Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

100. Indi 500, 29. maj 2016.


  • This topic is locked This topic is locked
168 replies to this topic

#1 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 01 April 2016 - 11:57

Za pocetak, trenutno stanje sa potvrdjenim vozacima i timovima. Inace, oba proizvodjaca su se obavezala da ce obezbediti motore za po 18 klijenata sto znaci da teoretski mozemo imati 36 bolida ove godine u pokusaju da se kvalifikuju za jedno od 33 mesta na startu. Za sada imamo potvrdjeno 33 bolida:
 

1.jpg

INDYCAR: Sizing up the Indy 500 field
Thursday, 31 March 2016
Marshall Pruett / Images by LAT


The race to land a spot on the entry list for the 100th Indianapolis 500 has been reduced to two teams. KVSH Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports hold the keys to the final seats left for the 100th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," and both are expected to be filled within the next week or two.

There are a few other seats with drivers either penciled in or waiting for final confirmation, which means we could see some additional jockeying for rides before practice starts on May 16, but in most cases, the minimum number of 33 entries has been achieved. We have drivers ready to fill the open seats, and a few who would love to pry their way into any that become available if current deals fall through.

garage_power.jpg

Engine supply is a limiting factor for the race as Chevy and Honda are not expected to support more than 34-35 combined entries. Chassis availability is also keeping the grid size close to 33. After the flights and crashes experience during practice for last year's Indy 500, teams are less inclined to press all of their spare cars into service, or to lease those cars to one-off Indy 500 entrants in need of equipment.

Many teams have spare cars, but are not willing to risk placing a driver in one of those DW12s and find themselves out of luck if the car is needed by one of their full-time drivers after a crash. Simply put, with no unused or unassigned DW12s to draw from, and a restricted number of engine leases available, the 100th Indy 500 will not see an overabundance of drivers trying to make the show.

Here's the confirmed (or known) grid as of March 31:

A.J. Foyt Racing

1: Jack Hawksworth, Honda
2: Takuma Sato, Honda
3: Alex Tagliani, Honda

Andretti Autosport

4: Marco Andretti, Honda
5: Townsend Bell, Honda
6: Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda
7: Carlos Munoz, Honda

Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian

8: Alexander Rossi (Rookie), Honda

NOTES: Andretti Autosport team manager Rob Edwards says there will be no more and no less than five cars from the combined Andretti-Herta effort.

lat_abbott_indyP_0515_8598.jpg

Chip Ganassi Racing

9: Max Chilton (Rookie), Chevrolet
10: Scott Dixon, Chevrolet
11: Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet
12: Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet

NOTES: A rumored fifth Chip Ganassi Racing entry in partnership with Gary Peterson's AFS Racing program for Sebastian Saavedra, who raced for the team at the 500 last year (RIGHT), has been circulating. CGR managing director Mike Hull says there is nothing in place to run a fifth car. Peterson, who owns his DW12 chassis, is known to have spoken with a few different teams about running his car for the 500. Provided an AFS entry is solidified with CGR or another team, Indy would, in theory, have its 34th car+driver combo.

lat-lepage_150524-IMS-13111.jpg

Dale Coyne Racing

13: Bryan Clauson, Honda
14: Conor Daly, (Rookie) Honda
15: TBD, Honda
16: TBD, Honda

NOTES: It's believed Pippa Mann will complete DCR's roster in the fourth entry, making the nominations for DCR's extra Indy entries more of a confirmation-in-waiting than a true rush by drivers to land the seats as KVSH and SPM are experiencing. Like Mann, current DCR driver Luca Filippi is also unconfirmed for Indianapolis, and its possible the Italian will continue with the team to contest his first 500. James Davison drove for the team last year and is known to have an interest in returning for 100th race.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

17: Sage Karam, Chevrolet

NOTES: Team owner Dennis Reinbold has been consistent in stating he only wants to run one car for Karam, despite being approached to run multiple entries for the 500.

Ed Carpenter Racing

18: Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet
19: JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet
20: Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet

coletti.jpg

KVSH Racing

21: Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet
22: Matthew Brabham (Rookie), Chevrolet
23: TBD, Chevrolet

NOTES: Every driver on the outside looking in is believed to have spoken with the team about partnering for its third entry. Gabby Chaves, Oriol Servia, and Stefan Wilson are among the names that have been mentioned as having interest in driving a third KVSH Chevy. And with Grace Autosport and Marotti Racing looking to partner with existing teams, the third entry would be a good fit for both first-time programs. Unlike Marotti, the Grace team has announced its driver, Katherine Legge, for the 500.

Lazier Partners Racing

24: Buddy Lazier, Chevy

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

25: Spencer Pigot (Rookie), Honda
26: Graham Rahal, Honda

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

27: Mikhail Aleshin, Honda
28: James Hinchcliffe, Honda
29: TBD, Honda

NOTES: Take all of the drivers names listed above for the third KVSH car and apply their interest to the third SPM Honda, which is run each year using the team's Indy Lights mechanics and engineers. NASCAR star Brian Vickers was also mentioned as a driver who expressed interest in the car by team co-owner Sam Schmidt, and it would be safe to assume the Grace and Marotti teams are also keen to work under the SPM banner.

