2012 IndyCar Development Notebook

(Programming Note: The recent news items that have plagued indycar racing caused me to basically tune the sport out for the previous two weeks. Although the road ahead is still unstable, I am still committed to the series and this blog. I will return next week with my reactions to the previous month and anotherindycarblog will start to take on a more normal posting schedule for the remainder of the off season. As always, thank you for reading.)

With 2013 fast approaching, it is time to retire the 2012 indycar development notebook. Although nothing major has been added since June of this year, I still want the list to be of reference to myself and anyone searching for information on the web. Long time readers will notice the “2012 Indycar Development Notebook” menu tab has been replaced by “2013 IndyCar Silly Season” and the notebook will live on as its own daily entry. I am sad to see this tab go because we have no idea when or if we could experience the next round of indycar chassis and engine development.

Development timeline:

June 2, 2010: INDYCAR announces new engine regulations to include turbo engines for the first time since 1997.

July 15, 2010: The ICONIC committee chooses Dallara to produce the 2012 safety cell, aerokits are announced as well.

August 7, 2010: Honda announces intentions to manufacture a next generation engine for the 2012 indycar.

November 12, 2010: Chevy joins the IICS to compete with Honda, giving the series its first engine competition since 2005. The bowtie brigade also plans on producing an aerokit.

November 18. 2010: Lotus becomes the final engine manufacturer to sign an engine deal with the series. Lotus will also produce an aerokit.

May 5, 2011: Indycar team owners veto the introduction of aerokits in 2012, campaigning for delay until 2013.

May 10, 2011: INDYCAR unveils two concept show cars during the lead up to the Indianapolis 500.

June 23, 2011: Dan Wheldon and Bryan Herta Autosport named official test team for 2012 chassis.

August 8-9, 2011: The Honda engine and Dallara chassis are road tested for the first time for a two day shake down session at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.

August 14, 2011: INDYCAR officially delays the introduction of aerokits until 2013 on the insistence of teams owners.

August 19, 2011: The chassis and engine are tested a second time at Barber Motorsports Park.

September 1, 2011: 2012 chassis makes its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the road course. Two day test and over 400 trouble free miles reported.

Septermber 5, 2011 – Amid concerns from teams and series officials, Randy Bernard visits Lotus to confirm their participation as an engine manufacturer in the 2012 season.

September 9, 2011 – Wirth research confirms that they will design the Honda branded Aerokit.

September 20-21, 2011 – Dan Wheldon pilots the Honda Dallara in another closed test. The short oval of Iowa played host and Wheldon stated he was flat in 15 laps. Again, over 400 trouble free miles reported.

September 27-29, 2011 – The first testing takes place at the famed IMS oval. Day One sees the first official release of video by the IICS. Fans get a treat on day three, a short video of the Honda powered Dallara zipping around the famed oval, with full audio!

September 29, 2011 – Team Penske and driver Will Power tested the Chevy engine package at Putnam Park Road Course, turning ten shakedown laps on a damp course.

October 4-5, 2011 – Team Penske and Ganassi Racing enter phase two of testing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Engine testing; Chevy and Honda respectively, has begun in earnest. Lotus/Judd is noticeably absent.

October 26, 2011 – Dallara names the new chassis the DW12 in honor of fallen test pilot Dan Wheldon.

October 27-28, 2011 – Manufacturer testing resumes at Sebring International Raceway. Honda and Chevy are both present.

November 2-4, 2011 – Open manufacturer testing take place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Again, Lotus is absent.

November 16, 2011 – Will Power completes a private test at Barber Motorsports Park. His first time in a car since the October 16th accident.

November 17, 2011 – Dallara begins shipping completed tubs from their Italian facility to Speedway, Indiana in preperation for the December 15th delivery date.

November 28-29, 2011 – Honda and Chevy test at Fontana Speedway. Dallara introduces new aero bits in an attempt to fix an unstable chassis.

December 7-8, 2011 – The two manufacturers test at Homestead Speedway. JR Hildebrand and Tony Kanaan drive the Chevy chassis.

December 12-14 , 2011 – Honda and Chevy perform final manufacturer testing at Sebring International.

December 15, 2011 – Manufacturer Testing closes and 16 teams receive their first chassis.

December 16, 2011 – Amid worries of an ill handling car, Dallara announces they will release a second generation of suspension pieces. Teams will be free to use both.

December 22, 2011 – The lotus engine is fired up, nestled in the rear of a Dw12 in preparation for shipment to teams.

