IndyCar's Green-White-Checkered aka late red flag

[KevinWI]

For two oval races in a row, IndyCar has red flagged during the late race cautions. At Indy with 20 laps to go and at Texas with 7 laps to go. Montoya called this IndyCar's GWC and the AP's Stephen Hawkins wrote a smarmy article basically calling it the same thing (especially since the Texas race literally restarted with a green flag, then white flag, then checked flag, but no laps added). Both for Indy and Texas, IndyCar claims that there was track damage (SAFER barrier / catchfence) that required a red flag.

Not the first time they've done this. I remember Fontana 2012 was red flagged during a very late caution when the title between Power and RHR was on the line.

Pretty obvious that IndyCar will do whatever it takes to finish at least an oval race under green. Good / bad? What say you?

 

[Zerkfitting]

I would normally say that Indycar should just finish a race under caution. But I thought the decision to red flag the 500 was the right thing to do. I missed the Texas race so I don't know what the circumstances were.

 

[DUN24]

A late race red flag is a lot different than a GWC IMO. GWC's feel fabricated. Late race red's feel like they are just trying to give the finish a boost of normality and excitement.

 

[FLRacingFan]

I thought only Indy was red-flagged and Texas just ended up going green with two to go because of all the time spent having to extinguish and remove Sato's car.

 

[KevinWI]

I thought only Indy was red-flagged and Texas just ended up going green with two to go because of all the time spent having to extinguish and remove Sato's car.

Yeah, you're right. More late night half-asleep posting from me. Then why did that nob Stephen Hawkins from the AP call it IndyCar's green white checkered? The AP better put Jenna Fryer back on IndyCar and let Hawkins go back to covering black holes and quantum theory.

 

[DUN24]

Yeah, you're right. More late night half-asleep posting from me. Then why did that nob Stephen Hawkins from the AP call it IndyCar's green white checkered? The AP better put Jenna Fryer back on IndyCar and let Hawkins go back to covering black holes and quantum theory.

Lmao

 

[KevinWI]

According to this tidbid from the latest RM mailbag:

Q: IndyCar missed a great opportunity for a memorable race doubleheader and instead had two that I hope will be forgotten. I do not like the red flags. I understand that IndyCar wants to give the fans a green finish, but to me it is no different than NASCAR's "green white checker." So far it has not bit anybody in the butt, but it might rob a deserving victory from someone in the future. Will Power almost took out his teammate going for the lead. I wonder how much long the Captain is going to put up with WP?
Joe Mullins

RM: IndyCar has stated it would not red flag a race inside the closing laps to get a GWC effect but, being a timed raced, that’s how it turned out (three laps). For what those loyal Canadians sat through for two days, I thought they deserved it. As long as WP doesn’t take his teammate out and cost them the championship, he’s just fine. The Captain likes winners.

Seems like IndyCar is pretending that late red flag in the second race was because of the accident.

 

[Turn5ive]

All of these red flags have been well-timed to me. I think race control has done a fantastic job this year.