Brand new start

The V8 Supercars Commission has amended the procedure for race starts under Safety Car after the recent Clipsal 500 Adelaide.

It followed confusion about the start of the Sunday race after extreme wet weather hit the track just minutes before the scheduled start time.

The Commission has changed the rule – D.9.4 in the operations manual – so it is more applicable in these circumstances and helps preserve the race distance.

The new wording gives the Race Director the option to leave the Safety Car at the front of the field right up until the one-minute signal.

Then, if the race is to begin under Safety Car, there will be no formation lap. The red lights will go out to signal the start of the race and the field will run behind the Safety Car with the lap count ticking down. 

Any cars starting from pit lane in this circumstance will be allowed to start the race with an official’s orders, once the rest of the field has passed under Safety Car.