Double Points Get the Checkered Flag

thepitwindow

Call it Irony, if you will. I just finished watching Hallelujah! the Leonard Cohen documentary, on Netflix. I turn to social media and find another reason to shout Hqllelujah!

Indycar informed the team owners that double points will not be awarded at the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500. Qualifying points for the fast twelve are still in effect. Well, one step at a time.

Double points were first awarded in 2014, at the 500 and the other 500 mile races at Pocono and Fontana. In 2015 double points went to the winner of the 500 and the season finale. In 202 the last race of the year went back to single points.

Oddly double points for winning the 500 never helped a driver to the championship. The extra points, despised by many and scorned by others, hurt those who had a bad Memorial Day weekend more than they helped the 500 winner finish atop the standings. The gaps in points made it difficult for a driver to get back in the hunt.

With double points in effect, the largest gap from first to 33rd was 110 points. Starting in 2023, the largest gap will be 60 points, a more reasonable deficit to come back from with 11 races remaining.

I am glad to see the extra points go. Now let’s work on throwing a yellow flag when it needs to be thrown, regardless of pit situations, and keep the red flag hidden except for safety and rain.

5 thoughts on “Double Points Get the Checkered Flag”

  1. I never found double points for the 500 objectionable or unjustified given what Indy asks of it’s competitors. But I’m also not sad to see them go.

    I believe the qualifying points remain. I hope so. They always made more sense as a way to make the 500 more valuable than double points did, and 500 qualifying is a spectator and television event that other qualifying sessions simply aren’t.

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