The Iron Hand of Justice Spaketh Re: The Car Derby

Seems even if a group of owners are allegedly lined up behind the Delta Wing (per Curt Cavin's story on the wingtroduction yesterday), the league isn't publiclly in the kool-aid drinking line, at least not yet.

I swear this is a 100% real quote from Brian Barnhart, president of competition for the Indy Racing League, provided to me by IndyCar PR:

“The process of seeking innovative input for the next generation IndyCar began about three years ago with two of the nation’s leading automotive design programs, and then the Indy Racing League reached out to the world’s leading constructors. Today’s unveiling gives us four exciting and compelling concepts for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series chassis.

“Each raises different challenges, and each offers new direction. As always, the safety of our drivers, crews and spectators is the No. 1 priority. Other factors the league has laid out are cost and economic viability, raceable, American made, less mass/more efficient, relevant technology, modern look and green. Each of the four will be evaluated using these criteria.

“We are excited by the challenge before us and now begins the process to work through each of the four contenders to decide on the program that best serves the long-term interest of the sport.”

Comments

[Corey]

Personally, I don't like design of the DW. The ideas behind it however are a different story. I think the whole purpose behind it was to get the IRL brass to actually get moving on a new car, to think "outside the box" when designing future cars and to simply show that evolution is possible and innovation is still alive and well. I'm no engineer but the technical advancements (if they are indeed possible) could be great building blocks for future cars.

[Xorpheous]

“We are excited by the challenge before us and now begins the process to work through each of the four contenders to decide on the program that best serves the long-term interest of the sport.”

The work is just beginning NOW? :O Should the work be just about finished?

/bangheadonkeyboard

[Jay Robinson]

It's ugly. Really ugly. It raises obvious safety concerns. And I'll be amazed if it can make the hairpin at LB at a reasonable speed.

That said, I'm glad it's in the mix, and I hope the whole process is honest and transparent. And if the 2012 chassis ends up being this phallus on wheels because it's simply that good of a car, then I'll concede.

[Trick Dickle]

"I think the whole purpose behind it was to get the IRL brass to actually get moving on a new car, to think "outside the box" when designing future cars and to simply show that evolution is possible and innovation is still alive and well."

No, the whole purpose of this, was to challenge Barnhart and the IRL leadership and try and wrestle control of the sport back. The rest of it? Spin.

Ganassi and Bowlby have their minions and have gotten some of the media (namely Pruett and Miller) to buy in to their story and try and bully Barnhart into giving them this and other things down the road. Its all about CONTROL. Same thing its always been about.

The war in this sport is still going on and has been going on since the late 1970's. Nothing changed from "unificiation". It was all a big joke. This just proves it.

[Hamilton Fish]

American made? What the hell does that have to do with anything? Easily the most idiotic part of his quote. Country of origin for any aspect of construction, manufacturing and/or design should have absolutely nothing to do with it.

[Declan]

It's good to know that if you are not against the concept it 100% you are a 'Kool Aid Drinker'.

When I mean the concept, I mean the whole DW concept, specification and business model. I really like the 'open source' approach to this.

But some simply can't see past the prototype.

[Brits on Pole]

Re quote: Air! Bring me air! ::clutches throat::

[Trick Dickle]

"And I'll be amazed if it can make the hairpin at LB at a reasonable speed."

That might be one of the few redeeming qualities of this thing.

Get off all those mickey mouse street circuits and 1 lane road courses and we might be able to move the sport forward in this country again.

[pressdog]

My opinion is probably pretty obvious here. The commissioner of any sports league should put the fans/customers' interest first at all times, even ahead of the teams when necessary. I think Mr. Pruett was wildly unfair and off base with his criticisms (Barnhart let Dallara use the league's distro list. OMG NO!). I also agree with Jay Robinson's comments, although I can't see me paying to watch the D Wing race ever.

[VivaIndy]

Call me crazy, but after sleeping on it, the D-wing is starting to grow on me. I actually like the video simulation at both Indy and Mid Ohio. The look definitely takes some getting use to and I'm still not sold on it, but I am honestly no longer repulsed and I'm kind of interested in seeing it on a track for testing.

Anyone else having any kind of change of heart after having additional time to digest/ponder the wacky look?

[Declan]

When, in the history of motor sport, has the fan ever been consulted about series regs and specs? It has never happened. And racing across the world without asking the fans to design the cars.

