(9-25-04) This week the IndyCar series completed the first Road Race configuration test, and the sound bites were cautiously controlled and optimistic at best. While I still hope to get some inside information to pass along, I have recently been provided with a copy of the series notification of the 2005 testing dates, here they are.
Homestead

January 17, Monday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Menards Infiniti Pro Series load in.

January 18, Tuesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Menards Infiniti Pro Series on-track (oval).

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series load in.

January 19, Wednesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series on-track (oval).

January 20, Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Menards Infiniti Pro Series on-track (road course).

January 21, Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series on-track (road course).

January 22, Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. IndyCar® Series on-track (road course).

Phoenix

February 3, Thursday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Menards Infiniti Pro Series load in.

February 4, Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Menards Infiniti Pro Series on-track (oval).

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series load in.

February 5, Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series on-track (oval).

February 6, Sunday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. IndyCar® Series on-track (oval).

Infineon Raceway

April 11, Monday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Menards Infiniti Pro Series load in.

April 12, Tuesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Menards Infiniti Pro Series on-track (road course).

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series load in.

April 13, Wednesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series on-track (road course).

April 14, Thursday Rain date.

Watkins Glen International

June 14, Tuesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series load in.

June 15, Wednesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. IndyCar® Series on-track (road course).

Engine Tests

Each IndyCar® Series engine manufacturer shall be permitted to use a maximum of three (3) test days as follows:

1.) Two (2) test days are to be used at oval venues. These days must be used at a venue that is a two-day IRL Race venue. These venues include: Richmond, Kansas, Nashville, Pikes Peak, Chicagoland, Michigan and Kentucky.

2.) One test day is to be used at an IRL-approved road course venue. At a later date, IRL will provide the engine manufacturers with a list of approved road course venues.

(9-25-04) The IndyCar series recently completed the first test of the oval track based IndyCars on the Homestead Miami Speedway, and as I said before the test started, "as an added bonus, they might also get a chance to see how the cars will react in the rain as well, provided that Firestone brings the rain tires usually used on the CCWS cars." As it turned out, that is what happened, and also what was planned. 

In truth, there are few secrets with these cars, whether it be road racing or ovals; other than seeing if the smaller air inlets found on the Dallara and G Force chassis would allow adequate airflow for cooling the engine. This will be easier to understand when you look at a picture I found on the CCWS site from the event at Monterrey, Mexico, the photo, by Phillip Abbott/LAT Photographic, shows a CCWS Lola at speed, notice the huge air inlets of the Lola, only partially designed for cooling.

With that much more air inlet available to pass air towards the radiators, it is easy to understand why the series and their teams needed to find out about the cooling before Dallara and G Force start production of the 2005 update kits. There was no noticeable cooling problems, and as evident from the two pictures below, there is very little visible difference between the short track configured IndyCars and the road race version; other than the obvious changes in front and wheel camber, where the tires on both sides of the cars are tilted in at the top.

The other issue the IndyCar officials and teams were concerned about was the brakes, used primarily on the faster ovals only in an emergency or to stop the car in the pits. The brakes are also used at short tracks where the cars don't run "flat" while entering the turns.

In fact, other than designing and placing cooling ducts to fit around the IndyCar suspension, the braking systems are vendor provided, and engineered based on the anticipated speeds, contact patch area of the tires and weight of the car. All the testing did is confirm the engineering data and allow the teams to select the best options, there never was a question of getting the cars to stop under road race conditions.

According to what I have been told, Dario Franchitti was by far the fastest driver in the test. Considering his road race background, that shouldn't surprise anyone, but I would have thought Helio Castroneves and MTP would have run better, apparently the Honda horsepower advantage transfers to the road course as well. As one might expect, both Sam Hornish Jr. and Ed Carpenter were road race challenged, but Hornish, with some experience should have run better, he was the only driver off-course. Carpenter, with shifter karts only on his road race resume; is on a very steep learning curve. I would have loved to have seen Tomas Scheckter and his results at this test. As shown above, there will be plenty of road race testing available before the street race at St Pete.

 
 
 
 

 
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