Team Penske
30: Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet
31: Juan Pablo Montoya Chevrolet
32: Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet
33: Will Power, Chevrolet


  • 1

#2 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 01 April 2016 - 12:08


  • 0

#3 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 04 April 2016 - 16:51

Promene u pravilima za ovogodisnji Indi 500 u odnosu na proslu godinu:
 

Rule changes

  • The pit road speed limit has been reduced from 60 mph to 50 mph.
  • Minimum car weight has been increased from 1580 pounds to 1610 pounds to accommodate enhancements made to the Suspension Wheel/Wing Energy Management System (SWEMS).
  • Rookie Orientation has been revised for 2016. Each rookie driver will be required to complete the following three phases: 10 laps at 210-215 mph; 15 laps at 215-220 mph; 15 laps at over 220 mph. The changes represent an increase of 5 mph as compared to the previous year.
  • All cars will utilize a uniform E85 fuel mixture. Previously, Chevrolet entries were allowed an additive.

  • 0

#4 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 06 April 2016 - 14:30

- Danas se u Indijanapolisu vozi test za proizvodjace aeropaketa na kome ce oni morati da prikazu sve komponente koje nameravaju da homologuju za Indi 500. Posebna paznja ce se posvetiti testiranju stabilnosti bolida pod razlicitim konfiguracijama i na osnovu rezultata bice odluceno sta ce biti prihvaceno za homologaciju a sta ne. Takodje ce se testirati i flapovi na zadnjim krilima koji treba da sprece poletanje bolida pri kretanju unazad velikom brzinom i drugi predlozeni bezbedonosni uredjaji.


  • 0

#5 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 07 April 2016 - 01:50


  • 0

#6 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 07 April 2016 - 01:55

JGS_3639-1.jpg

INDYCAR: Andretti fastest but frustrated after Indy test day
Wednesday, 06 April 2016
Marshall Pruett / Images by IMS


The driver names, manufacturers, and speeds toward the top of IndyCar's aero kit safety test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway offered no insight as to how the 100th running of the Indy 500 will play out between Chevy- and Honda-powered teams. Indeed, it left the fastest man on the day – Marco Andretti – voicing frustration.

"The level of frustration is unbelievable," Andretti told RACER. "We have Chevy sandbagging; they're out there doing 216s, everybody sees it, and they're complaining how fast I am. A 223 is slow on opening day in May. They're going to have to do better than that. They tried to say we were equal to them, and we're not."

Andretti Autosport recorded the two fastest speeds for Honda on Wednesday with Marco (223.427mph) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (222.047mph) ahead of the fastest Chevy driver, Team Penske's Simon Pagenaud, who was third (221.293).

After a humbling open to the 2016 season, the apparent upturn in fortunes for Honda with the two fastest laps was a welcome sight, but Hunter-Reay cautioned those who might take a literal interpretation of the speed charts.

"Marco was in a big tow on his best lap and I had to do a test with qualifying boost and reduced downforce...which was very interesting in the conditions from today, so that's why I put up a good number," he said.

Added Pagenaud: "My time was in a tow; I was following [Josef] Newgarden."

With tows or extra boost used for the three fastest laps – and likely a few others behind Andretti, RHR, and Pagenaud, it would be unwise to draw any conclusions on genuine pace.

To add context to Andretti's comments, opening practice last May saw three Chevys top the list with speeds from 225.2-225.8mph. Andretti was the fastest Honda in fourth with a 225.1mph.

Chevy and Honda teams were required to run in Indy 500 trim during the test and to use any new or revised aero kit pieces either manufacturer intends to employ during the month of May to confirm their drivers can lap in a safe and stable manner. Chevy teams tried new rear wheel pods with winglets that look similar to those used by Honda at Indy in 2015, and screens inside those through-flow pods.

Honda teams returned to their 2015 sidepods, tried its new rear wheel pods with small rear wings, and had new front wing end plates that curve outward to divert air around the front tires.

A number of drivers and engineers shared their thoughts in private conversations before the Tuesday-Wednesday test regarding the use of dome skids, and the apparent political infighting between Chevy and Honda surrounding their mandatory use. Some have suggested Honda has been pushing for the dome skids as a means to force the Chevys to run higher, which would reduce the aero efficiency they used to such devastating effect at last year's Indy 500.

"They're tried to say we were equal to them last year, but we're not," Andretti added. "We had two Hondas at the top-12 in Indy and it was a miracle. It's the normal deal. I see their side. They're probably frustrated; they're not losing their competitive edge; they're still going to have that."

Click here for full results.


  • 0

#7 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 07 April 2016 - 02:02

Karte za ovogodisnji Indi su vec skoro rasprodate, dodaju se montazne tribine:
 

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Motor Speedway roared to life Wednesday as IndyCar teams tested in preparation for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles said the teams and drivers aren’t the only ones gearing up for the historic event. Fans are buying up tickets at a pace IMS hasn’t seen for decades.

“Tickets sales are really strong, as strong as I can ever remember them in my time here at the speedway, or even in my time when I was on the team side," Boles said. "I think we may be at a point where all of our reserved seats are sold out by the first week in May, which will be the first time really that that’s happened really in 25-30 years, probably.”

