[MikeNoun]

Originally Posted by The Champ

I like having races end when the cars are still racing.

Indy car restarts are nothing more than a clusterfxxx.

They can't even have a decent single file restart - cars are single file - stretched out for nearly a mile - and they still have restart wrecks...

Champ, there's only 3 tracks on the IZOD schedule that have single file restarts; Indianapolis, Texas, and Fontana. All the other IndyCar tracks are double file.

I hear ya though, the single file restarts are pretty boring. Formula 1 uses single file too. The main concern is that the F1 and IndyCar cars accelerate so fast that inexperienced drivers would spin their tires and take out the entire field. Everything happens much faster in an IndyCar and F1 car than they do in NASCAR, and in open wheel racing, they can't bump the car in front of them if that car doesn't accelerate with the rest of the field.

As for the Danica crash, she made a mistake. All drivers make mistakes. Truth be told, Danica hasn't actually caused very many accidents. But granted, she also isn't running up front.

When I saw the GoDaddy car wrecking, and the #2 of Brad Kesolowski involved, I didn't need to see the replay. You had the current Sprint Cup champion, a proven driver, wrecking with Danica Patrick. I knew who was at fault. The only question was whether someone blew a tire.

Mark Martin also wiped out Aric Almirola, and it was 100% Martin's fault. Drivers sometimes make mistakes, or their spotter makes a mistake. Just part of racing. It sucked that Kesolowski, or Mr. Ed as Carl Edwards once called him because of his big chompers, had his day end because of an inexperienced rookie.

Ricky Stenhouse will win the Rookie Of The Year, unless of course NASCAR decides to change the criteria this year, at the last minute, to allow the fans to vote. Wouldn't surprise me if they did. They need to "make history" with Danica, because it means millions of dollars in promotions.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by MikeNoun

Champ, there's only 3 tracks on the IZOD schedule that have single file restarts; Indianapolis, Texas, and Fontana. All the other IndyCar tracks are double file.

I hear ya though, the single file restarts are pretty boring. Formula 1 uses single file too. The main concern is that the F1 and IndyCar cars accelerate so fast that inexperienced drivers would spin their tires and take out the entire field. Everything happens much faster in an IndyCar and F1 car than they do in NASCAR, and in open wheel racing, they can't bump the car in front of them if that car doesn't accelerate with the rest of the field.

Mike

If they can start the race 3 wide at Indy - how come they can't do a double file restart?

If the drivers are so inexperienced that they can't handle a simple restart - maybe they shouldn't be allowed to drive in the race.

Just a thought....

As for the Danica crash, she made a mistake. All drivers make mistakes. Truth be told, Danica hasn't actually caused very many accidents. But granted, she also isn't running up front.

Ricky Stenhouse will win the Rookie Of The Year, unless of course NASCAR decides to change the criteria this year, at the last minute, to allow the fans to vote. Wouldn't surprise me if they did. They need to "make history" with Danica, because it means millions of dollars in promotions.

Lord help us if they try and do that...

The sooner she's out of NASCAR and back with the Indy Car crowd the better!

[MikeNoun]

IndyCars start 3-wide at the Indy 500 because it's tradition. And even with that, everyone holds their breath. There have been several major accidents when the green flag drops (1973 being the worst). It's not because the drivers are less experienced drivers, it's more the fact they have less experience doing a 100 mph flying restart, something only done once a year, and 2-wide is just asking for problems. The cars just accelerate too fast, and at some tracks, the slightest misstep means disaster. In IndyCar, if the car in front doesn't move fast enough on a restart, the driver behind has a lane to swerve out and continue, and the car behind that car can swerve and continue too. It's just open wheel racing precautions, that's all. The human brain, and reflexes, can only react so fast. There's no bump drafting or fenders to bang on in an IndyCar or F1 restart, and if tires touch, cars fly. When someone checks up at Las Vegas in a NASCAR race, there's a wreck, and cars are bent up. When someone checks up at Las Vegas in an IndyCar race, people die.

These drivers grew up driving a certain way, and it's very hard to retrain themselves to drive something else. It's like when Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever, tried to play baseball. With all his skills, he couldn't hit a curve ball.