A Step in the Right Direction
Just a little over a month ago, I wrote a post on changes I was hoping would come before the IndyCar season got underway. Last Thursday the NTT IndyCar Series took a step in the right direction, by outlawing The Dragon – that infamous move inside the pit-commit line that Josef Newgarden used on the final lap to cross the Yard of Bricks ahead of Marcus Ericsson. My good friend, Mike Silver of The Pit Window, had a clever title for his post on this the other day: IndyCar Slays the Dragon
You have to hand it to Newgarden. He was in a position to win his first Indianapolis 500 in twelve tries. With the finish line in sight, he was willing to do whatever it took to prevent Marcus Ericsson from using the draft and slipping by Newgarden at the line – even if it meant putting himself and Ericsson at risk in order to do it. Plus, there was no rule on the books saying he couldn’t do it – so it was game on!
That is no longer the case. IndyCar has now made such a move illegal going forward, and I see that as a good thing.
Think about it – the pit-lane speed limit is 60mph. While the commit line is technically not pit-lane, cars normally approach that area at speeds probably less than 100 mph – not at 200 mph or more. Then again I’m old enough to remember more than thirty years ago, when there was no speed limit in the pits. You watch videos from those races in the late 90s, and it looks insane seeing cars flying by other crews changing tires, sometimes missing crewmembers by inches.
But more than a generation of drivers have come and gone that came up with slow pit limits. Drivers and fans aren’t used to seeing cars swerving around in that area of the track. Worse yet, video makes it look as if Newgarden came dangerously close to the pit lane attenuator. I don’t know if it was as close as it appears, but cars have been destroyed by hitting it in years past. I can only imagine the results of that happening during last-lap desperation.
While what we refer to as The Dragon, the practice of zig-zagging up and down the straightaways at IMS late in the race, has not been outlawed – I feel like Thursday’s move was a step in the right direction. While I would like to see The Dragon go away completely, policing and enforcing that is a little tougher to interpret, than crossing over an established line.
One thing that I did not hear is what the penalty will be for committing such an infraction as weaving into the pit-commit line. Apparently, that is to be determined later. My hope is there will be some teeth in the penalty, to completely discourage someone from doing it.
And when do you enforce it. If it’s halfway through the race under a caution, we’ve seen drivers dip inside that line, acting as if they are going to pit – then cross back over at the last minute, hoping the car following them will be snookered into pitting. Will that be outlawed? It would probably be best to make it green-flag only infraction.
When the violation is committed, what is the penalty? Do you take away the race win? Last year, Marcus Ericsson was mimicking Newgarden’s every move. Do you declare him the winner, or is he penalized too? Does the driver get to keep the race win, but fine him $250,000? To most drivers, it’s worth the fine to win the 500. Do you make it a million? I have an idea you could strip away the entire winning share and most drivers would gladly exchange that in order to have their face cast onto the Borg-Warner Trophy to be immortalized.
Unfortunately, at that point in the race you’re probably going to have to take away the race win; and I’m not sure I like that idea.Then you’re looking at a repeat of 1981 or 2002, when lawsuits were threatened in order to establish the “rightful” winner. It was real messy in 1981, with a different winner declared the next morning – only to have the original reinstated the following October. 2002 had the potential to get equally messy, before a winning driver was confirmed. The common denominator in both of those cases was that Roger Penske was on the winning side of both disputes. Coincidentally, he is also Josef Newgarden’s car owner. Does that mean anything? No, but it’s a nice bit of trivia.
What is the answer to a suitable penalty? It’s got to be severe enough to make drivers avoid the tactic, otherwise it’ll be about as effective as making jaywalking illegal.
There is still a lot to be determined between now and May, but the series has definitely taken a step in the right direction. Now, about all of those red-flags last year…
George Phillips
Oilpressure 
February 26, 2024 at 5:20 am
I would like to see the driver’s lap deleted. I think that is the only penalty severe to show that race control means business. Then there is no question about who won.
February 26, 2024 at 6:13 am
So if you are second and right on the back of the leader you must not weave and if the leader does then you become the winner. As you mention the imperative thing in that situation is not to weave.
Most important that the penalty is clear before the race and applies to any driver who weaves.
February 26, 2024 at 7:49 am
If you want strict enforcement of the rule, then break the rule and you’re suspended from next year’s Indianapolis 500 and all points for the rest of the season.
February 26, 2024 at 8:17 am
I think you can take away the win. The line on the track is not subjective. It’s clearly there. If the driver crosses that line, there should be nothing to argue in a court of law. With today’s camera technology, NBC can zoom in to show within a matter of inches whether or not the infraction occured.
February 26, 2024 at 8:52 am
I think you’ve already answered your question. If the driver in the lead violates the rule, you’ve got to take away the win. Nothing else would be a sufficient deterrent, but even more importantly, if you don’t take away the win, then you’re letting someone win the race by breaking the rules.
That’s why it’s vital to define the rule very clearly (which, of course, is the same thing I’ve been saying in my comments regarding the need for clear criteria governing when red flags will be thrown near the end of the race). If they do that, then applying this penalty wouldn’t be a repeat of 1981 or 2002, because in each of those cases, the controversy arose due to vagueness of the rules. In 1981, the blend-in rule was unclear, and in 2002, the determination of just when the yellow light was deemed to have come on, as well as the procedure for determining who was ahead at that point, were both vague. But If the rules are clear, then the appropriate comparator becomes 1995, not 1981 or 2002.
Of course, there’s one other thing: the rules need to be enforced. I was just tweeting about the 1963 race over the weekend, when Harlan Fengler stated clearly and unambiguously before the race that anyone who was leaking oil would be black-flagged, and then failed to do it when Parnelli Jones was leaking oil while in the lead. The Indy 500 officials need to be like the stewards of the 2019 Kentucky Derby, who didn’t hesitate to take down Maximum Security’s number.
As always, the devil is in the details, but it’s good that IndyCar is moving in the right direction.
February 26, 2024 at 9:05 am
I would like to see them establish if it’s left side wheels or all four wheels over the line, and then a one lap penalty if there’s an infraction. The same rules should apply to the back straight as well or anywhere on the track while under a green flag.
February 26, 2024 at 9:24 am
I don’t have better ideas on enforcement or penalties than what has been offered above. Kudos to your smart and thoughtful commenters, George.
I am glad to see the move addressed.
February 26, 2024 at 10:08 am
I believe the first time I really noticed this “weaving” was at the end of the ‘92 race when Al jr was trying to break away from Scott Goodyear. Obviously it has grown into a much bigger problem.
February 26, 2024 at 1:58 pm
I’m glad they addressed this. I will repeat what I said in your earlier post. I recommend making it a drive through penalty on the next lap, or if it is the final lap you are dropped 10 places for your finish.
February 27, 2024 at 3:22 am
Either left hand wheel on or over the white pit line. Refers to any car in the race in any position
penalty twenty seconds.
February 27, 2024 at 7:59 am
Hey George, y’all need to calm down, “The Dragon” ain’t going anywhere. The way I read it you can slither down both straights as long as you don’t go under the pit-in dotted line coming out of 4. Stay “in bounds” and “The Dragon” lives!