Boles said fans should expect a larger crowd this year and plan accordingly for race day.

“It’s going to feel like a late '80s early '90s Indy 500, so you have to think a little bit differently about how you’re getting there, when you’re coming, where you’re parking," Boles said. "A lot of that stuff I think people are going to need to think through a little bit more just because we’re going to have so many people here in the venue.”

The 100th Indianapolis 500 will be Sunday, May 29. 


  • 0

#8 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 07 April 2016 - 12:14

Video:
 

A highly frustrated Marco Andretti vents with RACER's Robin Miller over alleged sandbagging by the rival Chevy teams during the aero kit safety test ahead of the 2016 indianapolis 500.
 
http://www.racer.com...ndbagging-marco

 

RACER's Robin Miller speaks with James Hinchcliffe, Ed Carpenter, Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, and Ryan Hunter-Reay about testing dome skids and other new items for the 2016 indianapolis 500. Some of the highlights:
 
"Putting the dome skids on the car makes it safer in spin, yes, but everyone ignores the fact to have to raise the car 10-flats, which makes the car undriveable and, therefore unsafe" - Andretti
 
"I think the bigger issue is the quality of the racing. I think if you run without strakes you're taking so much downforce away from both [Honda and Chevy] that you really run the risk of not being able to race each other. We've seen such good racing with this car since it came out in 2012 and we don't want to mess with that formula.
 
"It's not about equivalency, it's not about what's fair for one manufacturer or another. It's about putting on a good show at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and I think that's what most of the guys are worried about." - Hinchcliffe
 
http://www.racer.com...ty-test-at-indy


Edited by Rad-oh-yeah?, 07 April 2016 - 12:15.

  • 0

#9 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 07 April 2016 - 18:45

Sam Schmidt says race experience could prove crucial to his choice of third driver for the '500', should IndyCar choose to retain domed skids as part of its superspeedway package.

Rookie Stefan Wilson, out-of-work sophomore Gabby Chaves, and veteran Oriol Servia are among those waiting in the wings and have all been in negotiations with the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports-Honda team.

However, Schmidt told Motorsport.com he was waiting to see which technical path IndyCar chose to take in terms of superspeedway setup before determining who was the most suitable candidate for the ride.

“I’m not happy with the domed skids, because I believe they will destroy the raceability of the cars in front of the largest viewership we’ll ever have in person and on TV,” said Schmidt.

“The effect dome skids have on the car’s handling would make it very difficult to run a pure rookie at the Speedway. I just don’t know how I could take that risk. And I already wrote off two chassis last year.

“We’ve invested a lot of time, energy and resources into preparing all three chassis, but we haven’t done anything with anybody for the third one. We waited for this test to see how this would shake out… and we’re now waiting to see what IndyCar decide is the best way forward.”

Schmidt said he expected that decision to come “very soon, and then the decision on our third driver will come very soon after that.”

“Chevrolet cars were sandbagging”

Schmidt agreed with the leading Honda runners that Chevrolet had not revealed its full hand in the test at Indy on Wednesday. Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti, who topped the timesheets, at lunchtime on Wednesday tweeted: “Fun day at @IMS besides the Chevys sandbagging”, and Schmidt concurred.

“Absolutely, it was clear from the lap times that the Chevy guys were sandbagging,” said Schmidt, who only joined the IndyCar Series full-time in 2012, but has run cars at the '500' since 2001. His team’s best days at the Speedway have been a sixth-place finish for Richie Hearn in ’02 and pole position for Alex Tagliani in 2011.

“Chevy’s been six or nine months ahead of Honda for the last three years. Knowing the superspeedways weren’t going to be included in the Rule 9.3 changes [which allowed HPD to make changes in five areas of its 2016 road/street course/short-oval aero kits, as opposed to Chevrolet’s three], Chevy have been working around a domed skid package for the last six months. They want the race to be between 17 Chevys, and they’re currently outsmarting Honda.”

No need for domed skids

Echoing the vehement statements made by his driver James Hinchcliffe, Schmidt suggested the domed skids were being used as a political tool for improved competitiveness rather than as a way to enhance safety.

“It’s a joke; there’s clearly no safety issue that requires a domed skid,” said Schmidt. “But that’s what [Chevrolet] are using because they know it gives them a competitive advantage and because they know they can.

“And by the way, let me stress here that I have complete and utter respect for the preparation, the advanced planning and the strategizing it took for them to pull it off! And there’s dissatisfaction with Honda because they didn’t see it coming.”

Asked if the addition of underbody strakes would be key to improving Honda’s situation should domed skids be retained, Schmidt said: “It’s a step forward, because if you don’t have them, it’s going to be like a 1970s Indy 500 with only 10 cars on the lead lap, maybe fewer than that. The strakes will help a little in terms of the stability of the cars in dirty air.

“But with or without strakes, if we run domed skids then I’d bet $100,000 that a Honda car won’t win the race.”

Mixed verdict on 2016 vs 2015

Schmidt said he hadn’t yet come to a full conclusion on whether HPD’s aero kit had made year-on-year progress compared with the Pratt & Miller-penned Chevrolet kit, when applied to all the Verizon IndyCar Series' various types of track.

