Indycar News & Rumors.

[10TENTHS]

David Faustino, race engineer for 2014 champion Will Power, believes the way the DW12 has evolved has minimised the need for a new car. "The tub and the gearbox and bellhousing have stayed the same but the engine has constantly changed and over the past few years the aero kits have constantly changed so the concept of the car has changed," Faustino said. "If they have changes like that every two to three years it's enough to not make the car look so stagnant. They could swap in a new tub and no one would know the difference."

Hmm...the change to PFC brakes should improve performance in that area.

[NaBUru38]

I'd love a small hybrid system.

[D.R.T.]

Agree with Faustino - if they keep updating the look of the cars like what Fry has proposed from 2018 onwards, the tub can stay as long as it likes

[rwintle]

Max Chilton confirmed (with Gallagher sponsorship) at Ganassi - live on FB just now.

[D.R.T.]

Great article on Racer with Mark Miles on the current state of Indycar
http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/137535-interview-mark-miles-on-the-state-of-indycar

[Alex K]

Escuderia Telmex just twitted Luis Michael Dorrbecker will test with SPM at Sebring in March. Not much has been said. LMD is an odd man in Telmex team in my opinion, no matter how good or schite one could be, you don't throw him into Auto GP, knowing this series' is practicly dead. He did Acceleration 1, Skip Barber, Abarth.... really, if he is to be Telmex's driver in ICS he'd have to race Lights first. In the past we had drivers from Mexico, where I didn't think they were much more than pay drivers but they end up being propper pedallers: Jourdain Jr, Lavin, Martinez.... came from nowhere really.
Good luck to LMD, we need Mexican money and circuits.

[bjohnsonsmith]

An interesting tech article regarding break; not the most glamorous aspect of motorsport but vital.

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/ne...n-2017-795921/

[D.R.T.]

Very promising very early designs http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/13...cepts-unveiled

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Very promising very early designs http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/13...cepts-unveiled

[jimclark]

Go Speed Racer, go Speed Racer, go Speed Racer, goooooo.....

[bjohnsonsmith]

IndyCar have announced a multiyear contract with Dallara.

http://www.indycar.com/News/2017/01/...lara-extension

[bjohnsonsmith]

IndyCar announce multiyear contract extension with Firestone.

http://www.indycar.com/News/2017/01/...tone-extension.

Excellent news coming on the back of the Dallara contract.

[Lanky Turtle]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I can't look at these renderings and not think about sharks.

[jimclark]

Originally Posted by Lanky Turtle

I can't look at these renderings and not think about sharks.

Bah, humbug. Cartoons. Speed Racer specifically.

However...apparently it suits the present "adult" fan...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Lanky Turtle

I can't look at these renderings and not think about sharks.

Those renderings are a bit shark like. However, they are more in keeping with the Lolas, Reynards and Swifts of the CART era. When the IRL setup the ICONIC commitee in 2010, a lot of fans were hoping the new car was was going to look similar but the ICONIC committee didn't go down this route and opted for the DW12.

When the DW12 was chosen, it came in for a lot of criticism, not just for its lack of aesthetics but also because of the technical issues surrounding it, particularly weight balance, which was initially fixed with a lump of metal in the nose. Though once resolved, the DW12 proved to be a good racer. Though drivers complained that the introduction of aero-kits, to differentiate between engine manufacturers, changed the character of the car not for the better as well as Chevrolet producing the dominant kit.

It's worth having a look at this article just to see what might have been.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/a...-never-were-2/

I personally thought Lola's concept was the best, as it addressed a lot of issues, particularly a common tub for Indy Lights and IndyCar, to cut costs and aero-kits to differentiate between engine manufacturers.

Whether the new design, will allow for some sort of differentiation between engine manufactures hasn't been mentioned. However, I think the series is finally on the right track, regarding the car, though we will only know that once the 2018 season is underway.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by jimclark

Bah, humbug. Cartoons. Speed Racer specifically.

However...apparently it suits the present "adult" fan...

Times change.

[NaBUru38]

NBC anbnounced that all their IndyCar races will be on NBCSN, and none on CNBC.

[jimclark]

Originally Posted by Matt

Times change.

Absolutely.

But, will aiming at the 8-12 year old audience really draw the sponsorship needed for the series, teams and TV time?
That demographic group, I don't think, has the income level that the major sponsors required are looking for.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by jimclark

Absolutely.

But, will aiming at the 8-12 year old audience really draw the sponsorship needed for the series, teams and TV time?
That demographic group, I don't think, has the income level that the major sponsors required are looking for.

I think the 2018 car, will look more like this car Dallara concept that was never used,



and their current Indy Lights car.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

the DW12 proved to be a good racer.

And this is the most important part. The DW12 provided outstanding racing due to its design. The addition of aero kits unfortunately added more of a focus on aerodynamics on top of the car rather than under the car.

The discussion around the new car does support the moves to address this.

[gert]

Autosport: Carlin in 2017 unlikely to happen

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...kely-to-happen

Autosport: Maldonado (road/street only) seems to be KVSH's last hope to remain on the grid
KVSH's equipment and assets have been packed up in its shop in Indianapolis, although they are yet to be sold, and the team has been disbanded bar three members.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...ycar-programme

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

And this is the most important part. The DW12 provided outstanding racing due to its design. The addition of aero kits unfortunately added more of a focus on aerodynamics on top of the car rather than under the car.

The discussion around the new car does support the moves to address this.

Once the issue of the DW12's balance was sorted out, it proved to be a good racer. Initially this was solved by putting a lump of metal in the nose but it was a change to the front suspension that eventually fixed the issue.

The problem with the aero-kits, is that the car now produced more downforce but from the the wings and bodywork, where before most of the downforce came from the car's floor/undertray. Though drivers disliked the changes it fortunately didn't detract from the racing.

Anyway, hopefully they will get it right with the new package and that they've learned something from the aero-kits; not that they were a disaster, they just didn't produce the result everyone wanted.

[NaBUru38]

Also, Gabby Chaves is talking with "a new team" to enter the Indianapolis 500.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Not strictly IndyCar News, however congrats to Juan Pablo Montoya on winning his debut Race of Champions.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127836

[Formulahistory]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Also, Gabby Chaves is talking with "a new team" to enter the Indianapolis 500.

Juncos?

I don't think there is any other new team. Beside some collobarations like Murray/KV in the last season what for me isn't really a new team...