Pirelli World Challenge Announces Rolling and Standing Starts for Balance of 2015 Season
The committee has also instituted the usage of a single warm up lap for GT classes as well as a staggered grid with larger starting boxes. The series used staggered and larger starting boxes for the August 2 race at Mid-Ohio.
"The move to combining rolling and standing starts will reduce some recent events we have had on standing starts with launch control systems and mechanical failures," said Pirelli World Challenge Competition Director, Marcus Haselgrove. "This will add another quality aspect to the PWC racing weekends."
"We want to provide a good show throughout the weekend for the Pirelli World Challenge and having both rolling and standing starts will be very entertaining," said PWC Race Director, Dorsey Schroeder. "We have had some troubles with the GT division with electronic controls on the cars. We don't have cars spinning the tires like before. Thus, we are breaking some equipment. The rolling starts should help the teams and manufacturers with their cars in that situation. But we don't want to get away from the heritage of PWC with the spectacular standing starts. We have listened to the competitors. We will also give just one warm up lap for standing starts rather than two. The Pirelli tires hook up so well that the grip is just outstanding for the standing starts. We will institute the new standing program beginning this weekend at Mid-Ohio with the Touring Car classes."
WC Vision's Competition Committee will also be expanding Yellow Light safety system testing around the track with plans for enhanced onboard safety light usage in 2016.
Pirelli World Challenge GTS action from the series' July 31 to August 2 visit to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be televised Wednesday (August 12) on the CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. EDT.
The next PWC competition is scheduled for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the Touring Car categories – TC, TCA and TCB – on August 13-15 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.