news-record.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — In a midseason attempt to add some excitement to Cup racing, NASCAR has moved to double-file restarts beginning with this weekend's race at Pocono Raceway.

"We've heard the fans loud and clear," NASCAR chairman Brian France said Thursday. "Double-file restarts, shootout-style are coming to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. This addition to the race format is good for competition and good for the fans."

The first- and second-place drivers will line up side-by-side as the green flag drops for each restart. The former restart procedure had lap-down cars on the inside, and the lead-lap cars on the outside for the restarts.

NASCAR recently used the double-file format for its non-points All-Star Race. The format will be adapted for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the future.

The race leader will have the option to restart on the inside or outside lane. The second-place driver would then restart next to the leader.

Drivers in odd number positions will restart on the inside lane, while drivers in even number spots restart on the outside. They'll get their first shot at trying out the new rule Sunday at the 500-mile race at Pocono.

All restarts will use the same format regardless of the number of laps remaining.

"I'm excited about it," Cup points leader Tony Stewart said. "The good thing is that when they drop the green, you're going to be racing with the guys you're racing for position instead of trying to clear lapped cars."

GOODYEAR PLEASED WITH TEST RESULTS: Goodyear says it's pleased with its latest tests at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where faulty tires last summer turned the NASCAR Allstate 400 at the Brickyard into a series of 10- to 12-lap sprints.

The tiremaker says the private tests Monday and Tuesday with Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Patrick Carpentier, Bill Elliott, Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart and David Stremme came with weather and track conditions near what is expected for the July 26 race. Goodyear race tire sales director Greg Stucker says several runs were more than 30 laps, which is close to the normal 32-lap window for fuel on the 2½-mile oval.

It was Goodyear's sixth test at Indianapolis since last year, and a final test of the new tire combination is scheduled June 15-16 with 12 drivers.