Yahoo Autos NASCAR pushes back COTA restart zone
NASCAR has pushed back the restart zone for this weekend’s events at Circuit of the Americas to just off the final corner as drivers hit the frontstretch.
“The restart zone in the past was just before the start/finish line, so you’ve got all 36 cars pretty much nose-to-tail heading off into Turn 1, and at the end of the race, it was risk versus reward,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio this week. “Guys would just drive off in there, and the next thing you know, we’re 12 (and) 14-wide. I’m exaggerating a little bit but sometimes it looked that way.
“So, working closely with Jeff Burton and our drivers (we tried) to figure out a solution. We did some movements last year at Chicago on the restart zone and felt we had great restarts, had great racing. Obviously, the goal is to have the same at COTA.”
By moving the restart zone back, NASCAR hopes the field will be more spread out before reaching Turn 1, potentially resulting in less contact and incidents. It’s a tight left-hander after drivers race up a 133-foot elevation change.
NASCAR moved the restart zone for similar reasons on the Chicago street course last year and the Indianapolis road course. The first corner at Indianapolis had also been a hot spot for incidents.
At Circuit of the Americas, drivers will be required to stay in their lane until exiting the restart zone before going on the offensive. They do not have to wait until crossing the start/finish line to change lanes.
“I think we just have to see how the truck race plays out a little bit,” Kyle Larson said of the change. “But I would imagine the restart zone being to the final corner, like when the leader takes off, the cars will still be kind of stuck going around that corner. There should be less, kind of seven-wide, into Turn 1. Less divebombs, crashes and just craziness, which is good because even fans last year were like, ‘This is kind of dumb.’ Like we look like amateurs out there.
“I think it will look a little bit more professional. I think you’re still going to have divebombs, for sure, but maybe not from four rows back. And then just shoving guys through the two rows in front of you. I think it’s going to be good. I think it’s going to be a nice compliment to what the drivers wanted, plus what everybody kind of needed, as far as just not crashing people.”
