IndyCar clarifies rules around late-race Indy 500 'Dragon' weaving for Sunday's race

INDIANAPOLIS -- Should this year's Indianapolis 500 winner dip their left-side tires past the dashed white line that connects the exit of Turn 4 to the entrance of pit lane at the end of Lap 200 for the purpose of keeping trailing cars at bay, IndyCar says that leading driver will be penalized. Unless that leader holds a gargantuan lead coming to the checkered flag, it will likely lead to a different race-winner after the checkered flag.

The update comes in the wake of IndyCar changing the way it officiates the dotted line typically referred to as the 'pit commitment' line where cars coming off Turn 4 and planning to pit turn towards during normal race conditions. In recent years -- made famous during Marcus Ericsson's 2022 500 victory -- leading drivers in the closing couple laps have dipped below the line in a proactive move used to break the draft of trailing cars. Since Simon Pagenaud used it to help fend off Alexander Rossi in 2019, only briefly dropping four wheels below the line, the move has only been further exaggerated of late.

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Ericsson dipped a bit lower in the final laps in 2022, and a year ago, Newgarden steered his No. 2 Chevy so low on-track that he was aimed directly for the outside lane of pitlane toward the end of Lap 200. Ericsson and others followed, in an attempt to try and stay in Newgarden's draft that they hoped could lead to a last-ditch run to make a pass in the run to the Yard of Bricks. In review of the race this offseason, IndyCar officials deemed the move to be too dangerous when a crash around there between cars running full-speed could lead to a scary situation that could bleed onto pitlane.

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Up until Friday afternoon, less than 48 hours until the scheduled green flag for the 108th 500, though, IndyCar hadn't explained how it would officiate the line. According to the release, "Cars that have left-side tires past the dashed line will be penalized unless entering the pit lane, for incident avoidance or in an obvious attempt to avoid aclosed pit lane and return to the racetrack."

The release noted that the series can impose penalties for breaking the rule that include a drive-thru penalty, a time penalty equal to a drive-thru penalty (if the infraction occurs at the end of the race) or the offending car could be ordered to the rear of the field for an ensuing restart if under yellow conditions.

Related, though, IndyCar has not banned the proactive weaving that Newgarden, Ericsson and Pagenaud have done en route to their 500 wins -- as long as those moves not be deemed 'blocking' and they're done inside the racing surface.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar clarifies rules for late-race 'Dragon' weaving for Sunday's Indy 500