January 13-14, 2012 – Simona De Silvestro and HVM perform the first on track shakedown testing of the Lotus engine.

January 15, 2012 – Open team testing begins.

January 16 – ?, 2012 – Lotus, Chevy and Honda begin preseason, team testing at Sebring International.

March 5-9 2012 – Spring training at Sebring International commences.

March 18, 2012 – The speedway aero package is released to the public. The package will be used during the Indy 500 and the season ending 500 mile race in Fontana California

May 16, 2012 – INDYCAR finalizes aero configuration for the 2012 Indy 500 and increases boost for qualifying.

June 17, 2012 – Push to Pass is reintroduced into the series.

Multimedia:

On board with Rubens Barrichello – Testing video with KV Racing.

Homestead Video – Side by side drive from the two manufacturers at Homestead Miami Speedway

Comparison of Honda vs. Chevy – graciously provided by James Black at 16thandGeorgetown.

high quality audio, headphones recommended to get full effect, recorded in stereo.

amateur video of IMS test, There are many videos on youtube, this one shows a few angles.

High quality photos taken at Mid Ohio test.

More photos taken by none other that Iowa’s Pressdog. Great, highly detailed shots.

My own photos of the new Dallara plant in Speedway, Indiana.

With that, we say goodbye to the blistering development of an indycar chassis. Hopefully we will get to partake in similar fun much sooner than later. A five year cycle would me much more welcomed than the nine years we were forced to endure the IR-03/05/07. We can still hope to see a bit of engine development during the 2013 season and possibly see what the DW12 can really do.

Eric Hall

Remembering Dan Wheldon

There isn’t much more to say about the man that was Dan Wheldon. Many amazing columns have been written by people far more skilled than I. And honestly, what more is there to be added? October 16^th will always be a day to remember Danny Boy. I miss him, and we miss him and the sport misses him. I have collected all of the remembering Dan Wheldon work I created over the last year into one last post. I found it difficult to write anything that would say more than what has already been said. Read the articles, browse the pictures from the impromptu memorial at The Speedways gate, and remember Dan, and all of the fallen heroes tragically lost over the past 100 years.

___

Dan Wheldon was more than a racecar driver.

I, along with hundreds of other fans, had the privilege to meet one of the nicest men the Indycar paddock had ever seen. A man who, no matter how hurried, would stop and sign every hat, picture, t-shirt and model car thrust into his more than willing hands. A man, no matter how downtrodden, would pose for a seemingly endless amount of pictures with fans; all while flashing that beautiful white smile.

Dan Wheldon; a brother, a father, a son and a husband. More than just a man; a hero, a competitor, a champion. Godspeed Lionheart, you will always be remembered.

Originally published in Podium Magazine October issue

___

As a fan, I did not know Dan Wheldon, personally, at all. When he came into the series in 2003, my initial thoughts on him were not many. In the early years of his career, Dan didn’t do much too really make himself stand out to me. He was another, tough competitor but he never resonated and drew me into his corner.  That is, until the 2009 Indy 500. It was another empty Tuesday during the first week of practice. I only work about 15 minutes from the track, so after clocking out at 3:30 I would hustle over and catch a few hours of action before the sessions ended at six. I was standing behind, his then team, Panther Racing’s pits while he was doing his final debriefing with his engineer right before the close of practice.

A young couple with a, what looked to be, a three year old little girl was also watching the pits near me hoping to snag a moment of Dans time. They called to Dan to get some autographs. When he came over, the cute little toddler stated talking to Wheldon and handed him an animal cracker in the process. Dan, being the consummate professional that he is, talked more with that cute little toddler than he did with her parents. He even pretended to eat the animal cracker because it didn’t look like that little girl would relent in guarenteeing Dan took the cracker.

He looked rushed but spent a good five minutes with the small family before hopping on a cart and getting whisked away into the depths of the garage. I had never seen anything like that before. Dan, not only, made a three year old a fan of indycar, but also made me a huge fan of his. I hung around his pit in the afternoons during the following sessions and witnessed moments like this every time he was out of the car.

Dan Wheldon was the fans dream and more than happy to oblige. At Kentucky in 2011, my roommate really wanted to snag his autograph. We found him as he was stepping out of the Verse sky lair after his prerace interview. Obviously hurried, he not only stopped to sign his hat but made conversation and did not appear to be in any kind of rush to brush the fans off. He signed a few more autographs, shook a few more hands and headed back to the garages.

