IndyCar has made a series of procedural updates ahead of Sunday’s 108th Indianapolis 500.
The changes, which were communicated to the teams during the drivers’ meeting on Friday morning, include confirmation that the white line running from the exit of Turn 4 to the pit entry attenuator will be officiated during the race.
This change, first reported by RACER earlier this year, effectively outlaws part of the defensive move made by Josef Newgarden in the closing stages of last year’s race, when he swerved beyond that line in an effort to break Marcus Ericsson’s tow.
According to IndyCar:
Cars that have left-side tires past the dashed line will be penalized unless entering the pit lane, for incident avoidance or in an obvious attempt to avoid a closed pit lane and return to the racetrack.
In accordance with IndyCar penalty guidelines, IndyCar can impose penalties that include:
• Drive-through penalty
• If at the conclusion of the race, a time penalty equal to a drive-through penalty
• If under yellow condition, the car is ordered to the rear of the restart lineup
Meanwhile, there will be EM Motorsport light panels positioned around the track — as is the case at other NTT IndyCar Series races — that will illuminate all flag conditions, including green. The panels will supplement the traditional cloth flags, and are mounted in addition to the lights already in use.
The restart procedure has also been revisited, and after consultation with the teams the decision has been made to not use the 2024 restart line designated in the last corner. Instead, as has been the case in previous years, cars may begin racing — including passing — as soon as green flag conditions have been declared.
The series is updating the 2024 IndyCar rulebook to reflect the changes.