V8 Supercars’ controversial new restart rules will be changed ahead of next weekend’s championship round in Tasmania.
The post-Safety Car procedure was heavily criticised after its first run of the year at the season-opening Clipsal 500 in Adelaide last month.
The rules force the cars to run in single file and stay under 60km/h until the race leader chooses to hit top speed within an allocated `acceleration zone’.
Holden veteran Jason Bright was caught up in a spectacular crash following the rolling restart in race three, while fellow Holden driver Shane van Gisbergen and Nissan’s Rick Kelly copped drive-through penalties for speeding.
But V8 Supercars’ general manager of motorsport, Damien White, said amendments will be made to the wording of the rule following a Commission meeting last week.
“We discussed it at length in the Commission meeting and slight revisions will be made to the procedure, which will be in place for Tasmania,” White told v8supercars.com.au.
“I have spoken with a number of drivers to seek input, and they are in agreement we are on the right path. My submission is currently being considered by the Commission for approval.”
It’s believed an increased speed limit (more in-line with race speed) and new overtaking point could be among the changes.
Double-file restarts, however, are unlikely to return given its disadvantage to cars that are forced to drive on the track’s dirtier, outside line.
White admitted the rule wasn’t perfect after Clipsal in his response to complaints from the likes of Erebus Motorsport’s Ross Stone and even Formula One star Jenson Button.
Practice for the Tasmania 400 at Symmons Plains begins on March 28.