Originally posted to anotherindycarblog 10/16/11

___

The Monday following the accident, I headed out to IMS to take in the impromptu memorial that was taking shape at the main gate. Emotion was palpable in the air, the four big news crews were set up for news shots and Donald Davidson highlighted Dan’s career for each of them. I made a few new friends and met a twitter buddy face to face for the first time, but it was a sorrow filled afternoon on the grounds of IMS. I had initially planned to only take a few pictures but got so caught up in reading the wonderful words fans had written that I could not stop snapping photos. The resolution on all of these is good enough to easily make out the hand written notes with no captions needed.

Originally posted to anotherindycarblog 10/17/11 (Full size pictures can be found in original post here)

Eric Hall

2013 Silly Season… Who’s Where, and What’s What

Programming note: This article is old and incorrect. An updated list can be found here.

It may only be October, but it’s never too early to start thinking about silly season in indycar world. Without the post-Vegas fallout to contend with this year, silly season has picked up steam much earlier this year than in 2011. The drivers market is healthy, but sponsorship dollars are very hard to come by. As with 2011, the number of seats will be set by the engine manufacturers, and I hope they are a bit more generous this year even with the exit of Lotus.

I have broken the teams into three categories: Team Honda, Team Chevy and possible or unaffiliated teams. As always, there is talk of adding a second seat at many of the single car teams, and Honda seems very keen to pair up any one car operations in a bid for more information sharing and ultimately more success.

Ed Carpenter Racing has been back and forth about merging with another Chevy team, with KV Racing and HVM as the opined teams of choice for such a merge. However, KVRT has lost nearly all of its former glory and have even been linked with a switch from Chevy to Honda.

With the possibility of Penske and Ganassi Deux losing a seat for 2013, this opens the door for current and possible team owners to snag one of the freed engine leases. I have the feeling that Honda and Chevy are not too hot on adding additional leases unless the deal is right. The manufacturers are losing money on every signed lease, and I can understand why they wouldn’t just give their engines out to any ‘ol teams wanting to take a crack at indycar racing.

Team Honda

Team	Engine	Driver
AJ F E	Honda	?
BHA	Honda	?
CGR	Honda	Franchitti
		Dixon*
DCR	Honda	?
		(?)
G2	Honda	Kimball
		(?)
RLLR	Honda	?
		(?)
SFHR	Honda	Newgarden
SSHM	Honda	Pagenaud
		(?)

Team Chevy

Team	Engine	Driver
AA	Chevy	Andretti
		Hinchcliffe
		Hunter-Reay
DRR	Chevy	?
ECR	Chevy	Carpenter
KVRT	Chevy	Kanaan
		(?)
		(?)
Panther	Chevy	Hildebrand
		(?)
Penske	Chevy	Power
		Castroneves*
		(?)

 

Beleaguered HVM Racing has a sponsorship contract and Simona signed on for 2013, but does not have an engine contract to replace the terribly underperforming Lotus engine. Lotus as a whole has not officially pulled out of the series yet. I have no Idea what this could mean for the series or HVM.

Dragon Racing, the team granted leaders circle money and an engine on the strength of their “web impressions”, yet do not have an active website currently. Not to mention, team owner Jay Penske has been in some legal troubles recently. If they show up on the 2013 grid, I don’t think Legge will be with them.

Michael Shank’s dream of running a full season indycar program rustles to life again with the hopes of finally acquiring one of the mystical engine leases. The remaining five teams have all been linked with American open-wheel racing or have expressed an interest in competing in the series. Information of the state of said programs is impossible to come by at this point.

Unaffiliated and possible new entries

Team	Engine	Driver
HVM	?	de Silvestro
(Dragon Racing)	?	(?)
		(?)
(MSR Indy)	?	(?)
(Newman/Haas)	?	(?)
(Conquest Racing)	?	(?)
(Team Viso)	?	(?)
(Fan Force United)	?	(?)
(Scudiera Coloni)	?	(?)

Finally, we have 33 drivers who either drove in the series or Indy 500 in 2012 and have no contract for 2013, or have been on record with an interest with competing in the series. I am shocked at how many drivers comprise this list, and there are surely more to add yet. Whether the length of this list is an indication of how hard it is to find cash to run, or if it is credence to the hope that indycar is seen as top-level outside of our biased bubble is hard to tell. But there is a literal ton of talent on this list and if we see all of the free agents return plus a few new guys, then 2013 could be very fun to watch.

