IndyCar Aero Kits Coming For 2014, Chevrolet Pissed

[KevinWI]

You thought it would never come, but the engine manufacturer specific aero kits are coming next year to IndyCar, at the "Triple Crown" tracks only - Indianapolis, Pocono and Fontana.

Chevrolet is pissed that they're not going to run them everywhere and the GM rep appearantly skipped the final meeting to discuss the aero kits with Honda and IndyCar.

From Speed channel:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-aero-kits-set-for-2014-indy-500-debut/

It took getting through multiple false starts and a pair of protests from the paddock, but SPEED.com has confirmed the long-awaited Indy car aero kits will finally debut in 2014.

But not everywhere.

The new Indy car bodies, designed by Wirth Research and Honda Performance Development for Honda, and Pratt & Miller and GM Racing for Chevy, will only be allowed in the Triple Crown events at Indianapolis, Pocono and Fontana.

The rest of the schedule will conform to the spec Dallara DW12 body that has been in place since 2012.

It’s believed that Honda favored a limited program and GM, which has been rumored to have a high-downforce kit it built, wanted to run the kits everywhere and there was a meeting in Indianapolis late last week with IndyCar technical chief Will Phillips and both manufacturers.

Except for the fact GM chose not to attend.

Asked Sunday morning about the plans for aero kits next season Phillips said: “We are continuing to work on it and IndyCar does want aero kits.”

HPD technical director Roger Griffiths says he's looking forward to the next step in the aero kit process.

"Our vision is aligned with that of IndyCar; we believe it's the right step and focuses on the highest profile races," he remarked.

When asked why GM skipped the meeting, Chevy IndyCar program manager Chris Berube declined to comment.

Reactions to the limited aero kit introduction was met with different viewpoints.

"I'm befuddled by this," says Panther Racing team owner John Barnes, whose team uses Chevy power.

"If you're going to do it, let's do it. I'm not sure it makes any financial sense to go through all the effort and expense to make the kits, but only use them for three races. If they are making them, I'd want them for the whole season. Otherwise, we'll be maintaining two different sets of bodywork--from Dallara and from our manufacturer--and the costs and time to prepare that bodywork between races is significant."

Ganassi Racing team manager Mike Hull is an advocate for aeo kits and looks forward to using them on his team's fleet of Honda-powered cars.

"I've long said that brand identity is something IndyCar has been lacking, and this is only going to help with that initiative," he said.

With the Triple Crown expected to have most, if not all rounds broadcast on ABC, it's believed the choice to have a limited introduction of aero kits is to focus on maximizing speed differentials between the brands.

Starting with aero kits at the Indy 500--something former INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard championed for 2013--could also be met with a twist as the series is believed to be considering starting off the month of May with a race on the road course using the current Dallara bodywork, then have teams change to Chevy or Honda kits to begin practice for the 500.

 

[Zerkfitting]

Brand identity seems odd for open wheel, a logo on the engine cowl is all that's needed. Its not like they sell open wheel car. It seems to me that aero kits it would raise the cost of running an indycar. If they want cars to look a little different and if one aero package works better than others all teams will want to use it and if it is made my engine manufacturers then the best aero kit will kill the corporation competition.

 

[KevinWI]

If they want cars to look a little different and if one aero package works better than others all teams will want to use it and if it is made my engine manufacturers then the best aero kit will kill the corporation competition.

That's how IndyCars were for a long time though. Anybody could invent a better engine or chassis and beat everybody. Like the year Roger Penske showed up at Indianapolis with a secret Ilmor Mercedes-Benz engine and Emerson Fittipaldi lapped the entire field. I'd rather have something like Formula One than NASCAR.

Let's face it, there are only a handful of NASCAR teams that can contend for the championship every year, despite all the efforts NASCAR puts into making sure the Chevrolets, Ford and Toyotas are created equal.

I say open up the rules and let the teams and manufacturers go wild. I want to see 4-5 engine manufacturers at Indy again, including crazy one-off designs.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Won't it cost more money to maintain two different types of bodies? Or is it just for 2014?

