# 2012 IndyCar Racing



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon took to the cockpit at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the first of his 12 scheduled days of evaluation testing of the prototype 2012 IndyCar Dallara, which is powered by the first of the 2.2-liter turbocharged Honda V6 engines. Additional testing will take place on three road course and three ovals, IndyCar announced.

"It's a great day," project manager Tony Cotman told IndyCar.com. "To see the work of many individuals in a very short amount of time out on the racetrack...it's the start of a new era for IndyCar."

The new design - a Dallara rolling chassis that will feature different body coverings for ovals and road/street courses - was recommended to the sanctioning body by the seven-member advisory committee in July 2010 after it reviewed multiple manufacturer concepts. It will replace the chassis that came on line in 2003 and was originally designed exclusively for oval racing.

No times were announced from the test, which was closed to the public. IndyCar said the next test of the prototype will be conducted next month at Texas Motor Speedway, again with Wheldon at the controls.

"It's a lighter car, it has more horsepower and it has a lot less drag than the current car, so naturally on the right day it will go quicker and that's something that the fans have to look forward to," Cotman added. "I think it also will provide a different type of racing with different engine manufacturers, too. It will be interesting, it will be exciting and it will be a bit of a change."

Engine manufacturers, each of whom have ordered a next-generation chassis, will commence testing in early October with their respective aligned teams. So far, Chip Ganassi Racing, A.J. Foyt Racing and Sam Schmidt Motorsports have signed on with Honda. Team Penske is the anchor team for Chevrolet.

The race teams are scheduled to receive their first chassis in mid-December.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-2012-car-breaks-cover-at-mid-ohio/

http://www.racer.com/2012-indycar-mid-ohio-test-gallery/slideshow/370/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Upgrades incorporated into the 2012 IndyCar, based on recommendations by INDYCAR through its ongoing testing program, will increase the protection of drivers.

The cockpit is longer and wider than the current Dallara Automobili monocoque, which allows for additional padding to protect the driver upon impact. There is 3 inches of Expanded Polypropylene foam behind the driver's seat and 1.5 inches under the seat. Also, a "floating headrest" works in conjunction with the mandatory HANS device attached to the helmet.

"What that means is that before the driver ever pours his custom fit seat they will already have an inch and a half of material that will protect them in a vertical load situation, which is what Justin Wilson went through at Mid-Ohio," INDYCAR director of engineering Jeff Horton said. "Because of his height and the design of that car, he actually has nothing underneath him. He basically sits right on the floor so all the load that the chassis saw was transmitted to straight up his spine.

"With the foam in the new car, it potentially should prevent most of those types of injuries. In addition, we designed in 3 inches off EPP on the back of the car. Again, before a driver ever pours his custom fit seat he's got 3 inches of protection, which our data shows will prevent most injuries."

The wider chassis, updated to the FIA cockpit opening (21.6 inches) provides for extra foam along the sides of the driver that will protect them in a lateral impact. The additions complement the Zylon panels, which were extended, that are attached to the sides of the chassis that help prevent punctures.

"The car also has been made a little bit longer in that area so that a tall driver can be incorporated and not give up safety systems," Horton noted. "On the current car, our tall drivers have to compromise something at the rear to fit in the car and get the pedals adjusted comfortably - they actually move them all the way forward. In this current car, the driver should be in a normal seating position.

"The headrest has been redesigned on our recommendations as well, with the addition of a thicker cross-section where the helmet will hit in a rearward accident. The current car (designed a decade ago) came about before the HANS was mandatory so to get the HANS to fit correctly we had to take some material out of the current headrest; that's been put back into this car."

According to Horton, Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) is the preferred material for the seat bottom/back and headrest over Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) because of its higher compressive strength. EPP is formed by individual plastic beads being injected into a steam chest mold, where the beads are fused under steam heat and pressure to form a semi-rigid and lightweight molded product.

"The nice part of the EPP foam is that it doesn't have any glue in it," he said, "so it's considered a multi-hit foam. EPS deforms permanently because of the glue in it. You have to think of things like crew members and drivers climbing in and out of the cockpit and they put their foot on it. The EPS could be deformed and not perform properly in an accident."

Trammel and Horton have advocated driver seats to be constructed solely of EPP, which would further increase protection. EPS seats are formed by mixing beads and glue, put it in a plastic bag and have the driver sit on it for a mold. After it dries, it's covered with a fire-retardant material.