“Compared with last season, we were a little better at [opening round] St. Pete this year relative to Chevy,” he said, “but then completely got our ass handed to us at Phoenix. Ryan Hunter-Reay said that when he was flat-out, the Chevys could still just drive away from him.”

Schmidt insisted he was not against open competition but said: “It’s up to IndyCar to decide, is this going to be a good race or a crappy race for the 100th running of the Indy 500?

“I don’t want to take a defeatist attitude here but it’s going to be ugly. If IndyCar goes the domed skid route, we’re going to be taking a knife to a gunfight.”


Edited by Rad-oh-yeah?, 07 April 2016 - 18:46.

  • 0

#10 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 08 April 2016 - 13:11

Marco Andretti is one of the bravest drivers in the Verizon IndyCar Series, but after running the dome skids on his car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tuesday and Wednesday, he's concerned that the 100th Indianapolis 500 is going to be less safe and not as much fun to watch.

Designed to keep the car on the ground after it gets sideways, the dome skids have raised the ride heights - and at least one temper in Gasoline Alley.

"We put the dome skid [on the car] makes it safer in spin, yes, but everyone ignores the fact that to have to raise the ride heights 10 flats, which makes the car undrivable, therefore unsafe," Andretti said after turning the overall fastest lap of 223mph in his Snapple Honda before rain halted the action at IMS early Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm not ever one to talk about safety and it's the normal political fight, but at this point it's not Honda trying to get an edge; it's Honda even trying to be able to compete. And the level of frustration right now is unbelievable. We have Chevy sandbagging, they're out there doing 216s, and everybody sees, they're complaining how fast I am. [A] 223 is slow on opening day in May, so they're gonna have to do better than that."

Without at least the downforce-helping strakes inside the underbody being mandatory in May, Andretti thinks it's going to be impossible to race.

"We need the cars raceable, which right now, when we don't have underbody downforce, they're undrivable alone, let alone in a race and when the track temp is up. We have to think of the show and none of the drivers think of the big picture. We've got to think of the 100th running and putting on a awesome show, but they [Chevy drivers] don't care."

Andretti said the only way he could race close to another car was if everything was on under the floor.

"[IndyCar's not even] letting us have as much grip as last year," he said.

The 29-year-old veteran was asked why the Chevy drivers didn't seem to be as outspoken about dome skids as he and fellow Honda driver James Hinchcliffe.

"It's different because they're in a Chevy and they tried to say we were equal to them last year. We're not," said last year's seventh-place finisher. "We had two Hondas in the top 12 at Indy and it was a miracle. I mean I see their side, but they're not losing their competitive edge, they're still going to have that.

"And everybody forgets. We changed the qualifying rules for Chevrolet [here] last year."

Hinchcliffe has the same worries.

"I think the bigger issue is the quality of the racing. I think if you run without strakes you're taking so much downforce away from both [Honda and Chevy] that you really run the risk of not being able to race each other. We've seen such good racing with this car since it came out in 2012 and we don't want to mess with that formula.

"It's not about equivalency, it's not about what's fair for one manufacturer or another. It's about putting on a good show at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and I think that's what most of the guys are worried about."


With just under a month remaining until the start of first practice session for the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR driver Brian Vickers says he still hasn't ruled out signing with an IndyCar Series team in the hopes of making the field of 33.

RACER first reported in March that Vickers was a candidate for the third Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry, alongside Townsend Bell, Grace Autosport and 2015 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Gabby Chaves.

Since then, Bell has signed with Andretti Autosport and Grace is in the frame to be aligned with KV Racing. As a result, Vickers is still hopeful that he will be able to secure a ride, especially since he remains week-to-week with Stewart Haas Racing, where he continues to fill in for the injured Tony Stewart.

"I wouldn't rule anything out," Vickers said on Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway. "The Indy 500 would be one of [the things I'd like to do]. I would love to race Le Mans again. I would love to be in sportscar racing, and I would love to be in NASCAR.

"I'm really enjoying this opportunity with Stewart Haas as well. I'm open to all those opportunities. I would love to have something to announce, but unfortunately, there is nothing to announce at this point. [The Indy 500 is] still on the table. It's definitely not off the table yet. We're continuing to explore that and if it happens, that's great and if not, maybe next year."


  • 0

#11 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 08 April 2016 - 13:14

lat_abbott_phxR_0416_3481.jpg

MILLER: Dispirit of competition
Thursday, 07 April 2016
Robin Miller / Images by LAT


When the dirt car brigade got its first glimpse of Bill Vukovich and Jim Travers' roadster in 1952, they may not have winced, but they should have.

When Colin Chapman and Jimmy Clark rolled out their Lotus in 1963, all the guys driving roadsters lit up another cigarette and said a prayer.

When Parnelli Jones whooshed down the straightaway in Andy Granatelli's turbine (BELOW) in 1967, all the air went out of Gasoline Alley.

When Bobby Unser annihilated the track record in 1972 by 17mph in Dan Gurney's Eagle, aerodynamics replaced old-school mechanics. In 1979, Jim Hall's ground-effects Chaparral with Al Unser even sent A.J. Foyt running back to the drawing board. And when Roger Penske ambushed USAC with his pushrod Mercedes engine in 1994, the rest of the IMS paddock should have waved the white flag before the green one ever fell.

