IndyCar will try a new approach to its opening practice sessions in an attempt to get more of its drivers on track to entertain its crowds.
With a limited number of tires to use for each event, IndyCar teams tend to be conservative with how many laps they run during the first practice session, and as a result, large portions of the field tend to sit on pit lane between short outings during the 75-minute practice window.
To prevent ticket buyers from staring at a track that’s largely free of action, the series will trial a structure where the full 27-car field is free to run as they desire during the first 20 minutes of the session, and from there, the drivers will be split into two groups — divided by alternating pit boxes for the remainder of the session with Group 1 getting the track for 10 minutes before pitting and handing it over to Group 2 for the next 10 minutes, and so on, until the checkered flag waves.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1408]
The adjustment, which was pitched by drivers to the series, plays to the natural rhythm of a practice session where chassis setup changes are evaluated, followed by a return to the pits where more changes are made and another evaluation run is conducted. With the structured windows of having 10 minutes on and off track for the two groups, half of the grid should always be in motion after the 20-minute all-cars block in the beginning is over.
According to the series, “As in qualifying, the clock in Segments One and Two will stop for the first red flag condition of each practice segment.”
If the format is a success, look for IndyCar to continue its use for opening practice sessions at other road and street courses.