"It's up to our standards, but the thing is it's a one-hit seat," Horton said. "The glue in the beads will deform permanently when impacted hard."

Creating an EPP seat takes a few more steps - an EPS seat if formed, scanned and then machined out of an EPP block. Combined with the added EPP foam in the bottom, back and headrest, protection has been significantly increased.

"If a driver happens to take multiple hits in a single accident, like Simona (de Silvestro) at Milwaukee, the 3 inches of material will protect them much better than the current car," Horton said.

INDYCAR, using sled testing with its crash test dummy THOR, will focus next on improvements in frontal impact safety.

"We've been very lucky in this series that our tubs and chassis have been very safe," Horton added. "We've been able to nitpick at stuff like the headrest design, and this new car incorporates what we learned in seating. In IndyCar, some of our big injuries have been in frontal. We've done one round of sled testing and learned a great deal. Once we learn and validate more that can be of benefit, it will be incorporated in this car."

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/44694-new-car-upgrades-driver-protection/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

To a casual observer visiting Barber Motorsports Park on Friday the sleek, black car speeding around the track probably looked like a cross between a stealth fighter and the Batmobile.

It definitely would not have looked like any Indy car that has ever raced at the 2.38-mile road course.

A technical crew from the IZOD IndyCar Series leased the track Friday for a closed test session for the new car that IndyCar will use in 2012, bringing along Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon to drive it.

"Obviously from a visual perspective it's incredibly different," Wheldon said. "It's very eye-catching."

The new car will have a completely new chassis and Dallara-designed outer shell, known as an aero kit, as well as a new engine. It will be the first new car for the series in almost a decade.

"IndyCar has so much momentum it's important to continue that," Wheldon said. "We've had the same car for a long time."
And Wheldon said the car should be a big hit with fans.

"They'll like the fact that we have a turbocharged engine," he said.

In fact, the car will have one of three different engines. That's a big change from the current car, which uses Honda engines exclusively. Starting in 2012 three manufacturers -- Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus -- will produce IndyCar engines.

One of those new engines was provided by Honda for Friday's test at Barber, prompting the need for closing the test session. Honda doesn't want photos of the engine or technical data derived from it made public.

"We're respecting their request to keep it under wraps," said Will Phillips, IndyCar's vice president for technology.

Friday's session at Barber was the second test for the new car, Phillips said. It went through a brief shakedown at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course before coming to Barber. And over the next month it'll be tested at all the different tracks that IndyCar races on -- mile-and-a-half ovals like Texas Motor Speedway, short tracks and road courses.

After that, manufacturers will be given cars to do their own testing with their engines. By 2012 teams will have to replace their current cars with the new cars, which will cost $385,800 each, engine not included.

That will require a substantial investment up front but in the long run it's intended to save teams money. The new car costs 40 percent less than the current one, Phillips said.

What happens to the current cars -- can they be used in another series or will they end up as museum pieces? -- is still undecided.
"We're working on that," Phillips said.

The new car also sports substantial safety improvements. Extra foam padding has been installed behind and underneath the driver, improvements that Phillips said would have prevented the type of injuries that Justin Wilson sustained in a crash this year.
It will also do away with the clutch pedal and move the shifting function to the wheel. And side pods enclosing the rear wheels will make crash-inducing, wheel-to-wheel contact during a race less likely.

But mostly it's intended to give the series a new look. It was actually supposed to give the series multiple new looks and get IndyCar away from being such a spec series with identical-looking cars.

Different aero kits for the car with different designs from each manufacturer were supposed to be introduced in 2012 along with the new engine and chassis.

But that change has been delayed a year in order to spread the cost out for teams. The 2012 car will only use the Dallara aero kit.

"It's proven to be very fast and very confidence inspiring," said Wheldon, who travels with the test team and may only drive in a couple more races this year. "I'm very much focused on this."

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/08/indycar_holds_test_session_for.html


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

INDYCAR vice president of technology Will Phillips said the Sept. 1 test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the most valuable yet in validating the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series chassis, which is the purpose of the initial INDYCAR program.

Test driver Dan Wheldon put almost 400 miles on the Dallara Automobili-built chassis, running clockwise on the Grand Am/former Formula One course that incorporates tight and sweeping corners along with Turns 2 and 1 and much of the frontstrecth of the oval.
"The test on the road course was good because we really wanted to get high mileage on the car, consistently get the car hot and keep it hot for a long period of time," Phillips said.

