The pace car sets the speed of the start - according to the GCR - and at the specific direction of our stewards this year. I also reference 6.2.2.E - last sentence: "Once the pace car pulls off for the start, the pole car shall maintain the speed of the pace car just prior to the pace car pulling off."
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And I have known pole sitters to have been penalized for balking at the start, e.g. not keeping up with the pace car.
So in my mind, this begs the question - would it have been LEGAL for me to keep pace with the pace car putting the actual 'questionable action' on Richie - since he DIDN'T keep pace as he should have?
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The GCR is indeed gray and even conflicting, in that you clearly can try to follow the rules and no matter what you do, you are going to break one of them.
I was in line before any starting official could see me...[/b]
This is false. The starter can see you from the instant you pop out from under the bridge. We use that to help judge how well the pack ( is / is not ) forming up.
is that an actual fault? If I were P1 and you were P2 and I slowed and you advanced without knowing it - should you be penalized?
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I would never call you for an infraction under these conditions, but I might call in that P1 balked the start. Again, it is so far from the starters stand that it is difficult to judge speeds and whom is slowing and whom is speeding up, but the fact that the P1 car dropped back from the pace car is very clear.

The stewards doing something about it is a whole 'nother question. Most won't.
Debate on - It's a very interesting and rare situation to have the P1 car slow down to less MPH than the PC.
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Happens a lot more than you would think. <_<