Walker claims he has final word in Race Control
Derrick Walker also said he has final authority on all calls in race control during a candid interview Sunday with The Associated Press about specific officiating decisions in Saturday's race. Walker believes IndyCar officiating needs to be more consistent, and the series needs to urgently invest in upgraded technology to improve race control.
The most glaring call Saturday, in the first of two races around the street course at Exhibition Place, stripped Franchitti of a third-place finish while he was participating in the post-race celebration. Penalized for blocking Will Power on the final lap, the call was overturned two hours later following an appeal from Franchitti's race team.
"Brian ultimately consults with me on the calls," Walker said in outlining the nine-person race control room in which Walker has final authority.
"In this instance, Brian and I were in agreement on both aspects — that it was a penalty, and then after reviewing it, in agreement that you need to be able to stand up and be big boys and say 'Hey, you did get third place after all.' If we were not in agreement, or Brian thought otherwise, ultimately I would say to Brian, 'I think we should let him off.'" More at AP Story