"There was really good loading on the car, a lot of full-throttle time, which gave us a lot of ability to get aero numbers off the car by running up the straight. We could run at various speeds, picked different aero levels out, so that was very helpful. The loading, the G forces on the car, were reasonably high so we got high temps and put enough load on the car so we can now crack check and test all the suspension prior to giving us the confidence we want going to any oval."

Wheldon was impressed with the car's consistency through the day, particularly the brake pedal that didn't "get soft" running that much mileage in one day.

The previous test was conducted at Barber Motorsports Park, and the interim days were constructive for Dallara to "finalize little bits and pieces of wiring and plumbing, to do some calibrations of sensors and that type of thing," according to Phillips.

Next up is three days on the Sebring International short course.

"It's a great place for finding out if any component is going to break because it's very bumpy, it's hard work on the car and it's hot. Even though it was almost 100 degrees while on the Indy road course, there were no issues with gearbox, water or oil temperatures, so all those systems are working very well. Sebring will continue to prove that and we'll vibration check the car and then we'll move on to a series of oval tests."

INDYCAR testing will continue through September, with the three engines manufacturers (Honda, Chevrolet, Lotus) commencing their testing in early October. Teams are schedule to take delivery of their first chassis in mid-December and team testing will start early in 2012.


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

In two days of testing the 2012 prototype chassis, Dan Wheldon drove almost the equivalent of an IZOD IndyCar Series race each day on the .875-mile Iowa Speedway oval.

It was time well spent, according to INDYCAR vice president of technology WIll Phillips, as the car went through a battery of short and long runs for the first time on an oval. Four road course tests preceded the time at Iowa Speedway, where the IZOD IndyCar Series will compete next June.

"I'm very pleased with how it went," said Phillips, who is overseeing the initial phase of the testing program. "We put in good mileage with no issues at all. We ran all sorts of aero configurations."

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will play host to the next oval test of the 2012 car next week. Engine manufacturers will commence with their own on-track testing program in earnest in early October, and teams are scheduled to take delivery of their first chassis in mid-December.

"The tests are very disciplined with everyone involved," said Wheldon, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion. "We have several different manufacturers here that are testing their products: Honda, Dallara, Xtrac and several more so this makes for lots of different components that we need to test during our runs.

"Because this is the first test on an oval, there are measurements that have to be done. Things have to be tested and looked at after each given run so it is always good to be doing stuff like this. This program is very rewarding. The people involved in it, Bryan Herta Autosport team, has done a phenomenal job. The car has really evolved from our first test.

"We have some great manufacturers with a common goal to not only impress the fans with a new car but also build excitement."

Wheldon, who will compete in the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, said though not all the in-car tools have been at his disposal yet all the drivers will appreciate the additions and safety features.

"INDYCAR has a great momentum right now. One thing I keep saying in the debriefs is that it is going to be difficult to improve significantly with the on-track product," he said. "The races this season have been phenomenal, whether it has been on a road course or an oval so that will be difficult to beat. But we are certainly working on that.

"This is a fresh look and it's more modern with a lot of great things about it. It has only two pedals in the car because of the hand clutch. It has a turbocharged engine. We are going to have multiple engine manufacturers involved, and with all of these changes comes a lot of excitement.

"I think when the team owners receive the 2012 car, they are going to know that Dallara has made every effort to improve on the current car. It's exciting from a safety aspect. There has been a lot of effort that has gone into that. This has been a great program to be involved with and I hope it gives me a leg up for next year."

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/50814-around-and-around/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Brembo has been named the exclusive supplier of brake systems for the IZOD IndyCar Series car, which debuts in 2012.

Brembo will initially deliver brake systems directly to Dallara Automobili, the manufacturer of the new chassis. Brembo's North American racing operation headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., will provide parts and support to the teams throughout the season. The agreement runs through 2015.

Brembo's design of the new brake system was based on the IZOD IndyCar Series' requirements for a reliable, strong yet lightweight system that yielded high performance at a competitive cost. The sanctioning body also wanted the same brake system to be used for both ovals and road/street courses.

Brembo engineered a six-piston, monobloc aluminum caliper machined from billet with titanium-radiated pistons. The system will be used on all four wheels of the new chassis. Brembo's six-piston caliper will increase stiffness and performance of the system without comprising weight requirements.

