** HSO Rulings | Grand Prix of Long Beach **

** HSO Rulings | Grand Prix of Long Beach **

The admin team is fed up with the aggressiveness and even unsportsmanship seen in many instances in the races of this season, a continuation of some antics and tendencies that started last year. There is going to be therefore a zero tolerance policy against aggressive or incompetent driving, particularly when it leads to damage and retirements of other competitors. Therefore infractions will carry over from one series to the other, so that repeated reception of penalties by any driver will draw further, more grievous disciplinary action up to race, series or league bans.

After reviewing the replay and studying the protests received, the admins have decided to issue the following penalties for the corresponding incidents:

Alberto Iquino receives a one-race suspension in the CART 88 championship: At the restart on lap 5 he fails to acknowledge the braking point with the field bunched up heading into turn 1, causing retirement or damage to several competitors.

Martin Lacina receives a one race suspension in the CART 88 championship: On lap 52 aggressive driving results in hitting David Jundt. Martin had been previously warned by race control for waving in the braking area (unsportsmanlike behaviour).

Austin Johnson receives a warning: His aggressive driving at the restart on lap 30 causes an accident, severely damaging Bruno Chacon's car.

Brian Janik receives a warning: From lap 87 to 90 Brian interferes in a battle for position between cars which are lapping him, and tries to regain a lap on them.

Grant Riddall receives a warning: On lap 95 Grant overtakes David Jaques for position, but doesn't leave him enough room causing unnecessary contact.

Rob Swindells receives a warning: On lap 46 he fails to acknowledge the closing speed with David Sabre, leading to contact and heavy damage on Sabre's car.

Jason Fitch receives a warning: for cumulative negligent driving. He crashed at Phoenix triggering a yellow, and hugged behind another car's rear wing at minimal distance at Long Beach's front straight until a misunderstanding caused a crash and triggered another yellow.

Raul Jereb receives a warning: for cumulative negligent driving, resulting in spinning out too frequently causing potentially hazardous situations.

All the warnings and suspensions issued so far here or at other series mean that a repeat incident of this kind will draw further disciplinary action from the league, and certainly not lighter than the one applied this time.

We would also like to remind that adequate preparation is necessary when driving powerful open wheelers, and while we acknowledge the real life constraints to train and develop setups, that will not constitute an excuse for low driving standards. Anyone feeling the cars or races are too demanding for him should drop his ride instead of being a danger on track. Admins will take that into account when awarding cars in future, easier series.