ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – INDYCAR president of competition Beaux Barfield envisions a clean start to the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the IZOD IndyCar Series season – unlike the multi-car pile-up in Turn 1 that marked the 2011 season opener on the 1.8-mile street circuit.

Still, the new IZOD IndyCar Series Race Director says he won’t dictate how the 26 drivers negotiate the tight and wide right-hand turn.

Click it: St. Pete weekend schedule | Entrant list | Driver performances | Pit assignments

“Turn 1 at St. Petersburg is so symbolic to me and is an opportunity to achieve a lot of things – either negative or positive,” Barfield said. “When I watched the race at St. Petersburg from home last year, I saw something that I would have taken action on and make the message clear that INDYCAR Race Control is in charge. That’s my style – you watch how something happens and you react to it accordingly.

“It’s really not my job to say this is what I want you to do at Turn 1, how I want you to get through Turn 1. I’ll certainly inform the drivers that it’s a long race and in Turn 1 there’s more to be lost than gained. I don’t like the cliché that the race isn’t won in the first turn because I’ve seen a lot of races won in the first turn. I appreciated and respect that, and I won’t try too aggressively to hold drivers back from that.

“Forming a good start is up to me, and what happens with the group when the green flag is waved, Turn 1, Turn 3, that’s up to the drivers. I empower them as such, respect them as such and give them that responsibility. If it’s not achieved the way I expect it to and how the fans expect it to, then appropriate action will be taken.”

Barfield said the drivers and team managers will quickly learn he’s not long on words.

“The very important items will be addressed and it will be left at that. I refuse to get in front of the drivers to go on any long narratives.  St. Pete will likely be one of the longest driver and team manager meetings of the year because we have to establish expectations and so many items that will relate to the entire season. Once those items are clarified, there’s no use discussing them in future meetings.”

Road/street course qualifying segments defined:

Segment 1
All cars shall participate in one of the two groups for 15 minutes per group inclusive of full-course yellow conditions, with six cars posting best lap times from each group advancing to Segment 2.

Cars not advancing to Segment 2 will fill positions 13 through the end of the starting field to be ranked in order of best lap time as follows: Group 1 shall occupy the odd-numbered positions beginning with 13 and Group 2 will occupy the even-numbered positions beginning with 14.

Notes: Driver posting best lap time in Friday practice will determine which group will take track first in Segment 1. Odd-numbered cars will comprise Group 1 and even-numbered cars will make up Group 2. … A new rule for 2011 limits cars to one set of tires (team choice of primary or alternate) for each qualifying segment.

Segment 2
Shall consist of one 10-minute, 12-car qualifying group inclusive of full-course yellow conditions, with all times from Segment 1 having been voided. Six cars posting best lap times advance to Segment 3 (the Firestone Fast Six).

Cars not advancing to Segment 3 will fill positions 7-12 to be ranked in order of time.

Segment 3 (Firestone Fast Six)
Consists of one 10-minute, six-car qualifying group, of which five minutes is guaranteed green condition time, with all times from Segment 2 voided. Session shall begin 10 minutes after checkered flag of Segment 2.

Firestone Fast Six shall determine the PEAK Pole Award winner and the cars starting 2-6 on the grid based on fastest lap time.