IndyCar amended its rule book in April regarding the size of the field for races, changing a rule that had stipulated that the starting grid should be no more than 28 cars. The field for the Izod IndyCar Series World Championships in Las Vegas last Sunday was 34 cars, which has been widely cited as a possible factor in the crash that killed Dan Wheldon. The Izod IndyCar Series rule book was amended so that IndyCar "in its discretion shall determine the size and composition of the starting field for each race." Prior to the rule change, only six tracks could have fields larger than 28, and LVMS was not one of those six. IndyCar updates its bulletins throughout the year and considers factors such as the amount of pit space and garage space for determining the size of the field. It is unclear how safety factors into decisions about the size of the field at races. IndyCar declined to comment on specific reasons for the field being set at 34 in Las Vegas. An IndyCar spokesperson issued a statement saying, “The safety of our drivers, their crews, IndyCar staff, racetrack staff and spectators is always our paramount concern. As part of our standard safety protocol, a full investigation has been launched by IndyCar, with assistance from individual members of various motorsports bodies. We hope to have preliminary findings to report within the next several weeks. In the meantime, it would be inappropriate to comment further until the investigative team has had the opportunity to conclude its work.”
