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IndyCar: No evidence to support Bourdais penalty

By WTOP Staff

JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — IndyCar’s top competition official said Friday that a penalty against Sebastien Bourdais for unsafe driving was overturned because the series did not have enough evidence to show he had done anything wrong.

Bourdais was fined $10,000 and placed on probation following a crash with Justin Wilson in the June 7 race at Texas Motor Speedway. IndyCar this week reversed the penalty but gave no reason for the change.

Derrick Walker, IndyCar’s president of competition and operations, told The Associated Press on Friday that he overturned the penalty when he personally reviewed the evidence and found there was not enough to show Bourdais had intentionally done anything wrong.

“I agreed with that decision initially, but when we started getting more information and putting everything together, and being president of competition gives me the right to veto calls … this was a time I thought we didn’t have enough evidence to say he was guilty,” Walker said. “And if we didn’t have that, we shouldn’t say he was guilty and we should back off.”

Walker said the initial penalty was decided by the race stewards in the days after the Texas race, and the stewards did not unanimously agree with his decision to overturn the call. He also said he doesn’t like to overrule the stewards, but simply couldn’t find enough data to support the penalty.

To date, all the public has seen of the incident is a view from an in-car camera inside Simon Pagenaud’s car. Pagenaud was behind Bourdais and Wilson, who were racing side-by-side for position. Neither gave any room as they headed into a turn, Wilson spun and both were collected in the crash.

It was presumed that Bourdais was accused of running Wilson too low on the track.

Walker gave a lengthy explanation to the drivers in their morning meeting and apologized for the Bourdais incident. Most drivers said they understood why the series flip-flopped, and Helio Castroneves praised Walker for standing up and admitted race control erred.

“It goes a long way in terms of credibility,” Castroneves said.

Walker told the drivers IndyCar needs about $5 million worth of new equipment to be able to review data properly during races.

“If we were doing things the way Formula One is doing it — they can listen to driver communications, they can look at car data, they can look at all kinds of camera views, they have the ultimate — to take us to where we are now to where Formula One is, it’s about a $5 million hit,” Walker told AP. “We’ll get there, it’s just we don’t have it now. I don’t want that to sound like it’s an excuse. It’s not. We can still do a better job, and we didn’t do a good enough job with Bourdais.”

Walker said he’s also aware of the public perception that race control favors driver Will Power and picks on others, such as Bourdais.

It’s a notion Power himself scoffs out and rattles off a list of recent penalties: at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis 500, Detroit and Texas. He was also warned in the season-opener at St. Pete for an improper restart.

“I’ve probably got the most penalties of anyone this year, and four of them have come in the last five races,” said Power, the points leader going into this weekend’s doubleheader at Houston. “I’d be surprised if anybody has two penalties, let alone four. I’ve been penalized enough, and you know, when people stop talking about you, that’s when you’ve got a problem.”

Walker insisted there are no favorites.

“I’d ask anyone to sit down with us and show us all the examples where Will Power has been favored,” Walker said. “I’d be the first one to stand up and say we’ve got to cut that out if we were, but I don’t see that at all.”

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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