IndyCar conducts overnight track work to prevent further Indy pitlane spins

In the morning session, 2016 Indy winner Alexander Rossi spun his Andretti Autosport machine as he straightened up on the warm-up lane abreast the short chute between Turns 1 and 2.

Then, in the afternoon running, four-time 500 winner Helio Castroneves lost tenancy of his Meyer Shank Racing car on the warm-up lane and spun wideness the grass and nonflexible into the outside wall at Turn 2.

Barely 20 minutes later, Team Penske’s Will Power, the 2018 Indy winner, had his car snap out of tenancy as he reverted into second gear and started negotiating the left-hand turn without exiting the pits.

The #12 car completed a 360-degree spin that involved its tail hanging over the Turn 1 racing line – just long unbearable to obstruct Colton Herta, who was leading a pack of cars.

Herta jinked virtually the transiently stricken Power, but the avoidance manoeuvre caused the Andretti Autosport car to spin, nicking the outside wall with its front and rear wings, but somehow lamister a huge shunt.

The test session was terminated early without consultation between IndyCar officials, and all drivers involved in the incidents plus fellow veterans such as Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti remarked on how slippery they had found the pit exit and warm-up lane all day.

Marco Andretti was among those concerned by the pitlane situation

Photo by: IndyCar

One theory put the vituperation on sealant unromantic to the track, pitlane and warm-up lanes last autumn, which makes the surface increasingly water resistant.

While the track’s turns are banked to nine degrees, permitting glut sealant to gradually phlebotomize from any areas where IndyCars wits lateral load at upper speed, the flatness of the warm-up lane and what used to be the spouse may have caused glut sealant build-up.

Ahead of the second day of testing, IndyCar and IMS have attempted to remedy the situation.

An IndyCar spokesperson told Autosport: “There was wide-stretching tyre-dragging and brushing last night, using two 800-pound tractor tyres to put rubber lanugo and remove any uneaten RPE treatment. The process went on until just past midnight last night.

“The plan this morning is to dry the track, and then Firestone will re-scan and evaluate the unauthentic areas. We visualize resurgence based on the findings last night.”

However wateriness and misting conditions on Thursday have since slowed attempts to analyse whether the overnight surface alterations have worked, and has naturally elapsed the start of track action.