 

[KevinWI]

Won't it cost more money to maintain two different types of bodies? Or is it just for 2014?

The bodies will remain the same, the Dallara DW12. These are just different aero kits. Different front wings, rear wings, little cowling flourishes, but the car itself will remain the same. They already use different aero kits for ovals, road courses, high-banked ovals, etc. Plus since these are engine specific, maybe Honda/Chevy will include the aero packages free of charge in the cost of the engine lease. Since they already have the IndyCar teams on an annual leaseback type deal for a year supply of motors.

 

[StandOnIt]

If that is a picture of the Aero Kits in the article, put them on there, they look great, much better looking to me than a formula 1 car right now. Plenty of room also for sponsorship which might help keep indycar healthy

 

[SuperTex14]

The idea of different aero kits to give the cars some individuality may just be to make some fans happy. Everyone will want whatever turns out to be the best (fastest) setup anyway, so all the top teams will end up looking the same, like what happened the last time there were two different chassis - once one turned out to be a dog, everyone who wanted to win got the same thing. I think that's how we ended up with Dallara.

I like Kevin's ideas about engines and opening up the rules to encourage innovation - not cheating LOL. The new engine rules next year for F1 and Indycar are going to be pretty similar, so why not make them close enough so the Formula 1 manufacturers could be considered? That'd automatically open up the field to another half dozen or so possibilities immediately. I know it'll never be like it was in the late 80's through the early 90's, with Menard and others still in the picture, but it would be fun.

All that said, it's pretty hard to argue that the racing has been great the last two seasons, and keeps getting better!

 

[KevinWI]

The idea of different aero kits to give the cars some individuality may just be to make some fans happy. Everyone will want whatever turns out to be the best (fastest) setup anyway, so all the top teams will end up looking the same, like what happened the last time there were two different chassis - once one turned out to be a dog, everyone who wanted to win got the same thing. I think that's how we ended up with Dallara.

I like Kevin's ideas about engines and opening up the rules to encourage innovation - not cheating LOL. The new engine rules next year for F1 and Indycar are going to be pretty similar, so why not make them close enough so the Formula 1 manufacturers could be considered? That'd automatically open up the field to another half dozen or so possibilities immediately. I know it'll never be like it was in the late 80's through the early 90's, with Menard and others still in the picture, but it would be fun.

All that said, it's pretty hard to argue that the racing has been great the last two seasons, and keeps getting better!

Yeah, exactly. They don't sell cars here in America, but I would love to see Renault field engines for the 500. Always a nice international audience for the 500, and besides, Renault could try to embarrass Chevrolet in their home country and Honda at a race they've won the past few years.

 

[SuperTex14]

Yeah, exactly. They don't sell cars here in America, but I would love to see Renault field engines for the 500. Always a nice international audience for the 500, and besides, Renault could try to embarrass Chevrolet in their home country and Honda at a race they've won the past few years.

Me, too. And imagine if the FIA WEC manufacturers (i.e. LeMans prototypes) could be included, Chevy and Honda would be worried about getting their asses kicked by diesels and hybrids! But, isn't that what makes the competition interesting? New technology and ideas that eventually make their way into more ordinary forms of transportation, like the rear-view mirror...

 

[Dwayne]

I thought when the new car was announced it was stated the the "teams" could submit their own aero packages, so it's just two? And still only two engines. Better than nothing I guess but I was hoping for so much more with this car

 

[#17D500winner]

GM is pissed, huh? I guess Roush isn't the only the one who complains.

 

[Restrictor Plate King!]

Aero kits, blah, I remember the days when you either drove a Penske, Lola, March, Reynard, or TrueSport. Those days are long gone, not really sure what to think of todays Indycar...

 

[KevinWI]

Aero kits, blah, I remember the days when you either drove a Penske, Lola, March, Reynard, or TrueSport. Those days are long gone, not really sure what to think of todays Indycar...

Ya, but the single chassis is to keep costs down for the owners while we're in this crap economy. I think the engine-specific aero kits are just to bring back a little bit of difference between the cars, so it isn't entirely a spec series.