CART Rule Changes for Brands Hatch

[Jay]

CART Press Release:

INDIANAPOLIS (April 22, 2003) - The drivers and teams of the 2003 Champ Car World Series will add their legacies to the fabled list of competitors that have raced at Britain’s Brands Hatch circuit, and the series announced today that it has adopted a new set of rules that will ensure that the competition level will be the equal of any series that has participated there.

The 19 cars of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford will take to the tricky seven-turn 1.2-mile Brands Hatch track for the May 3-5 London Champ Car Trophy event, and will do so under new single-event guidelines that will enhance competition along with providing maximum safety for drivers and teams.

Addressing driver’s concerns over the ability to get a clear qualifying lap on the 1.2-mile short course, Champ Car adopted a single-car qualifying format that will give each competitor six laps to chase the pole position, with four of those laps being timed. The running order for the first round of qualifying will be set by practice times while Sunday’s final qualifying order will be based on the Saturday results. In accordance with new rules put in place in 2002, there is a single championship point available to the leaders of both qualifying sessions, and the fastest car in each session is guaranteed a front-row starting spot for Monday’s 165-lap race.

The other change goes into effect on race day, as Champ Car management and its teams agreed to revoke the mandatory pit windows for the Brands Hatch event. The pit windows have been replaced for the event by a rule that states that each car must complete two pit stops under green-flag conditions. The green-flag service must include a four-tire change in order to count toward the two mandatory stops. Teams may pit under caution periods at will, but can only add fuel to the car, and can only have two team members over the wall during a yellow-flag stop.

“We took the concerns that our drivers had over the lack of clear space during qualifying and created a scenario that will allow them to run flat out as they fight for the pole,” said Champ Car Vice-President of Operations John Lopes. “The rule changes governing pit stops at Brands Hatch will also provide for a full afternoon of full-out racing with teams now able to use different strategies in pursuit of victory.”

The London Champ Car Trophy, which will see points leader Paul Tracy go for his record-tying fourth consecutive victory, will be seen on CBS Sports on May 10 at 1 p.m. The CBS coverage will begin on May 4 with a season preview and qualifying show at 12 p.m.

[Jordi]

It might be better... Finally got rid of the windows....

[DNQ]

Yeah, but go a step further and remove compulsory stops totally.

[Snrub]

So how does this new qualifying work? They go out and do six laps all at once and four of them are timed? Sounds like a pretty good idea. It's sort of like Indy 500 qualifying on a road course.

[macdaddy]

"New single-event guidelines" leads me to believe that the pit windows will be back into play come Germany. I don't like this new pitstop formula, either. (There should be no restrictions whatsoever this year). But, I'll wait and see how it pans out. As far as the qualifying format is concerned, I likey.

[mac]

Originally posted by macdaddy
[i]I don't like this new pitstop formula, either. (There should be no restrictions whatsoever this year). But, I'll wait and see how it pans out. As far as the qualifying format is concerned, I likey.

Ditto Dad.

Brands is going to be exciting. Weird, but exciting. With cars lapping every 35 to 40 seconds, it is going to be like a road course oval. I can't wait.

[BootsOntheSide]

I can't wait either. These rule changes seem quite sensible for this circuit.

The laptimes will be much shorter than on ovals, so the one-shot system is qutie a good change - if all 19 cars are on track, you would meet 1 at least every 2 seconds, and CART's normal qualifying sessions are hectic enough.

The pitstop window change should be made permenant, I'm not sure why they would help Brands, but not, say Laguna Seca, Surfer's or Lausitz.

[macdaddy]

Yeah, I can't wait either! Gonna be a great race. And Canada's getting to watch it live!

They're saying they can pit under yellow if they wish, but they can't change the rubber. That kinda negates the advantage a driver might have by saving an extra set of stickers for the race.

[tanalised]

the qualifying change sounds good for such a short circuit. Why aren't they doing the full Brands Hatch course again?

[Jay]

Only the Indy course is up to Cart safety standards right now....they're working on the rest of it.

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by tanalised
the qualifying change sounds good for such a short circuit. Why aren't they doing the full Brands Hatch course again?

Brands looks as if they are hoping to make money from this race with a view to hosting the other four years that they are supposed to have for CART on the full circuit. There is now way right now that they could afford all the upgrades.

[Laagri]

I don't care what pit stop rules they have as long as there is no possibility of a repeat of ridiculous results like Papis' win at Laguna Seca in 2001 (or was it 2000?). In fact, I much prefer the mandatory pit window system to the old he-who-stops-most-probably-wins scenario.

As ChampCar races use the pace car so much, I don't believe there is an ideal system. The mandatory windows system is not good, but neither was the old free for all. Perhaps they could introduce something radical like you can make as many stops as you want whenever you want, but for every stop under yellow you have to take a drive-through penalty under green. Not good, I know, but it would at least prevent Papis-esque results.