Throughout the first 90-plus years of the Indianapolis 500, there usually was a driver, a team, a car, a tire or an engine with an advantage. An edge. A discovery. More horsepower. Trick suspension. Better airflow. Smarter weight distribution. More efficient wings. A secret set of shocks. A Gurney flap. Turbocharging an engine.

The heart and soul of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had been innovation, taking a chance, trying to outsmart the competition and being rewarded for executing any or all of those things.

It was the greatest spectacle in thinking as much as it was racing.

But those days are long gone, replaced by spec cars that have no pizzazz, no distinguishing characteristics and no room for a fresh idea.

1967_INDY500_01.jpg

Of course, the upside is that for the past four years, IndyCar has featured the best racing on four wheels and spread the wealth in that a talented driver and engineer with good pit stops could beat Ganassi or Penske almost any time.

A year ago, to break the monotony and supposedly give Honda and Chevrolet an identity, aero kits were introduced. The Bowtie Boys dominated by winning every pole, leading most of the laps and running 1-2-3 in the Verizon IndyCar Series championship.

IndyCar had a rule in case there was a beatdown that would allow the underperforming manufacturer – in this case, Honda - a chance over the winter to catch up. Two races into the 2016 season and it's pretty obvious they didn't.

So this brings us to our latest firestorm. After Phoenix, Honda professed to be 30 to 40 horsepower behind Chevrolet. After this week's two-day test at IMS, Honda correctly accused Chevy of sandbagging so as to maintain its aero advantage. It's a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo that Marshall Pruett can explain another time.

Anyway, politicking by drivers, teams and manufacturers for relief or to keep their edge isn't anything new – it's the spirit of competition that's changed. It has been replaced by the balance of performance. NASCAR and sportscars have done it forever, but never IndyCar, except for trying to use boost to keep things closer at Indy and last year's introduction of Rule 9.3.

In the '90s if you owned a Reynard and Lola was the hot ticket you either tried to improve your Reynard or bought a Lola. Firestone came in and throttled Goodyear but Michael Andretti, Paul Tracy and Gil de Ferran still managed to win races with an inferior tire. Honda crushed Toyota in the early going until the latter spent more money, bought some big teams and improved its engine.

The point being is that one of racing's fundamentals was doing whatever it took to gain an advantage. And while people might have felt sorry for you if you had the wrong package, well tough, you lived with it and rode it out. Think anybody felt sorry for The Captain after he missed the show in 1995?

It was the essence of competition: doing a better job.

"People can bitch and moan all they want, but most of us have been in situations where we were at a disadvantage," said four-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon, who drives the No. 9 Target Chevy. "I had a Toyota and we sucked. ... We had to fight like hell to get a top 10. But that's racing, and Chevrolet has done a great job."

lat_abbott_PHXtest_0216_0302.jpg

Chevrolet deserves to be kicking ass, because between Pratt & Miller's aero kit and Ilmor's engines, it has been superior. Over the winter, Honda got to go through the deck with all the face cards showing to improve its hand but, so far, it hasn't.

"A lot of people thought I was complaining when I said we were at a bit of a disadvantage but it's a fact right now," said Graham Rahal (BELOW), who was Honda's meal ticket in the Steak 'n Shake Special last season. "But I'm a firm believer if somebody outworks you and does a better job, then they deserve to win and shouldn't be pulled back.

lat_abbott_phxR_0416_0689.jpg

"In my experience racing IMSA it drove me crazy. One minute the BMWs I was driving would be winning and the next minute the guy who sandbagged the best would win. I hate those games. I want to see it all out there and whoever does best job wins.

"I think our aero kit is better than last year's and Honda has a new engine we haven't started using yet so hopefully Phoenix was the worst we're going to see of it. Our little team hasn't been to the wind tunnel yet so hopefully we can make up some ground there and Honda's new engine will be better. I don't want to waste years of my career where we can't win but I think we can win this year."

But here's the conundrum. Unlike the old days when teams and manufacturers could reinvent or replace parts all season, the rules are pretty much frozen. Honda's got some smart people on its teams, but they aren't allowed to touch the cars to try and improve performance.

In the effort to contain costs, the ability to react to your shortcomings is stifled.

On the flip side, this isn't like CART's heyday when it had four engine manufacturers or Indy's golden era when anyone could – and did – build a motor. Sponsors are tough to find and tougher to keep, and Honda's teams can't afford to be the last 11 on the grid every race. Honda has been a great partner, and IndyCar can't afford to lose them because there's nobody waiting in the wings.

It's a slippery slope, and IndyCar needs to make some critical decisions going forward.

"I respect Indy and its traditions, but I think we had great racing and the best on-track show from 2012-'14 before the aero kits and now we're moving towards splitting the field," said Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2013 IndyCar champ and 2014 Indy 500 winner who wheels the DHL Honda for Andretti Autosport.

Ed Carpenter, who won the pole at Indy in 2013 and 2014 with his little Fuzzy's Chevy team, thinks the dome skids are a good idea, doesn't care if the downforce-helping strakes are mandatory or optional and is tired of all of lobbying and politicking.

