INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indy Racing League will use a four-lap
qualifying procedure similar to the Indianapolis 500 at all its
oval-track races this season.
The pole winner and lineup at those events will be determined by
the overall times for all four laps, rather than the fastest of two
qualifying laps as in the past. The format for road and street
courses will remain unchanged, with single-lap qualifying for all
cars followed by a 10-minute group session with the six fastest
qualifiers to determine the pole position.
"Qualifying is one of the most nerve-racking experiences for an
IndyCar Series driver," IRL president Brian Barnhart said Tuesday.
"At Indianapolis, that has meant 10 miles of error-free driving at
225-plus miles per hour. We're going to take that kind of intensity
and drama to every other oval on our schedule."
The IRL's 16-race IndyCar Series schedule this season includes
races on 10 other oval tracks besides Indianapolis, along with
three permanent road courses and two temporary street courses. The
league's developmental Indy Pro Series will also change its
oval-track qualifying to two-lap attempts.
The new format will be used for the first time at the season
opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 29.
"It's a new challenge," former Indy and series champion Helio Castroneves said. "That's the way they do it at Indianapolis, so
it's great to have it at other race tracks. It should be fun and
exciting. It will be tight, that's for sure."