Unsigned Drivers

Driver	Notes
Barrichello	Free agent. Linked with SSHM
Briscoe	Free agent. Would take Penske 3rd seat with funding
Rahal	Free agent. Linked with RLLR
Sato	Free agent. Ran for RLLR in 2012, no contract for 2013
Servia	Free agent. Ran for DRR in 2012, no contract for 2013
Tagliani	Free agent. Ran for BHA in 2012, no contract for 2013
Viso	Free agent. Start his own team?
Wilson	Free agent. Ran for DCR in 2012, no contract for 2013
Bourdais	Signed with Dragon for 2013, is team still viable?
Legge	TrueCar money in hand, will probably not return to Dragon
Saavedera	Linked with AFS Racing and AA
Beatriz	Linked with AA
Austin	500 only, confirmed for AJ F E
Bell	500 only?
Clauson	500 only?
Patrick	500 only?
Cunningham	Super-sub
Pantano	Super-sub
Junqueira	Super-sub
Vautier	Indy Lights champion and scholarship winner
Howard	Continually linked with MSR indy
Mann	One of these days…
Guerrieri	Linked with KVRT for 2 years
Lloyd	Persuing a career as a writer?
Schecker	Making noise about something once again
Allmendinger	Back to NASCAR
Conway	No ovals, probably out
Jakes	probably out
Alesi	nearly certain to not reprise his 500 attempt in 2013
Meira	On 2012 silly season list, no mentions for 2013
Yacaman	On 2012 silly season list, no mentions for 2013
Tracy	On 2012 silly season list, no mentions for 2013

 

There we have it, at least 47 drivers competing for at most 28 full season seats in 2013. That number is huge, and if we could see 35 or so get a chance at the 500, the series would be in much better shape than in 2012. That is not to say that a 25/26 car field was paltry by any means, but with so much interest in the series, only good things can happen. Next week, a new tab will appear in the menu above so we can track the silly season shifts until the green flag finally dropped in St. Petersburg next March.

Eric Hall

The 2013 Schedule… On Double Headers, Balance and ABC

The 2013 Indycar schedule came out on Sunday and fans have shown equals parts joy, hate and total indifference. I am positive you readers have had about enough of the scheduling talk, but I’ve got a few things to say as well. As we were expecting, street circuits are featured heavily in the schedule. Ten of the 19 races to be exact, with ovals taking six and natural terrain road courses granted the remaining balance of three races; no better or worse than the 2012 schedule.

We are minus one event in Edmonton that was deemed a “financial loser” and plus two events in Huston and Pocono. The revival of double headers has really skewed the balance of power to the twisties for 2013 and could open the door for even more championship hopefuls. Nearly all of the returning races are taking more or less, in the same position on the calender. The date equity gained by many of these events could do more for attendance than any amount of unfocused promoting. Date equity makes the events feel more stable and big time; yet another good thing for all parties involved.

Double Headers – 99% of this blog’s readers attend multiple races a year and 99% of those people, more than likely, spring for a weekend pass no matter what is happening on Friday and Saturday of a race weekend. Yet the basic response was: “Meh, cheap way to make it to 19 races…” I am totally confused by this. When I head to the track, constant on-track action throughout the weekend is a major selling point for me when deciding which event or events to attend outside of Indianapolis. I went to Mid-Ohio this year for only the Sunday indycar race. Would a second race on Saturday have swayed my mind? Absolutely, and I would have camped on-site; exactly what the promoters want to hear.

Double headers do have a slight minor league feel to them, but they are a part of our sports history. Most importantly, we don’t even know if they will or will not work in today’s economic climate. And with the state of indycar racing as a whole, we might as well try some new things to mix it up. We aren’t instituting green-white-checkers, or competition cautions. This is not dumbing down the racing, or adding any unnecessary gimmicks to “spice the racing up”. Instead of making two trips to a facility twice in a single season, the series is squishing them into a single weekend. It could be a financial win for teams, owners, sponsors, the series and, most importantly, the fans.

Balance – Having 19 races and two new facilities signed, sealed and delivered by October is no small feat. Randy Bernard needs to be commended for such a herculean effort to secure the 2013 schedule before time starts to melt away during the long offseason. However, I am still concerned with the balance of ovals to twisties. Last year, there were 265 points available on ovals with Indy qualifying and no bonuses, and there were 500 points available on the twisties.  2013 looks to have 315 on the ovals and 650 on twisties; less than a third of the total points available in the 2013 campaign will be awarded on ovals. Moving from a pure fan simply wanting more ovals to an overall championship perspective, drivers can be less versatile and still have a good shot at the Astor Cup. I believe Will Power would have clinched the championship in 2012 if the season was contested with the 2013 schedule. I am more concerned with maintaining the championship impact of oval racing verse a numerical balance of schedule; I am totally onboard with weighting the points awarded on ovals to do that.

