‘A negative effect’ – Indy 500 double points ditched by IndyCar

The Indianapolis 500 may have a standard factors allocation within the IndyCar Sequence this 12 months, reversing the double-points rule that had been in place since 2014.

It has been determined after evaluate that the double-points rule “has confirmed to overly penalise full-time championship groups which have carried out poorly within the 500”, based on an announcement launched by IndyCar.

“For 17 consecutive seasons, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship has been determined within the remaining race of the season,” mentioned IndyCar president Jay Frye.

“Whereas double factors on the Indianapolis 500 has not altered who gained the season-long championship, sometimes it has had a unfavourable impact on the ultimate place of the full-time groups.

“As our entry record grows, this transfer will present consistency for groups competing for championship positions whereas not diminishing the significance of ‘The Biggest Spectacle in Racing’.”

It’s proper that the rule has not altered the champion. Additionally, the winner of the five hundred has not gained the championship since 2012, regardless of the large factors incentive on provide for profitable on the Brickyard.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway president J. Douglas Boles added: “For over 100 years, the Indianapolis 500 has been the head of motorsports.

“From the pre-race festivities, to consuming milk in Victory Lane to including the champion’s likeness to the famed Borg-Warner Trophy, its wealthy traditions have made it a prestigious annual occasion.

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway helps the change by INDYCAR to reinforce the integrity of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.”

Marcus Ericsson was final 12 months’s Indianapolis 500 winner, however even with the double factors, he was nonetheless outscored on ovals for the 12 months by Pato O’Ward, and misfortune blighted the final quarter of Ericsson’s season as he completed sixth within the general standings, 54 factors behind champion Will Energy.

The Race Says

Jack Benyon

I can’t cover my pleasure for this information.

I all the time understood the idea of double factors, and particularly that the Indy 500 is no less than twice as vital as some other IndyCar race – so why shouldn’t groups be awarded much more?

It’s simply that the logic doesn’t play out.

All 33 or extra vehicles are already attempting to win the occasion. If there’s one occasion of the 12 months they don’t want further motivation for, it’s the Indy 500. So with double factors all you might be doing is giving drivers a tricky choice to make – gamble for a end result that’s even higher for the championship due to double factors, or settle with what it’s a must to keep away from a season-wrecking factors setback.

Settling has turn into much less of a selection and extra of a truth of racing on the 500 because the aeroscreen gadget was launched for 2020, as typically overtaking is simply so robust nowadays.

Jay Frye may additionally say that the championship hasn’t been determined by this rule up to now, and that’s true in a literal sense. However in a hypothetical state of affairs, a driver chasing may need needed to take extra dangers if he’s had a foul Indy 500 the place his important rival had an excellent one. Even in 2020, Scott Dixon was second on the Indy 500 and Newgarden was fifth, however with out double factors that will have been a six-point hole on the finish of the 12 months as an alternative of 16.

Perhaps Dixon takes a threat beneath stress if he didn’t have that end result within the bag, or Newgarden wouldn’t have needed to have risked a lot on a regular basis to mount his comeback.

Newgarden might be the motive force who has been damage most by this, particularly lately whereas Penske has struggled on the Indy 500, and he’ll probably be happier than anybody that collection homeowners Penske Leisure and its personnel have made this name.

I may also see the argument that it’s detrimental to the common area, and the entire thing is a lot better off as a single-points affair.

Upping the prize cash was all the time one of the best ways to reward these going for broke on the 500, fairly than shackling these within the midfield who know solely a loopy gamble will win the race however may additionally price them pricey within the championship if it inevitably goes fallacious.

These gung-ho strikes don’t actually exist on the 500 anymore, both.