"You can't ask the teams what the difference will be because we'll all lie," Carpenter said with a grin. "IndyCar has hired people to make decisions and they'll decide what the racing will be and they'll manage it, and we need to shut up and race."

Somewhere along the way, IndyCar lost its competitive compass and the everybody-deserves-a-trophy mentality replaced "run what ya brung" and "may the best man win."

It's a sign of the times and a reality of the economy of racing, but it still begs the question: Is Indianapolis about having the best mousetrap or balancing performance so nobody gets their feelings hurt?

Unless IndyCar gets rid of the aero kits next month, it's likely going to be another Little Bighorn by the Bowtie Brigade, and that's not fair to RHR, Rahal, Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, Takuma Sato, Conor Daly and the rest of Honda's lineup. But who ever said racing was supposed to be fair?

It's certainly not fair for Chevrolet to lose its advantage – it's racing, dammit.

lat-lepage-160402-pir_6334.jpg


  • 0

#12 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 13 April 2016 - 12:52

- Digla se velika frka u Indikaru oko predlozenih mera za povecanje bezbednosti na superspidvejima koje bi trebalo da sprece bolide da polecu prilikom udesa kao sto smo videli prosle godine na treninzima za Indi 500, a koje sva je prilika jedino sto su do sada postigle je da ucine bolide nestabilnijima i nepredvidljivijima. Usput, i proizvodjaci ovo koriste za svoje medjusobne igrice gde Honda ponovo trazi dozvolu da radi na svom aeropaketu (nakon modifikacija koje su im dozvoljene preko zime) da sustigne Sevroleta, a Sevrolet se folira i u svim testiranjima vozi sa pola snage da bi Honda imala najbolja vremena, i onda ih na zvanicnim kvalifikacijama i u trkama otresu...
 

Safety tweaks to prevent aerial accidents are leaving IndyCars "pretty unsettled" around Indianapolis, according to Rico Nault, team manager for Honda squad Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

Dome-shaped titanium pieces labeled "dome skids" have been added to cars' undersides to deflect air during spins, but have split paddock opinion. RLL's Nault, whose driver Graham Rahal led Honda's 2015 title charge, remains concerned following testing.

"I would be a lot happier if we didn't have to run it," he argued. "It's pretty unsettled right now.

"IndyCar has the data that shows when the car gets to 135 degrees around it loses downforce and as it keeps on going [the domed skid] starts piling downforce on the car to keep it from lifting. Having that kind of information showing it's safer, they are hard-pressed not to run it.

"But it's only safer when the car is turned around; it's not safer when the car is going straight. It makes the car harder to drive, so it's probably going to be slower overall.

"They have to do everything they can to make the cars as safe as possible for the drivers and the fans. When cars start going around backwards it helps, but going straight it is a handful to drive."

IndyCar has also introduced wing flaps that raise during spins, similar to NASCAR's roof flaps.

"It's hard for me to tell you which one is the bigger problem," Nault added.

The debate has polarized the Honda and Chevrolet camps, with Chevy's reigning champion Scott Dixon arguing Honda objections are because they "haven't done their job well enough."

Dixon's team manager Mike Hull said Ganassi "didn't have issues" with the rules.

"From a safety standpoint we understand it and support it so we are going to do everything we can to tune our car to be the best it can be," he said. "We're not trying to find delegates to vote for us and we're not politicking one way or another.

"IndyCar has come up with this decision after a great deal of study from Chevrolet and Honda and we support the decision. If they choose to change the rule, then we will work to get ready to race with whatever the rule might be – but we are in no way, shape or form involved with that discussion."

Chevrolet drivers Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden and Ed Carpenter all went airborne in 2015 Indianapolis 500 practice. That led IndyCar to mandate that all teams must qualify with race set-ups instead of trimming the cars for qualifying. The Pole Day morning decision put Honda teams at a disadvantage after they had led practice.

The dome skids, designed to deflect air as a car spins, were a joint effort from IndyCar, Chevrolet and Honda engineers. Nault admitted Honda teams are not currently feeling in good shape for Indy.

"It's real cause for concern. I don't know where we are," he said. "The teams have some work to do and Honda is working its ass off trying to make things better."


Ryan Hunter-Reay says trying to race the Chevrolet IndyCar runners with Honda equipment is currently a 'white knuckle' experience.

The Andretti Autosport driver is Honda's top contender at present, fourth in the points among an otherwise all-Chevy top six. Having won two of the last four races of 2015, Hunter-Reay began the '16 season upbeat about progress with the Honda aero kit but now has doubts.

"It's a bit concerning," admitted the 2012 IndyCar champion and '14 Indianapolis 500 winner. "You are white-knuckling it out there and sweating your rear end off and holding your breath through the corners trying to get everything you can out of it against Chevrolet, all the while knowing they have a bit of a performance advantage. It's a little frustrating."

Hunter-Reay still managed third in the St. Petersburg opener and felt second was possible at Phoenix – where he ended up 10th – but for "two extremely unlucky yellows" The Andretti Autosport driver is more optimistic for this weekend's race in Long Beach.

