New Wicker

[power&glory]

I just read the article on SPEED and it talks about a new wicker for the big ovals- will this be sort of like CART's Handford Device? Will it change the racing at all (maybe more drafting and less side by side?). I would like that.

[GP Racer]

I really don't know what there for, as of yet. I can't seem to find any real info on what there supposed to do.

You could be right though, it might be to cut down on the side-to-side racing, somehow.

[rustyfan]

There's a brief mention about it in an article concerning all the latest changes to both the points system and the technical configuration;

IRL Announces Rules Changes for 2004
By Arni Sribhen
indyracing.com

Tuesday Feb 10, 2004

A minor modification to the IRL IndyCar® Series point system highlights several rule changes announced by the Indy Racing League®for the 2004 season.

The change to the championship scoring system increases the amount of points scored by cars and entrants finishing 19th through 33rd in an IndyCar® Series event, as well as the bonus earned by the driver leading the most laps.

Each car finishing from 19th to 24th place will receive 12 points, while each car finishing 25th through 33rd will receive 10 points. Previously, a car finishing 19th would receive 11 points, with each successive position receiving one less point. Drivers finishing 29th or lower each earned a single point.

The driver who leads the most laps also will receive an additional point, with the bonus increasing to three points for 2004. A race winner may earn a maximum of 53 points.

Several technical changes have been made in an effort to further contain costs, level the playing field and increase the safety of IndyCar® Series cars. The changes include:

 Components supplied by the IRL or an approved manufacturer must be used as-is. The rule applies but is not limited to ear pieces, attenuators, wickerbills, timing transponders, wiring harnesses, impact recorders, rev limiters, track condition radios, camera mounts and covers and head surrounds and fasteners.

 At all tracks more than a mile long, excluding the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IRL will supply identical vertical wickers for mandatory use by all participating teams. The wickers, which will be attached to the rear-most outer edge of the rear wing, are designed to curtail speeds at these tracks.

 Air box specifications have been modified for the first three races of the season. All airboxes must have a defined entry and exit and must have a slot 12 inches long and 3 inches wide located 284.2 mm from the front face of the engine.

 Fuel-cell capacity has been reduced from 35 gallons to 30 gallons, and the amount of methanol teams may have in their trackside tanks has changed accordingly. Teams are allowed to carry 97 gallons for 200-mile events, 108 gallons for 225-mile events, 145 gallons for 300-mile events, 195 gallons for 400-mile events and 245 gallons for 500-mile events.

“There were two major reasons for adjusting the championship scoring system,” said Brian Barnhart, IRL senior vice president of racing operations. “We felt the points awarded for positions 29-33 was too low, particularly if it involved a full-time IndyCar® Series team.

“Second, by adjusting the points for positions 19-24, teams who had suffered car damage would not feel compelled to get back on the track and run for points. This, like the other technical changes announced today, will make our sport safer for the driver.”

[Testure]

What's the reason for giving the same number of points for 19th to 24th and then again for 25th to 33rd? It doesn't seem much of an incentive to fight for position.

[shiny side up!]

Originally posted by Testure
What's the reason for giving the same number of points for 19th to 24th and then again for 25th to 33rd? It doesn't seem much of an incentive to fight for position.

I wish they'd do that in NASCAR to keep all the ed cars off the track that were in earlier wrecks...

As for that Wicker, I imagine it to be similar to the Handford device. I still like to laugh at Adrian Newey's comment that 'most aerodynamicists wouldn't like to have something named after them that slows cars down' in a dig at Handford...