INDIANAPOLIS – IndyCar will no longer use standing starts, which were popular with fans but poorly executed by drivers unaccustomed to them.
The standing starts were first introduced at Toronto in 2013 and used at four venues last season. But the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis was marred when pole-sitter Sebastian Saavedra stalled, and debris from the resulting three-car accident struck the Indianapolis mayor.
IndyCar President of Competition Derrick Walker said Tuesday none of the circuits that have used standing starts in the past met the minimum space requirement. He also said inconsistencies with the launch software made such starts too unpredictable.
Walker acknowledged fans enjoy the standing starts, and didn't rule out their eventual return.
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