Honda teams have led criticism of the dome skid rule tweak, under which titanium domes are being added to cars' undersides to try to prevent aero lift following last year's spate of airborne accidents in Indy 500 practice. Hunter-Reay echoed those concerns, and is particularly worried that the change will affect the quality of racing in the 500.

"The key is if we do something for safety that affects performance we have to do whatever we can to re-establish that performance on the racecar," he said. "In this case, whatever downforce we take off the bottom of the car with the dome skid we should be putting back on in the same area.

"The bottom of the car is the most efficient downforce that allows us to run close in traffic, which gives us the great races we have had at Indy."

He expressed sympathy for the rulemakers' position.

"I think we will put a good race on as long as we make the right decisions now," Hunter-Reay said. "Is the timeframe tight? Yes, it is. Is it necessarily the most ideal situation? No, it's not. But I give IndyCar credit for doing anything they can to mix safety with performance.

"I wouldn't want to be in their position. They have so many people in their ears with so many different opinions and directions they can go in. I appreciate where they are coming from and I appreciate their thoughts on safety.

"They have to check the safety box off, make sure the performance is still there and they have to get the racing package down so the show is not compromised in any way. That's a very tough position to be in."


  • 0

#13 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 13 April 2016 - 21:03

LAT_Miller_24May-756.jpg

INDYCAR: Series makes dome skid concession
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Racer Staff / Image by LAT


Dome skids are staying, but there will be no strakes.

One week after an April 6 test of the setup at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar released a statement saying manufacturers would be allowed a concession, but that would not include diffuser strakes.

"Following extensive data evaluation following the Verizon IndyCar Series aero kit test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 6, INDYCAR is permitting manufacturers to lower the optional underwing sidewalls by 9 millimeters (0.354 of an inch) for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil," IndyCar's statement says. "INDYCAR maintains its position spelled out in the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Rule Book mandating the use of domed skid plates and prohibiting the use of underwing strakes on all cars in this year's Indianapolis 500."

Fifteen cars tested the dome skids at a private Manufacturers' test at IMS and teams were able to add some of the optional bolt-on underwing pieces, with diffuser strakes helping to recover approximately 75 percent of the downforce taken by the extra ride height needed for the dome skids.

The dome skids have never been used on a Dallara DW12 in a spin or crash. While they've seen track tests and computer simulations, they've never been tested when it's most important: on a DW12 turned sideways or backward at speed. 

Several drivers, including James Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti, slammed the dome skids, calling the increase in ride height unsafe and questioning what they would do to the quality of racing at the 100th Indianapolis 500.

"We put the dome skid [on the car] makes it safer in spin, yes, but everyone ignores the fact that to have to raise the ride heights 10 flats, which makes the car undrivable, therefore unsafe," Andretti said after turning the overall fastest lap of 223mph during the second day of testing on April 7. "We need the cars raceable, which right now, when we don't have underbody downforce, they're undrivable alone, let alone in a race and when the track temp is up. We have to think of the show and none of the drivers think of the big picture. We've got to think of the 100th running and putting on a awesome show, but they [Chevy drivers] don't care."

Hinchcliffe also advocated for the use of strakes.

"I think the bigger issue is the quality of the racing," he said after his test. "I think if you run without strakes you're taking so much downforce away from both [Honda and Chevy] that you really run the risk of not being able to race each other. We've seen such good racing with this car since it came out in 2012 and we don't want to mess with that formula.

"It's not about equivalency, it's not about what's fair for one manufacturer or another. It's about putting on a good show at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and I think that's what most of the guys are worried about."

The Chevy teams have been mostly quiet on the subject, but Ed Carpenter was ready to move past the issue.

"You can't ask the teams what the difference will be because we'll all lie," Carpenter said with a grin. "IndyCar has hired people to make decisions and they'll decide what the racing will be and they'll manage it, and we need to shut up and race."


  • 0

#14 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 14 April 2016 - 18:45

The winningest person in Indianapolis 500 history will be the celebrity pace car driver for next month's Indianapolis 500, IndyStar has learned.

Roger Penske never drove to victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In fact, he never drove an Indy car there at all, deferring his chance to take a rookie test in 1964. Another hotshot eventually got that opportunity. Perhaps you've heard of Mario Andretti.

But Penske went on to grow his automotive business into a global leader, and excel on the track he won races at a staggering rate. His record collection of Indianapolis 500 trophies stands at 16 — and likely counting. He has four drivers set for a chance at victory lane again this year, but this time he will literally and figuratively lead them there.

This will be his first chance to drive the pace car, and it comes in the 50th anniversary of Penske Racing's formation.

As has been said, he's the perfect choice to honor the 100th running of the 500.

Penske could not be reached for comment. IMS wouldn't confirm but wouldn't deny.

“We’re very excited about our Chevrolet pace car driver for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil," IMS president Doug Boles said. "It is critical to IMS and our fans that the pace car driver for the Indianapolis 500 represent the importance of this event and understand what it means to be leading the field to the green for the 100th time. Our selection embodies those requirements completely. We are looking forward to unveiling this year’s pace car and making the driver announcement formal on Monday afternoon at IMS.”