The new system will incorporate lightweight carbon-carbon discs -- similar to rotors used in Formula 1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans -- and carbon pads. These components will allow teams to run the entire season, optimizing the quantity of components needed.

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55...8-brembo-to-supply-carbon-brakes-for-new-car/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

The occasion was a three-day superspeedway validation session of the Dallara Automobili-built chassis before engine manufacturers begin their testing in earnest Oct. 4-5 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with drivers Scott Dixon (Honda) and Will Power (Chevrolet) in their own chassis. Teams are scheduled to take delivery of their first chassis in mid-December and commence testing after the first of the year.

"We have to manage our expectations," Wheldon said. "I know everybody wants to see huge speeds, but it's about doing what's right for the car. This is our final test and it's important that we learn enough so when the customers get their cars we feel we've given them something they'll be very happy with."

Overall, the six weeks of on-track validation with the prototype chassis, working through issues and modifying appendages, has been fruitful and will be beneficial in the long term. INDYCAR vice president of technology Will Phillips said that the sanctioning body next will work with the manufacturers during their test period of the 2.2-liter, V-6, turbocharged engines.

"We've gone through all the different types of circuits but one (1.5-mile oval, which will be addressed during the manufacturer test phase) and validated the aero configuration against the speed that we intend to have for next year," Phillips said. "It's really been a good collaboration from Bryan Herta Autosport, from Dan and his previous experience and from Dallara."

Aerodynamic and mechanical information has been collected into a Dallara "megabook" - a spreadsheet - that will be delivered with base information to teams. Dallara Automobili has begunn assembling chassis at a temporary facility in Speedway, Ind., until their North American headquarters across the street is completed by the end of the year.

"It's been very good to be part of the process - to learn about the car, to be at the track and help in the initial testing and development of the car," team co-owner Bryan Herta said. "Some things take a bit getting used to, but I would say this car represents an improvement in almost every area and that's what we've been doing. It's lighter, safer, faster and we've worked to validate the mechanical reliability of the car and making sure the way Dallara has designed and engineered the car to perform that the wind tunnel numbers are matching up on track."

The program on the 2.5-mile oval also includes a Firestone tire test. Next week, Wheldon will return with three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and Graham Rahal for tire testing in the current Honda-powered Dallara "to get a good back-to-back comparison," according to Firestone Racing senior project engineer Dale Harrigle.

The 2012 car is lighter and its oval and road/street aero packages will produce different tendencies than the current chassis. Tire testing on ovals and road courses will be built into the manufacturer test period through mid-December.

"We're doing our due diligence to make sure we don't have any issues," Harrigle said. "We've been working with Dallara and with INDYCAR to confirm the changes to the car, but still nothing beats track testing to make sure we're in good shape for next year's Indy 500."

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55...834-indy-test-will-complete-validation-phase/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Spectators, INDYCAR director of engine development Trevor Knowles predicts, will be able to distinguish which manufacturer "is coming by just by the sound of the engine" during the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

He's among the few to have heard on the dynamometer the developmental 2.2-liter, turbocharged V-6s of Honda and Chevrolet that will power the new Dallara Automobili-built chassis, and will be able to decipher more during the 10-week manufacturer development program that commences Oct. 3-4 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Chevrolet (Will Power driving) and Honda (Scott Dixon). Lotus is expected to join the process soon.

"Even though the engine configuration - V-6, same capacity, same engine speeds - (is the same), the three engines are quite different designs," Knowles said. "I'm not sure how much of that sound difference is single turbo and the other a double turbo or how much is just inherent to the engine design and the variations of the exhaust systems."

INDYCAR and Dallara, in conjunction with Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Dan Wheldon, completed seven weeks of on-track validation of the prototype chassis Sept. 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It also zipped around the .875-mile Iowa Speedway, Barber Motorsports Park, Sebring International and Mid-Ohio, though speed records weren't the goal.

"The purpose of this test is to prove the chassis performs as it was predicted by the simulations and Dallara carried out in design and constructing it, and for that reason we don't need to be going 230 mph," Knowles said.

Honda, the sole engine supplier to the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2006, provided an early development 2.2-liter, turbocharged V-6 for use in the chassis validation program.

