Indy 500 - Explanation please

[Dave Schwartz]

I tuned into the last few minutes of the Indy 500 today. There were 5 laps to go and a re-start was just taking place.

As they re-started, Kanaan jumps to the lead and then a car way behind hits the wall and the caution flag comes out but the race does not stop. It just continues at a slow pace until they complete the laps.

Most boring finish I ever saw.

Can someone please explain the "rules of Indy" enough for me to understand why it was handled this way?

[HoofedInTheChest]

They stay under "Yellow" until the wreck is cleaned up, unfortunately there wasn't enough laps left to finish under a green flag. It's a good thing Kannan bolted for the lead, lucky day for him.

[JustRalph]

that's why Nascar went to "Green/White/Checker" finishes. 3 attempts

They have to finish racing, not cruising

[headhawg]

that's why Nascar went to "Green/White/Checker" finishes. 3 attempts

They have to finish racing, not cruisingAn ungodly number of lead changes today, and it finishes like that. :sleeping: Something like what Nascar does needs go be done for IndyCars as well. I would also like to see a penalty for the driver who caused a yellow in the last five laps -- like a starting position cap next race regardless of qualifying time -- but that won't happen because most people would say that it's just hard racing. Still...

[Jay Trotter]

Dumbest way ever to finish a competition. They should at least have to do one last lap of racing. :ThmbDown:

[Dave Schwartz]

Thanks for the explanation guys. I assumed it was something like that.

What a moronic idea for the ending. Here I was thinking what a great roll I have been on... the last 3 basketball games I have watched, I tuned in with less than 30 seconds left and the game on the line, all going into overtime (when I did not have time to watch). Now this.

Seriously, Beth and I were on the edge of our seat waiting for the final two laps to begin. Her quote at the end was perfect - "Wow. What an exciting finish." :rolleyes:

[Marshall Bennett]

The event is a shell of what it once was. I used to look forward the the 500. Now it comes and goes and and I watch bits and pieces.
The ever constant equipment and rules changes in Nascar have turned it into a joke as well. The announcers (Daryl included) are boring as hell and sound the same race after race. They even enhance their accents to sound even more like rednecks. Drivers run each other into walls and other cars and receive a fine of what amounts to pennies to most of us.
I don't watch any of it anymore unless I'm flipping channels and see a big wreck happening. I may then stay on long enough for a replay or two and move along. :cool:

[OTM Al]

Thanks for the explanation guys. I assumed it was something like that.

What a moronic idea for the ending. Here I was thinking what a great roll I have been on... the last 3 basketball games I have watched, I tuned in with less than 30 seconds left and the game on the line, all going into overtime (when I did not have time to watch). Now this.

Seriously, Beth and I were on the edge of our seat waiting for the final two laps to begin. Her quote at the end was perfect - "Wow. What an exciting finish." :rolleyes:

It has always been this way and it's probably still not a bad idea as a two lap shoot out with open wheel cars is much more dangerous than with NASCAR. There is no bumping with these cars. They bump, they wreck. Encouraging risk taking is not a great idea.

[raybo]

Might be an ok idea to incorporate running restarts in the last portions of the race. Wait until the track is cleaned up and then run a couple of laps behind the pace car to help heat the tires back up, then get back to racing. Running while the track is being cleared, is not a good idea, in my opinion. The race should be stopped and then restarted, after running behind the pace car for a couple of laps.

[JustRalph]

It has always been this way and it's probably still not a bad idea as a two lap shoot out with open wheel cars is much more dangerous than with NASCAR. There is no bumping with these cars. They bump, they wreck. Encouraging risk taking is not a great idea.


Al makes a good point.
If you've ever seen one of those cars up close, you would wonder how more people don't get killed when they crash. It's amazing they survive the crashes into the wall.

[OTM Al]

Al makes a good point.
If you've ever seen one of those cars up close, you would wonder how more people don't get killed when they crash. It's amazing they survive the crashes into the wall.

It is years and years of engineering experience. As long as they strike the wall at a shallow angle, the chassis design and the "tub" which is form fitted to the driver will protect them pretty well. Broken feet are most common due to where they are up in the nose. Hit anywhere near a right angle to the wll though and nothing will save you though, but fortunately strikes like that are pretty rare.

My dad used to take me to the Speedway for the practice days. He never liked going to the race itself because how crowded it got. I think the last time I went to the race itself was in the early 70s. Back then the series was run by USAC and had four Indy style races and four open wheel dirt car races. He was good friends and worked in the pits with a guy that owned and built one of the dirt cars and many of the drivers ran in both back then before the money got so big for the Indy cars. Their driver Larry Rice won the overall championship one year. Later George Snider drove for them. He was AJ Foyt's best pal. I met AJ once. Kind of a jerk, but George was really nice.