Penske won his first 500 with Mark Donohue in 1972 and last year’s race with Juan Pablo Montoya. In between were some of the greatest drivers IndyCar has ever known: Rick Mears, Bobby Unser, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser Jr., Helio Castroneves, Gil de Ferran and Sam Hornish Jr. In all, 11 drivers have a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy thanks to Penske and his staff.

No other team owner has won the 500 more than five times.

Penske’s cars also have won a record 17 poles for the 500, most recently with Ryan Briscoe in 2012. Mears won a record six, Castroneves four. In a Penske car, Tom Sneva became the first driver to exceed 200 mph in qualifying.

Penske will drive a Chevrolet, whose officials recommended him for the honor. Chevrolet will provide the pace car for a record 27th time and 14th in succession.

Penske, 79, happens to be one of the few 500 legends who has not driven the pace car for the 500. A.J. Foyt did in 2011. Parnelli Jones did in 1994 and ’98. Fittipaldi did in 2008. Dario Franchitti did in 2014. Johnny Rutherford did in 1997 before becoming IndyCar’s regular pace car driver. Bobby Unser did in 1989.

IMS founder Carl Fisher was the pace car driver for the first five races. Another track owner, Eddie Rickenbacker, drove it in 1925. Men named Stutz, Duesenberg, Chevrolet and Ford have steered the pace car coming to the green flag.

Penske attended his first 500 in 1951 with his father, and he became a race-winning sports car driver, so accomplished that he once was named Sports Illustrated’s Sport Car Club of America’s Driver of the Year. Penske was offered the chance to take a rookie test at IMS, but he turned it down to focus on his growing business ventures. Mario Andretti took his place. That worked out well for both men.

Penske Racing entered its first motor sports race in 1966 – that was the 24 Hours of Daytona, a sports car race – and three years later it arrived at Indy for the first time. Penske's goal was to win the 500 within three years; Donohue won in the fourth. Do the math: A Penske car has won the 500 nearly once for every three races since.

The 500 is May 29.


  • 0

#15 Rad-oh-yeah?

Rad-oh-yeah?
  • Members
  • 21,862 posts

Posted 15 April 2016 - 04:06

Grace Autosport is not expected to make its debut at the 100th Indianapolis 500 with KVSH Racing.

RACER has learned Grace Autosport owner Beth Paretta is in ongoing discussions with other teams to run her program for the month of May, and despite reports placing Grace with the team owned by Kevin Kalkhoven, Jimmy Vasser and James Sullivan, Paretta says that information is not correct.

"We haven't made any statements on racing with [KVSH], or any team for that matter," said Paretta, who is in Long Beach for meetings with potential Indy 500 entrants. "We are busy working to finalize our program, and the interest has been incredible. We are happy to be bringing new partners to the sport who see the value in this incredible platform of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in action. Grace is about tenacity, team work, and education and we look forward to bringing our team to the 500 and more."

Provided a partnership with an existing team is secured, Paretta's IndyCar program could rank among the most impactful efforts at the Indy 500. Grace Autosport's educational initiative using STEM to groom or assert women in leadership roles within the sport has already gained considerable traction.

With the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 expected to garner most of the attention next month, Paretta's STEM-based IndyCar program has the potential to connect with the mainstream media in ways where typical racing storylines often fall short.

Paretta's plan to use women in a variety of roles on the team - some working directly as part of the crew and others in active training positions - would be the first of its kind since the inaugural Indy 500 was held in 1911.


Both Honda and Chevy are ready to move forward following the IndyCar Series' ruling to uphold the use of domed skid plates for this year's Indianapolis 500.

While upholding the use of dome skids in a statement Wednesday, the series will allow the manufacturers to lower the optional underwing sidewalls by 9 millimeters (0.354 of an inch). Honda drivers, concerned that taking so much downforce away would make the cars undrivable and potentially unsafe, had been very vocal in their desire for the strakes.

"The understanding we discussed was any downforce lost by the dome skid would be replaced by underfloor downforce [using strakes]," Honda Performance Development CEO Art St. Cyr told RACER. "Our whole goal with the dome skids was to make this aerodynamically neutral for both manufacturers. If you start having to use other methods for replacing downforce [the extended sidewalls], those methods can have performance advantages or deficits depending on how your aero kit reacts to that method. The dome skid is a safety part, and you have to raise the ride height to use it, which for performance, is the opposite direction you want to go. We wanted to make sure if did not become something that was a performance advantage.

"That said, we are in support of any measure that improves safety for the drivers and spectators. That's our primary interest and we support anything that is positive in that respect."

Mark Kent, Chevrolet's racing director, said Chevrolet was pleased with the ruling in that IndyCar reinforced what had been in the rulebook "for quite some time."

"It's the rulebook we at Chevrolet used as we developed out 2016 [Indy 500 aero kit] package," Kent told RACER. "The dome skid and no strakes have been in the rules and we worked very hard with our 2016 development for the Indianapolis 500 to maximize the performance of our car around the rules that were in place. We're pleased the only change for Indy is going to be the extension of the sidewalls, and that is the one part that was not in the rulebook but has been in consideration and in discussions for quite some time.

"We're looking forward to focusing on the 100th running of the race and hopefully a good outcome for Chevrolet and its teams."


  • 0