But the Break is Sooo Looong – Compare the 2012 schedule to the 2013 schedule. The series has actually gained two events above the 14 that are returning in 2013. I don’t care how you want to spin it; that is a very good thing. Ovals or twisties, the balance of the  is as long as I can watch top-level open wheel racing on an oval five or six times a year; that is my reality, I have accepted it. So how did we get stuck with such a long break between Baltimore and Huston? The obvious answer is the loss of Edmonton. But remember how loud everyone complained when there was a very real possibility that the 2013 season could end in Huston? To appease the fans, Fontana was pushed back a few weeks so the season could finish on an oval.

WE SHOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT. And we got exactly what we wanted. What is more important to you: the season ending on an oval, or not having a five week break in September? Plus, there are still a few balls in the air in regards to Providence and Kentucky. Although Randy Bernard has stated the schedule we have is what we will run, I have a hard time blindly believing anything he says. Better to exceed expectations by adding another race to a “completed” schedule than disappointing the masses by giving them hope and ultimately not adding another race.

ABC – The much maligned TV “partner” has taken a fairly good route when they chose what races to broadcast and have actually picked up an extra race as well. In 2012, ABC had initially signed up to broadcast five races, but broadcasted the NBCSN produced Mid-Ohio race due to conflicts on NBCSN. A very public olive branch was extended to the series by allowing the broadcast and the relationship seems to be warming a bit with ABC taking main broadcast duties on six races this year; the Saturday race in Detroit is the addition. They are also choosing to use the midseason block of ovals minus Milwaukee, plus Detroit as their broadcast window. That gives us over a month of nearly uninterrupted coverage on network TV.

Pocono – We are finally headed back to the east coast mecca of American open-wheel racing… epic. Not much more needs to be said.

Once it’s all said and done, there really aren’t that many differences between the 2012 and 2013 schedule and overall, it seems like a moderate step in the right direction. I will say it seems like Penske may be muscling his way around with the Detroit GP. He gets the week after the 500, ABC coverage, and now has been given a double header; I expect track changes to increase the odds of passing. Anything less and we know Penske may have gotten the best of us yet again.  During double header weekend, the paddock on Saturday afternoon and evening could be one of the more hectic places to be seen. It will be very interesting to see how teams cope with those three super busy weekends. The 2013 schedule could be better, but it could be far worse. Considering what the series had to work with, the release of the 2013 schedule this early and in such complete form could be considered a minor miracle. ON TO SILLY SEASON!

Eric Hall

How I Saw It… 2012 Super Review Part The Final, The People Edition

2012 was the year of competition. Even with an unproven hardware package, the fight from the front to the back of the field was close and intense all year long. A new car, new engines, the reworked rulebook, a cleaned house in race control; so much was unknown entering the 2012 season and I think we can all agree that given the steep climb we faced this year, indycar came out on top and no worse for the wear. Of the 25 full season drivers, we could really only classify one or two drivers as in over their heads. We finally have the best and brightest from ChampCar in mostly competent rides and it finally feels like American open-wheel racing was truly unified for the first time since 2008. There aren’t many vestiges of the complicated political past left in the series and a glimmer of hope and a slight inching of forward progress punctuated an epic season of indycar racing.

Reactions

Andretti Autosport – The most fearsome team in the paddock during the mid-2000’s has finally retaken its rightful place atop the championship standings. An interesting statement, but not one I totally believe to be true. It would be hard to categorize a season with four wins as a fluke, but it just doesn’t feel like we truly have the “big three” back. Obviously, Ryan Hunter-Reay more than pulled his weight on the team, and sophomore driver James Hinchcliffe was placed as high as P2 in the standings after Milwaukee, but where was Marco? Taking Target Chip Ganassi and Team Penske as the high water mark of the series, it is more than apparent that all available drivers must be in a position to win races and help teammates in the late stages of a championship battle. The boss’s kid was quickly overshadowed by Hinch and is now the weakest link in the chain. I know he’s young, but Marco has a long road ahead of him to total bring Andretti Autosport back into the lime light.