"On the dyno back at HPD we've made significant progress with the engine compared to where we are here," Honda Performance Development technical director Roger Griffiths said. "What we've fundamentally concentrated on here is providing INDYCAR and Dallara with a reliable and stable package. We've not been doing any engine development work at the track. We're not running the ECU that is the series spec. That will come when we do our own testing. That's when the development program will accelerate rapidly."

That testing period covers a variety of speedways and road courses. GM Racnig director Mark Kent said he's eager to hear the engine on the racetrack.

"After months of testing the Chevy V-6 IndyCar engine on the engine dynamometer, it is very exciting to move on to the in-vehicle testing phase of the program," he said. "The Chevrolet test team, consisting of representatives from all of our Chevrolet IndyCar teams, Ilmor Engineering and Chevrolet, has worked tirelessly during the past few weeks installing the Chevy V-6 IndyCar engine in the new chassis and preparing the car for the Mid-Ohio test. We're looking forward to the first official vehicle test."

INDYCAR has established parameters of 550 horsepower for ovals and 700 horsepower for road/street courses. The speedway number is derived from less drag on the 2012 car compared to current Dallara chassis that's been in use since 2003, while the road/street circuit high end is for acceleration out of corners.

"We know how fast we're able to go and so with that and the drag we know what power we need to get there," said Knowles, who will work with the manufacturers during the development period through mid-December.

From design to dyno is one phase, with the "real work" done at the track, according the Griffiths. With an early January delivery date to teams for their own testing programs, going back to the drawing board isn't an option.

"It focuses your attention," Griffiths said. "We have a mind-set of the production element of this engine because we can't wait until the week prior to the first race and say, 'OK, now we have our spec, let's go make stuff.' We have a plan. We have to get our development done early enough that we can press the buttons and make the orders and supply engines for the teams.

"The engines that the teams will be getting in January will be late-stage development engines, but they still won't be the final spec. We have to homologate the engine 30 days before the first race so we'll need to meet that time frame, and that's when we're committing to our Race 1 spec.

"During the course of the season there are a number of open development items on the engine that will allow us to continually evolve the engine through the course of the season. It's not we're going to put our feet up and stop working 30 days prior to the first race."

Honda, which committed to the 2012 car project early on, has advocated manufacturer competition since it joined the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2003. The 2012 engine specs were announced in June 2010.

"We're all engineers and get excited by this kind of stuff," Griffiths said. "We didn't come to work for HPD to build spec engines; we came to go racing. We all want to go race in competition and see what we can do. We love the challenges; we love the fun and fight. There will be high periods and low periods, and it's the combination of both that keeps driving you on."

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55...eet-notes-the-sound-of-and-39-12-competition/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Driving the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series car the previous seven weeks of validation testing, in which the sightlines are broader because of driver positioning and chassis architecture, gave the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion a keen perspective.

"Safety is something we've worked hard to make a lot better, which includes the driver's seat and padding underneath and behind them," said INDYCAR vice president of technology Will Phillips, who oversaw phase 1 of the test program. "We'll learn more as we start to fit more drivers into the car and we'll get more feedback as new drivers start the manufacturer phase."

That 10-week block began in earnest Oct. 4 as Honda (Scott Dixon driving) and Chevrolet (Will Power) transitioned from testing the 2.2-liter, turbocharged V-6 engines from the dynamometer to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in their own Dallara Automobili-built chassis. A second two-day test is scheduled for the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway following the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships Presented by Honda on Oct. 16.

"It's a lot lighter, it's more nimble and to me, it's more up to date," Dixon said after the first day.

In the meantime, data gathered during the chassis tests at three road courses and two ovals will be digested and assimilated in the first production order scheduled to be delivered to IZOD IndyCar Series teams in mid-December. They'll start testing with associated manufacturers after the first of the year as the series will have engine manufacturer competition for the first time since 2005. The season opener is March 25 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Phillips, 2012 car project manager Tony Cotman and INDYCAR director of engine development Trevor Knowles watched Wheldon ease the new car off of the Mid-Ohio pit lane Aug. 8 during its maiden on-track activity. They would have liked seven months instead of seven weeks for the homologation.

"Quickly the collaboration between INDYCAR, Dallara, the test team, Bryan Herta Autosport, and Dan was established and has done a really good job," Phillips said. "He's focused on what's been needed from him to provide the feedback to Dallara and be consistent and concise. You couldn't have asked for more in that respect.
"Have we achieved every single goal? Most of them. Have we achieved the speeds at each track that we wanted to? No, simply because it's so early in the development of the engine program and the car itself. Are the indications good on what we've done? Yes. We're happy that the car has the potential to meet and or exceed the expectations that we will have. Do we expect lap times to be quicker on the road and street circuits? Yes. On the short ovals? Yes. Indy is the hardest one to predict where it's going to be, but we were very pleased with the test there."

