Racing Rap by Jack Nerad for Driving Today

Dallara’s Answer to IRL’s Question

Monday, March 8, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the DeltaWing racing car concept unveiled at the Bridgestone stand at the Chicago Auto Show.

It is a wild one, and it generated a great deal of comment.

But chassis constructor Dallara is not about to let another race car fabricator jump into the IRL fray without a fight. It has released images illustrating its interpretation of the 2012 IndyCar Series car, based on the criteria set forth by the Indy Racing League, and it is a much more conventional racer than the DeltaWing concept.
 
IRL officials are looking to cut the costs of the chassis as part of an overall cost-cutting effort that they hope will increase participation and sponsorship. Based on those recommendations, Dallara has offered a much lighter, more efficient car with less drag and more downforce. The design requires less horsepower to achieve the desired level of performance than its predecessor, and it has greater fuel efficiency, opening the possibility of using stock-block engines. That might generate some much-cherished auto manufacturer interest in the series.
 
The IRL, like most open-wheel series, wants to see more passing. The aerodynamics of current designs create so much wind turbulence that passing at speed can be very tricky and dangerous. The new Dallara design addresses this with increased resistance to frontal lift and improved yaw stability. This offers what is referred to as “improved race-ability.” The aerodynamics are less sensitive in traffic for “better overtaking and the reduced incidence of wheel-to-wheel contact” -- all factors we endorse.
 
Then there is the price of racing. The IRL would like to see a lower “nut” for participation. Dallara says the cost of the complete package to compete on a variety of racetracks (superspeedway, speedway, short oval, road course and temporary circuits) will be reduced to 55 percent of the current car cost. In addition teams will be required to carry much smaller quantities of spares because the new car requires fewer parts specific to individual types of tracks, which is another cost-saving measure.
 
“The new Dallara Indy car will be built in Speedway, Indiana, and it will set new standards in terms of safety, fuel efficiency, race-ability, technology performance and cost containment,” said company founder Gianpaolo Dallara. “We can achieve all of these objectives. Dallara as a company, a trusted, credible, stable and loyal partner for the Indy Racing League for the past 12 years, commits to support, service and develop this new car by locating a dedicated facility near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

Sounds like he wants to keep the business.

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