Simon Pagenaud – Four podium finishes and five more top seven finishes punctuated the Frenchman’s return to American Open Wheel Racing. Sam Schmidt is one of the most ruthless owners in the paddock and it was only a matter of time before success was found at the highest rung of the ladder. The amalgamation of Simon and SSM seems to be exactly that both needed to find near immediate success in the series. Pagenaud ended the season P5 in the championship standings, didn’t claim a single victory and finished ahead of four race winners in the final standings. Pagenaud had a single DNF in 2012, bested only by Helio Castroneves who finished every race in 2012. Not bad for a “rookie” driving for a team in their sophomore season. Throw in a second car for 2013, and Simon, his teammate and SSM will absolutely be contenders week in and out.

Race Control – Beaux Barfield performed as well as anyone could have asked during his maiden voyage into the shark infested waters of the indycar paddock. The officiating staff had only one real scream at the TV moment with Scott Dixons wonky non-penalty penalty in Milwaukee, Of course we can dissect the red flag at Fontana forever, but I think it was a good move if rules are hashed out and clearly spells out the how/when/whys of the issue. But honestly, after going green in the rain on an oval last year, it did not take much to appease the detractors and we received at least a single year of more or less calm waters in race control. Drivers said all year that they never know what the rules are race to race, but that’s exactly what they are paid to do. No one could create a disenable pattern of bad calls; all in all an excellent year for indycar in the tower.

Discipline Championships – I have made it no secret that I am a fan of the oval and twistie trophies handed out by the series. We also know that there were more points available (500 on roads, 265 on ovals with Indy qualifying and no bonus points) on the twistie side of the championship than the oval portion. The series prides itself in diversity, but many fans do not feel the series is truly diverse until a close to 50/50 split schedule of oval and twistie events it attained. I would like to see some kind of weighted system to make the ovals worth more to the championship in the long run. Even if it is a sub-discipline, a five race championship is not very spectacular. At this rate, we might as well hand out separate road and street course championships too.

Team Owners – Penske and Ganassi have been vocal about how car owners in the series do business, and 2012 really separated the good guys from the rest of the pack. During the mid-season break, some wonderful people started the owners-want-to-buy-the-series rumors that, in the end, just reopened old wounds than need to be left alone. Michael Andretti, the man single handedly trying to save indycar and keep its ladder system healthy, had issues getting sponsorship contracts signed due to this rumor mongering. Everything seemed more or less peachy in March, but the paddock has quickly devolved into the monster we all know and love. At least we think we know who we can trust; it would be nice to get a few more owners on the let’s-do-right-by-indycar bandwagon.

Off-Season Questions

- Is Andretti Autosport still considered the best of the rest, or do they exist in some big three* limbo?

- Tipped to be the next race winning team in March only to devolve into more of a joke by September, what is the ultimate fate of Tony Kanaan and KV Racing?

- Will Takuma Sato quit throwing it away at the most inopportune times all the time?

- What kinds of changes can, or should, we expect in race control?

- How will the 2013 edition of the rulebook evolve from the current version?

- Will we see any tire compound changes from Firestone? Amid the posturing regarding the 2015 tire supply, should they prove themselves throughout the coming seasons?

- How much speed is left to be found in the DW12?

- What will the engine regulations look like next year? How far will manufacturers push the envelope?

- If KV, Penske, and G2 all lose a seat, how will this affect the effort to pair up existing single car teams?

- Will Ed Carpenter Racing finally strengthen its only real weak link in the program; Ed Carpenters road course driving skills?

—

What. A. Year. We had a season of clean racing, close finishes, epic on track battles and yet another patented indycar championship race than came down to the final corner of the season. The series has finally nailed down the on-track product and now needs to finalize the off-track details that seem to derail any forward progress obtained. . The field was finally stacked, and the drivers had a more than capable race machine to do battle on-track with, it’s just too bad no one saw it. The anticipation race to race and the accompanying buzz in 2012 were far more palpable than any time in recent history and the off season looks to be even worse. Indycar racing is still the best kept secret in motorsports, and now we just need to let the rest of the racing world know.

Eric Hall

How I Saw It… 2012 Super Review Part 1: Nuts and Bolts Edition

2012 will be remembered for close racing and an entirely new chassis/engine package that revolutionized the on-track product in the INDYCAR series. Not revolutionized, no, it was more of a renaissance of sorts. A return to a more historically correct version of what many people see as big-time open-wheel racing in the US. People don’t notice these sorts of things overnight, and if there as a more perfect way to start the true road to recovery, I think we are finally headed down a path with some semblance of sense and quality decision making. The new equipment quickly quieted the nay-sayers as it delivered some of the hottest racing in 2012.

