Photo: EDGE Photographics

Rule changes for 60/60 sprint format

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The newly introduced 60/60 sprint race format will undergo a slight rule change ahead of the Chill Perth 360 at Barbagallo, similar to that of the “Lucky Dog” rule used in NASCAR.

After the running of the first 60 kilometre segment of the race, any car that finished a lap down from the leading driver will be allowed to begin the second, 60 kilometre leg on the lead lap. However, the rule does not apply to cars that have been lapped more than once by the leader.

The rule change has been implemented in response to a situation involving Craig Lowndes in the first outing of the Super Sprint format at Symmons Plains. Lowndes suffered a puncture in the early laps of the first 60 kilometre segment of the race, and was subsequently lapped by the leaders after a forced pit-stop. As a result, Lowndes started the second, 60 kilometre leg with little chance of making a significant improvement in position.

A similar rule has been implemented in NASCAR since 2003, whereby the best placed lapped driver is granted permission to resume the race on the lead lap at the end of a caution period (with some exceptions). It will undoubtedly provoke discussion within the V8 Supercar paddock, especially if the previously lapped driver charges through the field to take victory in the second leg of the race.

V8 Supercar officials have also made other minor tweaks to the 60/60 format based upon issues raised after the first race at Symmons Plains. The break between races is now set at 15 minutes, where it was previously described as “a minimum of 15 minutes”. The change comes after Ford driver Mark Winterbottom suggested to Speedcafe that the break between races may have been too long.

“The break today was quite long so it allowed people to do changes, but I don’t think that’ll be the case every round, because it could be 15 minutes or it could be 21 or whatever it was today,” he said. “It gave people a bit more of an opportunity to change their car, but these cars take quite a while to make changes”.

Another tweak to the format is that the cars must now remain on pit road for the entirety of the 15 minute break at Barbagallo, where re-fuelling will now take place on the pit-apron. This is in contrast to the first outing of the format, where teams wheeled cars into their respective garages for re-fuelling and setup changes.

The Chill Perth 360 takes place this weekend at Barbagallo, with the second outing of the 60/60 sprint format taking place on Saturday the 4th of May. It will be followed by two, 100 kilometre sprints on Sunday for races 11 and 12 of the season.