Three days were dedicated on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - a capricious 2.5 miles of asphalt that has tested man and machine for more than 100 years - last week.

"Our first goal was to go out and get the car flat and make sure the car was capable of doing that," Phillips said. "Once we did that, we started to trim the car a little bit and then went up and down various aero levels to give us more than one data point. We didn't try to do anything to make us go faster than we were. We were running around 211 mph as the average and were looking at our top speeds were and what our deltas were between top speed and corners and comparing that to the current car.***8232; "So it wasn't out there to set a particular time; Honda is six months away from their race engine."
Weather, production schedules and track availability during the validation period conspired to erase a few items that were on the checklist.

"Some of the instrumentation we'll be using to monitor boost and engine functions we still have a test program that we'll work with the manufacturers in Phase 2 of the testing to run those and collect the data so we'll know we have the resources in place to effectively monitor and control what we need to do as the series," Phillips said.
Also included in the Speedway program was the placement and functionality of four HD camera mounts on the car for 2012 - the rotation camera on top of the roll hoop, one on the right rear wing endplate, another on the right intake duct looking through the suspension and another in a rearview mirror looking back at the driver.

"If one car is using the camera, every other car will be running a dummy camera," Phillips noted. "We needed to check that there were no vibration issues, safety issues."

Overall, Phillips said he's pleased with the program, which is on schedule as laid out in July 2010, though there are many long days ahead.

"The process I think we went about it the right way, working with Dallara very closely in trying to make sure we ran through all the different aero configurations that potentially we're going to race and the boost levels that are required to set those aero levels at each of the circuits," he said. "As we're aware, we didn't run at a one-and-a-half-mile oval and that's just a variance of the test program and track availability. We'll go back with the manufacturers as they go there post-Vegas for example. We have the basis to go forward and start filling in the holes we have.

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/50864-on-to-phase-2-for-2012/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, and GM Racing Director Mark Kent joined principals of the three aligned teams in providing an update about the engine program at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"It's exciting because racing has been part of our heritage and history," said Campbell, who was flanked by Team Penske, Andretti Autosport and Panther Racing representatives. "In our recent open-wheel racing history we have had a lot of success. We have looked at the engine rules laid out by INDYCAR and they align well with our production side, including biofuel and turbo-charged engines.

"What we learn on the engine development side in racing will help make our production engines better."

Chevrolet and Honda on-track development/testing commenced last week at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and will continue next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevy, and Scott Dixon, Honda, driving) and through mid-December when IZOD IndyCar Series teams receive their first new chassis from Dallara Automobili. Teams will begin testing after the first of the year, and the 2012 season opener is March 25 at St. Petersburg, Fla.

INDYCAR validation of the next-generation car was completed two weeks ago at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The new engine will be a 2.2-liter, turbocharged, direct-injection V-6 fueled by E85. INDYCAR will be able to adjust the boost level to provide appropriate horsepower to the wide variety of racetracks on which the IZOD IndyCar Series races. Chevy's engine is a twin-turbo supplied by BorgWarner.

"Chevrolet and its technical partners have met all of the development targets for the new powerplant," Kent said. "In our last media briefing before the Indianapolis 500, I said that the new Chevy IndyCar V-6 would be up and running in June. I'm pleased to report that the engine fired up for the first time on June 16, and dyno testing began immediately.

"Since then we have focused on power development and durability testing to achieve the series' goal of 2,000 miles between rebuilds."
GM Racing is using a cooperative team strategy to accelerate development of the engine.

"The test team is made up of individuals from each of our key partner teams, and we are operating as Team Chevy," Kent said.

It also is creating the infrastructure to support its IndyCar effort.
"Many of the components of the Chevy IndyCar V-6 require long lead times to manufacture, and these parts are now in production," Kent said. "Our technical partner, Ilmor Engineering in Plymouth, Mich., has plans in place to distribute and maintain Chevrolet engines for our IndyCar teams."

Power, who will contend for the IZOD IndyCar Series World Championship Trophy on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the season finale, said the power behind the new chassis was impressive during the two-day Mid-Ohio session.

