Sunday, September 15, 2013

NASCAR race halted by rain

   JOLIET, Ill. - Sunday's GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway - the first of 10 races to decide this season's Sprint Cup Series championship - was halted after 109 laps due to heavy rain.

   The race had already started about an hour-and-a-half late because of early morning rain showers.

   The race 267-lap race is not official until at least 134 laps are completed. When the red flag was displayed Matt Kenseth was the leader, followed by Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.


  


  

NASCAR makes changes to restart procedures

   NASCAR officials on Sunday unveiled some changes to race restart procedures which will go into effect immediately.

   The leader of the race will still begin the race in the "restart zone" - lines marked on each track - but once the leader begins to accelerate, the flagman will wave the green flag and the second-place driver can accelerate as well, even if he ends up beating the first place driver to the line.

   There is one other cavaet - all drivers must remain in their respective lane until crossing the start/finish line.   

   Currently, NASCAR's rules state the second place driver cannot beat the first place driver to the start/finish line - although the incidences of exemptions being allowed had been growing in recent seasons. 

   “To be honest with you, it needs to be in the hands of the drivers of who decides these races and not the tower," said NASCAR's vice president of competition, Robin Pemberton. "Things are getting too close and this year we’ve seen more wheel-spin than ever.”