Motor Racing: IndyCar confusion over penalties: Mansell feels the heat of his rivals

IF Nigel Mansell thought that by switching from Formula One to IndyCar racing he had left behind him irritating disputes over regulations, he may have to think again.

After a grand prix in Detroit on Sunday that was riddled with penalties, the winner, Danny Sullivan, was virtually the only happy man. It seemed everyone else complained of administrative interference that could bring lawyers into pit crews.

Two leaders, Emerson Fittipaldi and his team-mate Paul Tracy, and Al Unser Jnr were chased from the track for 'stop and go' penalties, drastically changing the look of the race. Fittipaldi eventually crashed while in mid-field, Unser finished sixth, and Tracy ninth.

So many were disgruntled that IndyCar held a post-race press conference to explain its position.

Fittipaldi stood accused of jumping the start to take the lead from the polesitter Mansell. Fittipaldi got away with the tactic in Australia, but the authorities insisted this situation was different. 'It wasn't half a car, in fact, it was a car and a half,' he said. The alternate view was that Mansell had slowed. The world champion, however, left without passing comment after crashing out of the race.

Unser's crime was to hit course- marker cones while trying to take the lead from Sullivan, who forced him wide. Mario Andretti, penalised for the infraction on Friday, called in the protest and eventually finished third. By comparison, Tracy's pit speed- limit infraction was straightforward.

Then there was the driving. There was a lot of very blatant blocking, a spokesman said. 'We're going to address it and set the parameters.'

Meanwhile, Mansell continues to lead the championship by three points, with Raul Boesel, Andretti, Fittipaldi and Bobby Rahal closing.