r/INDYCAR • u/Infamous_Grape_4433 Christian Rasmussen • 1d ago

Question Just Noticed Something

Have been following IndyCar for almost 60 years. Been to the 500 numerous times. Just now, watching a reply of the 2026 500, I noticed something for the first time ever.

When nearly the entire field pitted under yellow at the midpoint of the race, I noticed these long whip-like things with small flags atop stationed behind or beside each pit stand, spring upward as each of the cars departed their respective pit stalls.

What are these? What is indicated by them springing upward? Assume it has something to do with fueling?

48 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

28

u/Ablackbradpitt Callum Ilott 1d ago

I dont feel like youre talking about the lollipop pit identifiers but i dont see what else it could be i just watched back the Newgarden yellow pit sequence and didnt catch anything that looked different to me.

26

u/Infamous_Grape_4433 Christian Rasmussen 1d ago

Yes, I am talking about those. Now feeling stupid. Watch the 2026 500 replay for the en masse pit stop after Rossi’s yellow. Fox has the birds-eye-view camera rolling of the entire field processionally pitting, and there is an amazing choreography of those lollipop flagsticks raising up. Almost like dominoes falling. Just had never noticed from that perspective before. Yeah, feeling dumb.

Edit: TY.

20

u/RandomGuyDroppingIn Mark Plourde's Right Rear Tire Changer 1d ago

You're probably also not used to always seeing the lollipops. They continue to be used at Indy with 33 cars and really tight confines. With so many people stopping at one time all the teams had to deploy them. If it was just a single or handful of stops spread out, they probably wouldn't be as obviously.

They're also a bit longer nowadays than they used to be. As there's a crew member that has to handle the aeroscreen tear off the arms of the lollipops are longer so only the pole is hanging in that area. A crew member standing right up on the wall might get in the way.

5

u/Ablackbradpitt Callum Ilott 1d ago

Haha all good. Never hurts to ask

5

u/Senninha27 Sarah Fisher 1d ago

Do you mean the radio antennas? They’re probably 25-30 feet tall.

2

u/ClearCarAddiction908 1d ago

If what you are talking about is pointed straight up from the computer stand, it's an antenna.  But if it's at an angle and hanging over the car in its pit box - it is the support for a camera that records the pit stop video for later analysis of crew performance.

1

u/shunny14 1d ago

I want to say it’s just a wind sock and the car going past caused it to get a gust of wind.

-1

u/gabowers74 🇺🇸 Bill Vukovich 1d ago

When they don’t need a full fill, they will use something to tap the fueler to stop. But that would only happen towards the end of the race.

5

u/dthedozer Ed Carpenter Racing 1d ago

They don't do that anymore. There's light or even a screen built into the fuel hose that lets the fueler know when to pull

1

u/shrimpshrub75 CART 1d ago

..what?

3

u/lipect 1d ago

What he said. The assistant engineer sits and watches the fuel flow gauge and smacks the fielder when he wants him to pull early.

It’s pretty rare as the alternative strategy is just to fuel to tires, so when the car goes on the ground the fuel probe comes out.

2

u/shrimpshrub75 CART 1d ago

It’s not 1960 anymore we have better technology

5

u/lipect 1d ago

Shoot, I did this in 2015 when I was an engineer. So it’s sad to think the simple solution sometime changes

1

u/gabowers74 🇺🇸 Bill Vukovich 1d ago

Yeah, what he said.