"It was awesome driving out of pit lane for the first time and feeling the turbo engine," Power said. "The test went flawlessly, which shows you what kind of job Chevrolet and (partner) Ilmor Engineering have done. We will continually ramp it up and work on making the engine better.

"It will be a great year in 2012 having turbo engines back in the series."

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55...0898-chevy-update-running-on-all-6-cylinders/

http://www.speedtv.com//video/auto-racing/indycar-chevy-2012-car-test-teaser-1218969629001/1


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Las Vegas Oval Test


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Thanks Dan


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Indy Oval Test


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Indy Oval Test


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Lotus Engine


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Will Power made his IndyCar test return in the new Dallara DW12 chassis. He completed more than 100 laps in a private test at Barber Motorsports Park. Power was able to get an early gauge of the new Dallara chassis and said the test made him positive about the car and the forthcoming season.

"It [the new chassis] is definitely faster," he said. "Around this track it's really hooked up. It's got incredible grip.


----------



## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

It has better grip because it makes better use of ground effects due to the under floor's tunnels and greater area for the negative pressure to act upon.


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Penske Racing Shocks is excited to announce that the all new 2012 Indy Car will be on display in their booth at the upcoming SEMA Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from November 1-4, 2011.

A world leader in suspension technology, Penske Racing Shocks has been working side by side with Indy Car and Dallara on the development of the new chassis design for 2012, and has recently released a new shock line engineered specifically for the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Penske Racing Shocks and Indy Car couldn't think of a better way to show off this awesome vehicle up-close for all of its fans to see than to display it at the SEMA Show, the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world.

Penske Racing Shocks Director of Competition, Aaron Lambert, added, "Penske Racing Shocks is very excited to have the opportunity to display the 2012 Indy Car. Over the past 6 months we have worked alongside Indy Car and Dallara on the suspension components and have been pleased with the results. The Indy Car market has always been and will continue to be a key market for Penske Racing Shocks and is a test bed for technology that ultimately finds its way to Grassroots racers."

http://www.semadigital.com/netpub/s...ing Shocks&product=PS-8780&showname=SEMA Show

http://www.penskeshocks.com/Sports_Car-Formula_Car.php


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Penkse first helped to develop J-Dampers or Cambridge inerters with McLaren F1 in 2003-2004 and has since licensed the technology from Cambridge to bring it to other forms of racing.

In recent years Penske has become the preferred shock for the majority of the Indy Car paddock. The new damper has been designed specifically with the new 2012 Indy Car in-mind. All of the technologies incorporated in this new damper have been recently raced in F1 according to its makers. It utilises the current 45mm bore size, so current Penske 45mm pistons and builds will carry over. The design will allow conversion from a mono-tube (8780-M), to thru rod (8780-T), to hybrid inerter (8780-H), without a complete new shock needed for each because the core components of the shock are interchangeable.

The damper can also be outfitted with Penskes 3000 Series Active System which expedites rig and track development. The 3000 system allows teams to electronically develop curves, save them to a data base, and easily upload them with the push of a few keys.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/technology/indycar-2012-technology-part-2-suspension/


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

MCSL said:


> Penkse first helped to develop J-Dampers or Cambridge inerters with McLaren F1 in 2003-2004 and has since licensed the technology from Cambridge to bring it to other forms of racing.
> 
> In recent years Penske has become the preferred shock for the majority of the Indy Car paddock. The new damper has been designed specifically with the new 2012 Indy Car in-mind. All of the technologies incorporated in this new damper have been recently raced in F1 according to its makers. It utilises the current 45mm bore size, so current Penske 45mm pistons and builds will carry over. The design will allow conversion from a mono-tube (8780-M), to thru rod (8780-T), to hybrid inerter (8780-H), without a complete new shock needed for each because the core components of the shock are interchangeable.
> 
> ...


Incorporating the J damper (inerter) is very cool. I saw that article.

I'm waiting to see articles on the 3 new engines. Too bad the rules will not the turbo(s) to be mounted in the valley of the engine with reverse intake and exhaust valves like in the LMP1 LeMans and ALMS cars.


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Xtrac has been selected as the sole gearbox supplier to Dallara for the 2012 Indycar. For the new car the English firm has developed a new transmission dubbed the 1011. Engineer Adrew Heard reveal more about the new cars gearbox.

