The Indianapolis 500 will return to its more traditional start time — 11 a.m. — if some influential IndyCar Series team owners have a say in it. The leaders of Team Penske and Andretti Green Racing said Saturday they support a change back to the earlier start time to help the event attract NASCAR drivers, which they figure would boost television ratings for the 500. Currently, the 1 p.m. start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway does not allow enough time for drivers to complete the 500 miles and then fly to Concord, N.C., for the Sprint Cup Series night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Team Penske president Tim Cindric brought the subject up in an owners meeting held with Indy Racing League officials prior to the race at Chicagoland Speedway. “It’s worth one (ratings) point, at least,” Cindric said after the meeting.(Indianapolis Star)(8-30-2009)
