It has happened more than once, by different teams with different drivers, but side-by-side team blocking has become a real strategy in the IRL IndyCar series
source: paddocktalk.com It typcially happens on a 1.5 mile oval. Two teammates get to the front of the field, and instead of attempting to pass each other, they stay side-by-side, and insure that one or the other will ultimately win. The problem is that the second row of cars don't have enough room to make it three wide without going below the inside line, and the IRL would penalize such moves. So what's a former racer got to say about this subject? Enter four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rick Mears. Mears told the Indy Star, "As far as I'm concerned, that's blocking. The last corner of the race should be fair game. Anywhere from pit road to the grandstand should be (inbounds)." The IRL's Brian Barnhart doesn't necessarily agree, "The biggest difference is in the fact that blocking constitutes a safety hazard. Two-wide in front of the pack that limits options for cars behind is more of a sporting code issue." The PaddockTalk Perspective: We wonder if some would argue that the two-side move actually creates a more dangerous situation with the pack of 10-20 cars very close together.... Isn't that a bigger safety issue ?
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