A NASCAR rules bulletin went public on Wednesday, detailing changes to the sanctioning body's uncontrolled tire rule for its three national series. The changes, which eliminate the questionable "arm's length" term take effect this weekend. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Gander Outdoor Truck Series contend races at Pocono Raceway, and the Xfinity Series is at Iowa Speedway.
Under the modified uncontrolled tire rule, a tire is classified as "uncontrolled" if it becomes a safety issue or interferes with another pit crew's stop.
“After discussions internally and with competitors and teams, NASCAR will adjust how we officiate the uncontrolled tire rule to focus on preventing a safety hazard rather than concentrating on the subjective 'arm’s length' criteria,” NASCAR Vice President of Officiating and Technical Inspection Elton Sawyer said. “To be clear, tires must still be returned from the outside of the pit box in a controlled manner.”
Below, is the criteria used to determine whether or not a tire is uncontrolled, as stated by NASCAR’s rules bulletin:
Safety issues include but are not limited to tires rolling into the traffic lane of pit road.
• Tires may not be bounced or thrown at any time.
• Tires may be rolled from the outside half of the pit box to the pit wall, providing they do not create a safety issue or interfere/impede another competitor’s pit stop.
• Once tires are returned to the inside half of the pit box they may not roll back to the outside half of the pit box.
• Tires, servicing equipment and crew members may not interfere or impede with another team’s pit stop. Tires contacting a vehicle while being carried to the outside half of the pit box may be considered a no call.
• The penalty for an uncontrolled tire under green flag conditions will be a pass through, and starting at the tail end of the field under caution conditions.
Click here to view a diagram detailing the rule change.
Cup Series Denny Hamlin was critical of the uncontrolled tire rule after being assessed an uncontrolled tire penalty during a race on Chicagoland Speedway on June 30.
“It’s hard to explain when a tire is just sitting there that it’s uncontrolled. It’s not moving. It is controlled,” Hamlin said. "I don’t know the answer, and I don’t know how to fix it. They [NASCAR officials] are pretty smart, and I’m sure they can make adjustments to fix it to make it a little more simple. But overall, everyone’s arms are a different length. So, what is an arm’s length? Do they have some kind of technology that says, ‘Okay, this distance from the tire changer to the tire is more than an arm’s length, and they can pull a measuring out and they can measure it?’ I don’t know, but that’s just too much rules. Too many things that can change the ultimate outcome of a race.”
The rules bulletin also announced a new tire-related rule, set to take effect the Aug. 4 weekend at Watkins Glen International. According to that rule, teams will be required to change the tires farthest from the pit wall before tires closest to the wall during four-tire pit stops.
“Additionally, beginning at the Watkins Glen race weekend, we are mandating that outside tires must be changed first during a four-tire stop, to reduce crew members’ exposure to adjacent vehicles departing their pit stalls,” Sawyer said. “Our commitment to safety remains unchanged, and these rules adjustments will lessen potential danger for crew members.”
Pit crews already, traditionally, change the outside tires first on oval tracks, but at road course where cars pit in the opposite direction from pit stops on ovals, some teams have changed inside tires first.
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