start on the second row, outside, you're probably going to be in big trouble -- you're probably going to have a top-five run turn into a 10th- or 12th-place run."But that will just kind of be the luck of the draw, and it depends how many laps there are to go and stuff like that, also. I don't really see a huge drawback to double-file restarts. Like I say, I think there are some places that might be a little more exciting than others -- like [Daytona] it might make it more exciting. But there will definitely be more accidents, more action and probably more people mad at each other."

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Thayne

Jun 05, 2009 5:40 pm

(@barrie97ps)

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I like what Mikey said today...right before he showed America Kenny Wallace's phone number....

he says that the look on TV will be the same...two by two but now the fans won't be as confused....I know when i FIRST started watchingI always wondered what the hell was going on...

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schade

Jun 05, 2009 6:13 pm

(@schade)

Joined: 1 second ago

The lap down cars well only be waved around the pace car when they are comming to the 1 to go .. The same way the lucky dog system works .. So the cars would have to wait untill the next caution in order to pit otherwise they would just end up a lap down again. There well be lots of stratagy come into play here with the lap down cars.

The other good point to this rule change is that 99% of the time the leader will be starting directly behind the pace car and not 5-10 cars back like sometimes happens

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CanadianRacingOnline

Admin

Jun 05, 2009 6:55 pm

(@canadianracingonline)

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Joined: 23 years ago

Do you have his number? ???

I like what Mikey said today...right before he showed America Kenny Wallace's phone number....

Canadian Racing Archive Project.
http://www.canadianracingarchives.com/

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Thayne

Jun 05, 2009 7:19 pm

(@barrie97ps)

Famed Member

Joined: 20 years ago

I didn't get the complete number, I didn't notice u cld see it on Mikey's blackberry till after a few seconds....

I am sure it is out there by now tho if u googled it...

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Statsman

Jun 06, 2009 12:50 pm

(@Statsman)

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Should make for some interesting racing at Pocono.

All that fan out 3-4 wide stuff on restarts will be for position.

Of course that is if it doesn't rain.

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