The F1 World Championship is 60 years old and conducted its first general fan survey last year.

[Boilerrx]

To Quote My Girlfriend: "Isn't that a dragster, and why does it look like phallic?" (Okay she didn't say phallic...but you get the idea.)

It's hard enough to get people into racing without telling them to watch 33 phallic cars in a big long line at Indianapolis.

And last thing- How the hell is it open wheel? all of the wheels are covered?

[pressdog]

NASCAR asks fans what they want all the time, Declan, and ... shocker ... they dominate the marketplace. I think NASCAR has something called a fan advisory board. Of course you don't ask them about wing angles, and aero formulas, etc., just as soap makers don't ask customers about formulas. But you DO ask them about what they will pay to see (packaging, product design and appearance), why they come to the track, why they don't, what excites them about racing, what vibe they want off the car ... questions companies that want to sell a lot of stuff and make a lot of money ask all the time. Then if you have some ideas for a new product, maybe bring in customers, show it to them, get their ideas ... you know, collaborate with people who keep you in business. This is all Successful Business 101 stuff.

[John S]

"Wingtroduction" the only good thing in this article. Good Work P-Dog. Hate the wing, not only because of the look but because a viper has more horsepower.

[H. B. Donnelly]

There are plenty of good concepts in this car, it's just that the whole package put together is a head-scratcher. I do like the idea of generating downforce entirely with the floor, though I don't know about that concept's practicality (Colin Chapman wanted his Lotus 80 to stick entirely by ground effect, but the thing porpoised out of control on bumpy tracks). I also like the weight being around 1,000 pounds fully-loaded, the engine not being a stressed part of the chassis (makes it easier to just drop an engine in and go), and...just those three things, really.

Put this thing in a room with Swift Concept #33 and some aphrodisiacs and see what offspring that produces.

[Dylan]

Personally though, I don't like the concept. Yes a high efficancy car will please enviormental types. But to race fans, car fans, or even sports fans in general, a car that makes 300 HP will be a joke.

If it were Dallara vs. Delta Wing, I'd be tempted to say Delta Wing. But it seems to me that Swift has an attractive and innovative desgin too, and one that looks like a motor vehicle, instead of a plane

[Bruce Jensen]

If environmental issues are there why not make the engines run on biodiesel? How about turbines? Jay Leno could race his new car.

[The Speedgeek]

That's my exact reaction, too, H.B. The concepts are solid. The execution is not.

I wish they'd have set the wheels (normal-ish or maybe slightly smaller wheels than what the cars have now) about 36-48" apart, made a broad nose that shrouds the wheels from the airflow, somewhat like a '77 Coyote or a '73 Tyrrell, but that also directs the air toward the large tunnels at the rear. The nose would be lower downforce than a wing, would be slightly adjustable via Gurney flaps, and would cut the drag of the wheels. Overall higher drag than the current DW? Sure, but there's nothing that says that the engine has to only make 325 HP. A 2-liter turbo can make any number you want. Let's go with 450-500 HP, since that's what the ALMS AER-Mazda makes. Now, the front of the car is more in proportion to the rear, the power number isn't a laughingstock anymore, it's about halfway between what current racecars look like and the Chicago show car, and also it doesn't look like something your grandmother would be embarrassed by.

If they're truly going to let people massage the concept that they displayed yesterday, then I'm encouraged. If what they mean is "here's a blueprint, anybody can build it, but don't make any changes", then I'm not. And if it's simply a power play to try to wrestle control of the sport away from 16th and Georgetown, then I'm pissed.

[rj]

When I get home tonight I'll find which F-Zero car this looks like.

[Declan]

If NASCAR had asked the fan if they wanted the CoT, they wouldn't have got it. If they had, they may have thought about moving to fuel injection and independent rear suspension by now. Do you think Toyota was happy having to rerverse engineer an engine for NASCAR as opposed to racing a car with an engine that the public can relate to?

NASCAR does what it wants and is losing fans right and left.

Your comment on www.mynameisirl.com was about asking fans about the design of a car/regs and specs. That has NEVER occurred in racing and never will.

There isn't a single Championship on the planet that consults its fans about the specific spec if its cars.

Start times? Yes. Ticket pricing, yes? Merchandise? Yes. The catch all 'better racing'? Yes. Quality of broadcast coverage, yes?

Car spec. no.