A story posted Tuesday (June 9) IndyCar.com said a caution for "debris" on lap 150 of the Texas race Saturday was legit and necessary for safety. Read the IndyCar.com story HERE.
I'm glad to have the explanation and posted this as soon as I learned of it. (I also emailed the IRL PR posse Monday asking for an explanation under the theory that it's not right to accuse them without offering a chance to respond.)
Wouldn't it have been super-awesome if someone in IndyCar gave out this information the night of the race? Think of the negative publicity it would have saved and the spewing bloggers it would have headed off.
I think it should be the policy of IndyCar to tell the broadcaster immediately what the debris is so they can inform the skeptical customers and to make Brian Barnhart available to the media after each race to head off any controversies. But I'm obviously not running the league.
Still, better late than never and props to the IRL for explaining it. Read the story behind the yellow HERE.
Sounds reasonable, but it'd have been nice to know this at any time during the last 70 laps of the race. Or, even in the ensuing two days after the race weekend was over. Also, is there any particular reason that the clean up of "tire marbles, carbon shards, and a piece of a brake rotor" should take nine laps? Or to put it another way, one lap longer than the clean up of three completely wrecked cars from lap 2 to lap 9?
Posted by: The Speedgeek | June 09, 2009 at 02:21 PM
I saw that on the Indy site (admittedly after I spewed about it online - ooops), but the question remains; why onearth did it take nine whole laps?!
Posted by: Leigh O'Gorman | June 09, 2009 at 05:28 PM
It took nine laps because they took the opportunity to sweep the track for Marbles in the hope that more side by side racing would eventuate. I have no problem with that.
More importantly: Does this mean I get to keep the consolation Vegemite now?
Posted by: Shane Rogers | June 09, 2009 at 07:15 PM
Okay. Maybe. But is it possible that you might find that type of small debris and/or marbles at any point in a race?
So you could still basically call a yellow (with some small reason) at any time during a race?
Kind of like holding in football?
Posted by: redd | June 09, 2009 at 08:27 PM
I would say it's highly likely.
Posted by: pressdog | June 09, 2009 at 08:54 PM
"You have to trust the call," said Castroneves, who WON the race, fame and fortune.
As Redd asked, "is it possible that you might find that type of small debris and/or marbles at any point in a race?"
Was it on the racing line? Doubtful! And this notion that drivers, whose eyes are so much lower, couldn't see a bolt or part of a brake rotor or rubber 'marbles' is folly UNLESS the trash is way off the racing line and thus posing no hazard.
I understand that Barnhart -and spectators- wanted to see close, side-by-side racing as in previous years. 'So let's sweep the track REALLY well for several laps in hope that drivers might dare to drive further up the track in the remaining laps.
Posted by: Brian | June 10, 2009 at 06:39 AM