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IndyCar standing pat with maligned standing starts

By WTOP Staff

DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar is standing pat with standing starts.

President of competition Derrick Walker said there are no plans to ditch the much-maligned starts that have been problematic for the series since last season. However, he knows the series has troubles with the starts that need to be addressed before the next one in June.

“The system we have on our cars is not as good as it needs to be,” Walker said Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s tricky to set up. The manufacturers set that up, the way the system behaves. It’s enough to say it’s not foolproof. It needs a lot more work than we’ve given it.”

The inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis got off to an inauspicious start Saturday when pole-sitter Sebastian Saavedra stalled, triggering a violent wreck.

IndyCar used a standing start for the series’ first race on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But Saavedra’s car simply didn’t go when the lights went out and, after Ryan Hunter-Reay frantically darted around him, Saavedra was clipped by Carlos Munoz and then hit hard from behind by Mikhail Aleshin.

IndyCar has now had some type of failure in all six attempts since bringing them into the series last season.

“Even if the standing start doesn’t work, there’s a function called anti-stall,” Walker said. “The engine should always be running. I don’t think the manufactures have gotten that one correct yet. They’re trying to go fast and we’re trying to make sure the engine is running when something goes wrong. The car isn’t perfect.”

Knowing the system is flawed, Walker said IndyCar should have been more proactive and put in a session where they had time to practice.

“If all the drivers say, ‘We can’t do it like that, we have to change,’ then I guess we’ll go back to the drawing board and do it again,” he said. “But there are a lot of drivers that come up and say don’t change standing starts. Don’t change restarts. They want us to modify it a little bit, so we’re looking into it, getting input on improving it. I don’t think it’s all thrown out the window. I don’t think you toss it out just because we’ve had a couple of tough ones.”

Walker also said the cars were spaced too close together, and Munoz and Aleshin should have used dedicated spotters.

“We gave them permission to put a spotter on the roof, right on top of the Pagoda,” Walker said. “Usually only Christ gets to stand up there. There’s only so much we can do.”

IndyCar will use the standing starts again June 28 in Houston and July 19 in Toronto.

Drivers also grumbled about the way race control was restarting the races, with the leader having to use a late restart zone. Graham Rahal said he was victimized when he was run into from behind by Juan Pablo Montoya.

“These restarts are pretty stupid. You can’t see back there because the rear wings are so big, and the officials, we need to work with them to try to change this because there’s going to be a lot of accidents,” Rahal said.

“They need to let the leader go earlier. Right now, the way it is, they’re trying to be like NASACAR and this isn’t NASCAR. We can’t just bump-draft each other.”

Walker dismissed the idea that IndyCar was emulating NASCAR.

“The problem really wasn’t that only the field came down at pace car speed, it was the car behind him that jumped the start,” Walker said. “Perhaps the answer is not necessarily let the leader go sooner, but bring the field down a little bit quicker.”

Also a problem, the debris from Justin Wilson’s car that flew into the cockpit, striking James Hinchcliffe in the head. He was taken away from the track on a stretcher, transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a concussion. He was cleared Thursday to return.

“It’s a problem to fix,” Walker said. “The only way you could that would be to have a partial cockpit. Long term, we are going to fix that problem. Short term, we haven’t figured out a way to do it.”

Walker did credit a carbon-fiber strip on the top of the helmet that prevented Hinchcliffe for getting hurt worse.

“Open wheel is just a very vulnerable area,” he said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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