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NASCAR’s Robin Pemberton explains new restart rules
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Sunday, June 07, 2009
NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton addressed the media about double-file restarts at Pocono Raceway on Friday.
Rusty Jarrett
Getty Images for NASCAR
LONG POND, Pa. – NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton gave an explanation Friday of the new double-file restart rules. Here are excerpts of the conversation with the media and his answers to some questions asked.
SD: What is the procedure for double-file restarts?
Pemberton: “When the caution comes out, the field will be frozen as it is today. The free-pass car will be identified as it is today and it will be the same format. As the cars are gathered behind the pace car, the pit road is opened for leaders, the second time by it will be open for the lap-down cars, and that is how it is today. And when we come to the one [lap]-to-go [until the green drops], the cars that have elected not to pit that are lap-down cars that will be in front of the lead-lap cars that have pitted, will be waved around to join the field at the tail end. The lineup will be on the double-file restart, lead-lap cars to the front, lap-down cars, … then it will be the free-pass car, then it will be the cars that have been waved around and then it will be the penalty cars.
SD: If a guy on the lead lap opts not to pit, he’s the leader?
Pemberton: Correct. Still P1 [the leader].
SD: Is there an option for the lead car to select which lane?
Pemberton: When we give the 1-to-go, the leader throughout the entire race will get lane choice, high or low. He has to make that choice when we come to the 1-to-go at the stripe. One other thing we have added is the free pass will take place from start to finish throughout the entire race.
SD: If a car on the lead lap pits a second time with the lap-down cars, does he restart with the lap-down cars?
Pemberton: He will start in his respective track position how he came off of pit road. If you have a lead-lap car who makes multiple pit stops to work on his car, he is not in that lead-lap group that pitted that first-time by. He’ll be scored where he comes off pit road [with lapped cars]
SD: The lap-down cars that don’t pit and the get the wave around the leader, do they get to come all the way around to rear of the field?
Pemberton: That’s correct but they will not be able to hit pit road for tires and fuel. Pit road won’t be closed but they will forfeit their wave-around status if they hit pit road for tires and fuel.
SD: At tracks like Martinsville and Bristol and you’re waiting for the 1-to-go, are you anticipating that the wave around could be hard to be completed?
Pemberton: There could be issues. Every track has its different set of challenges. We’ll have to address those when we get to them. The whole field will be double file so they won’t be as strung out.
SD: If multiple lead-lap cars stay out, do the lap-down cars that don’t pit still get waved around?
Pemberton: The only way you can be waved around is if you are between the leader and the pace car. As pit stops take place, you need to be in front of the lead-lap cars. You get waved around regardless if you’re one or two or three laps down [or more].
SD: Are you going to use double-file restarts throughout the race for every race?
Pemberton: Yes.
SD: It was said that Trucks and Nationwide will use it later this year? Any timetable?
Pemberton: It’s just later. We need to work through some of these details here. We’ve got three races in three different states [this weekend]. We want to make sure we concentrate on this [in Cup] and get everything as right as we can.
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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Comments
4 responses to " NASCAR’s Robin Pemberton explains new restart rules". Post a Comment.
benflorance said:
Jun 7, 2009 at 8:46 AMi love this new double file restart but maybe they should have tested this in the truck series, then nationwide, then the cup series to test ou the kinks...its what they did for the green-white-checker
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» Confirm Abuse ReportCrazyClyde said:
Jun 7, 2009 at 9:36 AMgood point #1, but keep in mind fine tuning should be done before the chase starts. sooner is better in this case.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSheilaHawley said:
Jun 7, 2009 at 7:24 PMDo you find it confusing as to who lines up after the lead lap cars? And where the Lucky Dog goes? It took quite a few laps to sort everything out at Pocono that is 2.5 miles around. I will be even more confusing on shorter tracks. But I'm glad they did it. You can have someone 2 laps down ahead of someone one lap down, depending on how they came out of the pits. It was pretty weird.
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This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Reportboudruxbone said:
Jun 8, 2009 at 2:20 PMThats racing and I'm glad to see it. There's alot of new fans in this sport.[THATS GOOD!!!!] Alot of them though haven't been around the Friday and Saturday night short tracks, the dirt ones especaily and thats where racing not only began but where its rules come from. Nascar has to put in place its own rules with the pit stops and the length of the races. But the owners, drivers, crew chiefs, and pit crews do understand whats going on. Before long the new fans [from the early 90's] will catch on and be like all the rest of us and maybe smarter at it. Pull your hats down tight, get cinched into your race watching chair and hang on!!
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» Confirm Abuse Report