Penske to buy Ilmor's Indycar side.

[Adam43]

DaimlerChrysler are buying Illmor, but the Indycar side will be sold off to Penske, Illien and Mrs Morgan.

Penske like to fiddle with their own engines (and it does them well). It appears they are keen to conitnue that.

[GP Racer]

Now that is interesting news!

I guess even with the tweaking Penske obviously does to his Toyota engines, he can't really compete with those AGR, and Rahal Hondas on a consistent basis. I can only imagine what he will be able to do with a Honda engine.

This, along with the rumor that Ganassi, and Cheever have stated about Chevy staying makes me wonder if Toyota is gone? For them to say this, then they obviously will be opting for Chevy power, which would leave Toyota with only backmarkers. I can't see that.

Better watch out Dan, thats a Penske Honda on your tail!

[Kicking-back]

Yep, as I said in the F1 forum - interesting that Penske's buying the IndyCar side - he runs Toyotas in his cars, while Ilmor makes the Honda IndyCar engine.

[rustyfan]

I wonder if TG in any way encouraged Penske to buy it as a way of securing engines for the IRL in the worst-case scenario that the other engine makers bolt..

[macdaddy]

I doubt that, rustyfan.

[Kicking-back]

There is some logic in that - if the sides get together with a common engine spec, we could have a choice of Cosworths or Ilmors - just like the glory days!

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

I doubt that, rustyfan.

KK & Co. came up with a way of safeguarding an engine supply for Champ Car by buying Cosworth - why shouldn't TG be interested in doing something similar for IndyCar, albeit enlisting the services of Penske?

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

KK & Co. came up with a way of safeguarding an engine supply for Champ Car by buying Cosworth - why shouldn't TG be interested in doing something similar for IndyCar, albeit enlisting the services of Penske?

I think its plausible, but I certainly hope this doesn't mean that the IRL is looking to have a single engine maker in there series, like CC. Hopefully, that is a last resort. In any case, it's looking less and less like stock block is the future, which is a shame...

Do you think that Ilmor would be able to supply the whole field?

[BootsOntheSide]

Has Paul Morgan's widow got any interst in motor racing, or is she likely to be a sleeping partner? By all accounts Paul was the genuis at Ilmor, and the decline of Mercedes since then has been put down to his death.

Roger is probably thinking in terms of getting Hondas for 2006, which in theory would make his team favoruites. It's possible that Tony George is in on it, or that Roger has contemplated the fact that ifChevvy adn Toyota were to both leave he would be in a very powerful position, but I don't think that's the primary reasoning. Roger knows a profitable business when he sees one.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by GP Racer

I think its plausible, but I certainly hope this doesn't mean that the IRL is looking to have a single engine maker in there series, like CC.

Wouldn't hurt to have an alternative in place should the worst-case scenario happen.

Originally Posted by GP Racer

Do you think that Ilmor would be able to supply the whole field?

I don't see why not? If the design is there all that should be needed is the manhours of putting them together, and you can always hire more people to do so.

[macdaddy]

From Me:
I doubt that, rustyfan.

I was just implying that Roger Penske only does what is best for Roger Penske. He wouldn't spend this kind of money just to help out Tony George. While Tony may be very happy that this is happening, I doubt very much if his needs/desires influenced Penske in any way.

[sgw2]

Penske owned a 10% share of Illmor before. And he did a partnership first with Chevrolet, and more famously with Mercedes Benz (remember the famous pushrod Indy engine with the MB badge?).

Penske sells shocks and other racing parts. He even built cars before. To me this looks like he is taking control of his engine supply. I can see him then marketing the Indy engine to Chrysler or Dodge divisions.

It is really no different than when Chevrolet bought the Cosworth engine design and called it the pahse IV Chevy - although they took everything and moved it internal after their deal with Cosworth support ran out.

My guess is we'll see Chevrolets (Cheever, Ganassi and Panther), and lots of Hondas (Andretti, Rahal, Delphi, Haas - yes Haas after Newman retires at the end of the year) and two teams with Penske/Illmor/Chryslers (Penske and some designated friend).

Owning Illmor really means having Mario Illien and his staff in-house. Penske can use that to develope any Chrysler/Dodge/Mercedes Benz street based engine into a 2007 spec IRL engine.

As for supplying the field, I'm not certain. Penske is too famous for having an "A" parts group for himself and a "B" parts list for his customers. At least in OW (NASCAR his rep is better)

[rustyfan]

If the cash is right, I don't see him backing away from a deal to support the series. But that, again, is of course in the worst-case scenario. And I don't believe it will come to that.

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by sgw2

My guess is we'll see Chevrolets (Cheever, Ganassi and Panther), and lots of Hondas (Andretti, Rahal, Delphi, Haas - yes Haas after Newman retires at the end of the year) and two teams with Penske/Illmor/Chryslers (Penske and some designated friend).

That's a scenario that I can live with. Although not stock block, it still offer's some decent variety.

It's funny that as soon as Chevy announced that they were leaving the IRL, they got better. Just look at Buddy Laziers 5th place at Indy, and Scheckter and Enge were both running top 10 until there demise. Eddie has to be one ****ed off owner for making the switch to Toyota. They gave him, Ganassi, and the other backmarkers boat anchors that are just plain embarassing. Maybe now with Indy done, Penske will give some of them the mods he has made to these engines. Without them, Cheever may well lose Red Bull.

[mountainstar]

I believe this was the last year for Ilmor to build Hondas and that the Honda program was going to move in house at California?

[Félix]

Penske will also be in need of (more) engine rebuilding and development facilities for its new sportscar project. He will be the Porsche Motorsport of North America engine rebuilder in this case when customers will have the LMP2 car, and he will surely tune his own engine to A spec...

[macdaddy]

Good point, Félix.

[Snrub]

Macdaddy makes a good point about Penske, I don't see him being someone's pawn.

Originally Posted by sgw2

Haas - yes Haas after Newman retires at the end of the year)

You had to know that someone would ask to you back that up, so I'll be the one to do it.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Snrub

Macdaddy makes a good point about Penske, I don't see him being someone's pawn.

Who said anything about Penske becoming a pawn?

[macdaddy]

I got the impression that you did?

"I wonder if TG in any way encouraged Penske to buy it..."

Perhaps the wording was different, but it came across the same way to me.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Félix

Penske will also be in need of (more) engine rebuilding and development facilities for its new sportscar project. He will be the Porsche Motorsport of North America engine rebuilder in this case when customers will have the LMP2 car, and he will surely tune his own engine to A spec...

But what of the rumours that wont go away of Penske and Penske South running Toyota's NASCAR program when they get their acts together.

How happy would Toyota be for a future partner owning a share of a business preparing opposition engines??

[macdaddy]

Fascinating subject, this. So many implications. Only one man knows for sure.