Engines – 2012 saw the introduction of both a freshly designed chassis as well as a new engine formula. The 2.2 liter direct injected turbo engines were extolled as the saviors of the series and the first tangible link to the turbocharged past that American open-wheel racing has been angling to return to. What we received was a bit more muted than we all expected. Admittedly, no one was expecting the 900 horsepower fire breathing monsters of years past, however I still cannot shake the feeling of being somewhat underwhelmed by final product.

At 12,000 rpm, these are the highest revving direct injected engines in the world. Impressive, and technologically distinct in the motorsports world, but they don’t have that sound. You shouldn’t need to see the track to know cars are whipping around; you should be able to feel it. The exhaust-muting turbochargers don’t even give that distinctive whine heard in years past. As a visceral experience, the new engine formula never totally enveloped me when I witnessed them in the flesh. But hearing those turbos dump their boost onto the hot exhaust tips made up for quite a bit of sustained volume.

All of that is forgivable, and I hope Honda and Chevy can find some more power with the seven months of development that is the offseason. I don’t think it is totally ridiculous to ask these engines to make 600 to 650 horsepower in speedway trim and 800 for road and street courses and short ovals. Over 20 years ago, 1.5 liter turbo engines that made nearly 1000 horses in race trim were the winning formula in F1. Let’s see how far we can go with direct-injected technology; we definitely are headed down a good road with the engine formula. An indycar is supposes to be scary because of its power, not from the handling.

Chassis – What started development as an absolute pig at the Speedway, ended its maiden season proving it could attack any type of racing environment with composure and repeatability. The DW12 more than overcame the expected growing pains experienced early on. Dallara proved they were committed to the series, and the fans, by continually developing the chassis until it became the fearsome competitor seen carrying drivers to the 15 checkered flags seen this year.

Throughout the entire year, we were treated to action not seen in many other forms of motorsports, let alone our little open-wheeled haven. Barber was one of the best road races I have even seen in terms of action throughout the field. All of the ovals were true tests of driver skill, team communication and engineering acumen again, not seen in the series in quite a while. From what we were expecting when the green flag fell in St Petersburg, to what we witnessed take the checkers in Fontana, I can definitively say the car accomplished more than what I ever could have imagined Dallara could have provided.

Is it beautiful? Maybe, maybe not, but in racing form usually follows function, and I can forgive any complaints about the looks if we continue to have racing like this. Honestly, it really doesn’t look too terribly awful after watching a partial season of F1 side-by-side a full season of indycar racing. Aerokits for next year? I’m so back and forth on the subject that I don’t know if I’m totally sold on the idea we need them if it would help the entities that make up indycar help revitalize the sport in other ways. But the manufacturers have been asking for them and I doubt they haven’t already spent some cash looking into their feasibility and possible initial design concepts.

Throw a moderate horsepower increase and a hair more downforce in relation to added power onto this thing and we could have a modern day classic in the makes right before our very eyes. The chassis has proven it could use a kick in the pants and the drivers seem to think it could as well. Now, to get those pesky engine manufacturers on board…

Track Selection – Although a true 50/50 split between ovals and twisties would be ideal, the thirds method of scheduling that thrust CART into the limelight was nearly replicated in 2012. I have given my opinions as to why the thirds scheduling is not the worst idea in the world, but we are not quite there. With only three natural terrain road courses: Barber, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma, there is a very obvious hole in the “most diverse series in the world” claim. I would love more ovals on the championship trail, but balance needs to be found in other areas as well. Natural terrain road courses are often negatively lumped into the same hate-filled pile at street courses. This is unfair, and with the amount of historic and high quality road courses in North America, one would think this would be a good route to take in schedule expansion, yet we haven’t caught wind of a single one looking to be added next year. Maybe the at-the-track business model is in a bit more trouble than we thought.

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All in all, the nuts and bolts of 2012 were pretty well in place. If we ignore the farce that was the China round and glaze over the three week hole in the schedule created by it, the racing was fantastic and the equipment proved to be up to snuff in this initial development year. Power showed that even though the schedule is twistie heavy, you have to be on your game no matter how successful you are in one of the disciplines. Exploding engines didn’t become a factor in the championship story and they more than adequately powered the DW12 into the history books as possibly one of the raciest chassis ever to be created for indycar racing.

Next Wednesday I will dive into the people and “soft” aspects of the 2012 season as well a few final thoughts about what the heck we witnessed this year. From then throughout the off-season you can expect a single weekly post on Wednesday until the run into the 2013 campaign next March. And as always, thank you for reading!

