Several reasons mentioned already.
Also they are trying to keep the car behind them from getting the inside. Forcing them to try to pass on the outside.
Yeah I figured this too, its like in bike criteriums when strong teams will go to the front of the pack and direct the race like this so other racers can't cut up the inside to get to the turn ahead. It's very effective, but not always easy to pull off.
Because the the "inside" , away from the wall is faster?
Yep, in a 90-degree corner crit it's a shorter distance to the inside of the turn and dive bomb in ahead of the leader if he leaves the inside open.
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On a 50ft wide track, its shorter by maybe 3' ? on a long straight, not enough for a pass
It also means following car loses the draft
It sets up the following car for being made a classic "crossover" pass in next straightaway, because they either have to reduce their corner speed slower then the passed car because they made made the corner radius smaller on entry or widen their exit corner radius if trying maintaining speed and risk driving into the marbles.
Most of the above assumes cars/drivers of equal performance, unequal, they usually just pass at any chosen opportunity.
