Sanctioning body INDYCAR has announced an update to the race qualifying format for the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Friday-Sunday, March 13-15, on the streets of Arlington, Texas.
For NTT IndyCar Series qualifying, while the “knockout” format of Segments 1 and 2 will remain unchanged, the Firestone Fast Six segment will be adjusted to single-car, single-lap qualifying beginning with the sixth-fastest qualifier from Segment 2 and working toward the fastest from the previous round.
During the Firestone Fast Six at Arlington, drivers will leave pit lane and get an opportunity for one lap _ starting and ending at the alternate start/finish line at Turn 10 of the 2.73-mile/14-turn layout. Once the car enters pit lane following that driver’s attempt, the next car will be released for its attempt. Firestone Firehawk tire allotments and tire rules will remain unchanged throughout the event.
Accompanying this update for the Streets of Arlington event, FOX Sports has agreed to expand its coverage of qualifying to a two-hour window. The move is designed to create a greater opportunity to spotlight and translate the challenge and expertise required by INDYCAR teams and drivers competing for top positions on the starting grid.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to put more focus on individual teams and drivers and appreciate FOX Sports providing INDYCAR with an expanded broadcast window to accommodate this change,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said from Indianapolis. “This format will allow the competitors and sponsors who earned spots in the Firestone Fast Six the full attention of the broadcast during its qualifying attempt.
“It also allows viewers at home to see just what makes qualifying in INDYCAR so competitive and the perfection it takes to sit atop the grid and earn the right to lead the field to the green flag on race day.”
FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks added, “We continue to search for new, unique and innovative ways to tell the stories of the remarkable competition in the NTT IndyCar Series and appreciate INDYCAR’s willingness and partnership to do the same. This updated qualifying format will be an exciting way to showcase the stars of the series and dig deeper into what it truly takes to drive on the razor’s edge. I cannot wait to see how it plays out.”
If the Firestone Fast Six single-car qualifying segment is impacted by weather or conditions that cause significant track surface change from one attempt to another, INDYCAR will have the following options:
_ Revert to standard Firestone Fast Six qualifying procedures, which features all competitors vying for the NTT P1 Award in the standard timed window.
_ Use the results from Segment 2 to set the starting lineup for the race.
Following the Arlington event, INDYCAR will evaluate the updated qualifying format to determine its possible use and implementation at future street and road-course events.
Coverage of NTT IndyCar Series qualifying from Arlington is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (CDT) Saturday, March 14 on FS2, FOX One, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls. Coverage of Sunday’s Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, Round 3 of the 18-race championship, begins at 11:30 a.m. (CDT) on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls.