Eric Hall

How I Saw It… The Speechless Season Finale Edition

High, low and everywhere in between, in a sight unseen for many years of indycar racing, no part of the track was safe. The drivers earned their money Saturday night with a race for the ages, and once again the DW12 and INDYCAR’s aero package proved to be exactly what the track needed to produce the breath taking racing we witnessed during the season finale. Ryan Hunter-Reay was able to capitalize on Will Powers early wreck and finished a mere three points ahead of Power and denying him and Roger Penske championship honors for yet another year. Once the smoke cleared, Ed Carpenter went head to head with Dario and came out on top again in a nearly carbon copy finish of 2011 at Kentucky. An absolutely amazing way to finish the 2012 chapter in indycar racing.

Ed Carpenter – Sure, a championship was handed out on Saturday night, but the real show stopper was Ed Carpenter truly taking it to the big dogs and stealing another win on an oval. I honestly thought there would never be another owner/driver win in the series and had all but quit picking Eddie in my fantasy league. Not that I was unsure of his talent, it just seemed like the team was out in the weeds more than it was banging towards the front. Ed is the man, and the last vestige to the USAC history of open wheel racing; the likes of which may never be seen again in a full season capacity. But it takes a team to win an indycar race, and Ed has surrounded himself with some of the best in the business. I hope a real road racer can take a seat at the team next year so we can see what they can really do.

Will Power – Dude! Seriously?! I was shocked that he threw it away so early. All he had to do was exactly the opposite of smashing his car into the fence. All he had to do was keep RHR in sight; he didn’t even need to be racing him. But in a multi-lap battle, seasoned oval driver forced Power lower and lower, causing him to have to race through the seams of the track which would be the cause of his demise. I have given Power crap in the past about his questionable skills on ovals, but I had all the faith in the world that he would at least be able to hold onto the car long enough to clinch the championship. Again, shocked but not necessarily surprised. 2012 turned out to not be Powers year after every competent source pegged him for the Astor Cup in March. WP still has a lot to prove on the ovals in 2013.

500 Miles of awesomeness – All gushing about the race aside; Saturday night was the perfect example of why 500 mile races in open wheel racing are so special. If we look back to lap 147, the final lap completed closest to the 300 mile mark before pit stops started, and Tony Kanaan was leading with Ryan Hunter-Reay struggling back in P8. By lap 218, or 436 miles in and right before final stops, RHR was still fighting an ill handling car in P6 and not in championship contention. Although Carpenter was at the front, it took that final pit stop to help Dario and RHR find a bit more speed. These extra two or three stops really changed the complexion of what could have happened, not to mention we saw a fair amount of equipment attrition as the night wore on. By the end of the evening, if felt like we were watching a patented 500 mile Fontana race.

Red Flag – Possibly the largest point of contention in the entire season and it happened with 10 laps to go in the 2012 campaign. Along with everyone else in TV land, I was quite surprised to see the red fly when Tony Kanaan found the wall. I have no issue with this type of call, but it seemed like teams weren’t prepared for such a thing. What if a car wouldn’t re-fire? This isn’t endurance racing in the sense that you must prove continued starting system reliability. An impassible track is one thing, but light contact is a totally different story. Beaux Barfield got really lucky on this one and nothing wonky happened when the field finally got underway. BxB said he informed team owners that this was a possibility; it would have been nice for him to inform the fans as well.

Restarts – Indianapolis, Texas and Fontana were the site of the only single file restarts all year, and after said races, I believe there is no reason to continue with their usage into 2013. Fontana, which is approximately 19 lanes wide and has a football fields worth of grass separating the racing surface from pit lane, had no excuse not to be a double file restart. Not to mention, the drivers were using every inch of race track from the apron to the wall in the turns and down the straights, so the track should have been considerably cleaner than in the days of hugging the white line all night. The use of single file restarts was an understandable reaction to the events of last October, but their use should be reconsidered for at least Fontana if it returns in 2013.

Could there have been a better way to end the season? The DW12 proved itself in all situations throughout the year and punctuated its freshman year with a style of racing seen nowhere else in the world at any level of racing. We saw something very special on Saturday night and watched the new-and-improved indycar finally prove it is worthy of the 100 years’ worth of oval racing history linked with the current incarnation of American open-wheel racing. There is talk that the street race in Houston, Texas is taking over the honors of holding the season finale; this is unacceptable. Auto Club Speedway has held six CART season finales, was the penultimate round of the IRL for two years and the IRL season finale once. A finish at Kentucky or Chicagoland would be awesome, but it just feels right at Fontana.

Eric Hall