The NTT IndyCar Series is set to clamp down on track limits at the Circuit Of The Americas’ for the 2020 running of the IndyCar Classic.
The race came in for criticism from fans and commentators as drivers simply ignored the track boundary at the tricky Turn 19, which led to cars running farcically wide during the 2019 IndyCar Classic at the Austin circuit.
Drivers escaped punishment for running wide and using the vast runoff area at the corner, which added to the criticism and only made matters worse as drivers took increasingly wider lines.
With no fear of reprisal, it eventually led to an accident during the race which involved Arrow SPM’s James Hinchcliffe and Chip Ganassi’s Felix Rosenqvist, who collided with each other on the runoff area.
According to a report by RACER’s Marshall Pruett, IndyCar will install an electronic monitoring loop at the corner to catch out drivers who run wide at the corner. This will notify race control who can then take action against repeat offenders.
The system is due to be tested during February’s pre-season ‘Spring Training’.
Qualifying laps will likely be deleted and any incidents in the race will be reviewed for assessment should there be any deliberate attempts to run wide.