We are adding more tuneability, if there is such a word. Expect there to be a few more options that will allow the engineers to tune the transmission more with more options in set up. We are also incorporating into the design many of the features that have been added onto the design of the current gearbox since it was first introduced. Key things that have happened since 2003 is that a differential was added for road course racing and then a paddle shift system was added. Reverse was the most recent thing to be added. All these features have been designed in since the initiation of the project, which allows for nicer packaging with less add-ons.

We have designed it for slightly higher torque capacity. We are trying to keep the weight down but maintain the safety record as well in terms of such as tethers and lights on it. We have had a good track record there and we do not want to be moving backwards.

It is still a six speed plus reverse and the differential will be adjustable.

The main Megaline GCU is a carry over from the current car but there will be firmware/software updates. It will be communicating with a new ECU. The new cars will have drive by wire throttle, as opposed to a pneumatic blipper so the GCU needs to communicate differently. The valve block is similar in operation but we only need two valves instead of three because there is no throttle blipper. We are integrating the actuator into the casings rather than being a bolt on part.

Paddle shifters undoubtedly bring cost savings to the teams in terms of gearbox inventory. Taking the driver away from direct control of the gearshift is good. However good the drivers are, errors still used to be made and you got damage to the transmission. We have seen over revs of the engine go to zero. I understand that avoiding one over rev rebuild pays for the paddle shift system.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/technology/indycar-2012-technology-part-1-transmission/


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Chevy drivers from Andretti Autosport, KV Racing Technology, Panther Racing and Team Penske had the opportunity to get behind the wheel during the development program that began in early October at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Lotus is scheduled to join on-track testing Jan. 13. HVM Racing is expected to take delivery of the Lotus chassis before Christmas as the host team for the engine program, according to team manager Vince Kremer.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing, A.J. Foyt Racing, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing and Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing are aligned with Honda.

The three days of on-track experience before the holiday break was encouraging, according to Honda Performance Development technical director Roger Griffiths.

"It was our first opportunity to use the new McLaren electronics package we will all run in 2012, so a lot of very basic calibration runs and work with the basic engine and gearbox controls had to be completed,***8221; he said.

***8220;It's all about learning and systematically exploring the capabilities of the new software and the way it controls the engine. ***8220;It was a very encouraging start, but we know there still is much work to be done and we expect development to continue from now until the start of the season.

"Takuma Sato made his first runs in the car, and they were his first laps in a turbocharged race car. He exceeded all of our expectations, both his performance behind the wheel and technical feedback were excellent."

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/51043-manufacturers-encouraged-by-phase-i/


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Dallara officials said the company will absorb the costs associated with producing new suspension components for the DW12 in an effort to optimize the weight distribution of the new car, especially for superspeedways.

"As requested by INDYCAR, Dallara will design an alternative set of suspensions to move back 2 inches the front wheels and 1 inch the rear wheels," head of research and development Andrea Toso said.

"Both front and both rear suspensions will be available for the teams from the catalog and can be utilized in any combination front to rear at all the events. Teams will take delivery of their cars with the current set of suspensions and, should they decide to start the season with the alternative set, they can get free of charge replacement based on the return of the current set."

Also, wind tunnel testing will be conducted in early January -- comparing data from the 2011 Indianapolis 500 car of Target Chip Ganassi Racing and the new car - in an effort to resolve superspeedway aerodynamic drag issues exhibited in the chassis validation and engine manufacturer development.

Fifteen teams picked up their first chassis Dec. 15 at the new Dallara facility on Main Street in Speedway, Ind. The cost of the car (minus engine, wheels, driver's seat and steering wheel and battery) is $385,800. Dallara is expected to produce 60 chassis before the start of the season March 25 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. The next 15 will be ready for pick-up Jan. 15.

The universal chassis were shipped from Dallara Automobili's facility in Parma, Italy, to its temporary building in Speedway, Ind. -- across the street from its new technology center. Entrants not based in Indiana -- A.J. Foyt Racing, Team Penske, Michael Shank Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan -- will take delivery in the morning. Others will follow in the afternoon.

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/51042-an-early-christmas-present-for-teams/

http://www.facesofgm.com/2011/12/08/firing-up-an-engine-for-the-future/


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Dallara Aero

http://www.racetechmag.com/store/product.php?id=228

Lotus


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Dragon Racing is moving from Indianapolis to Marina del Rey, Calif.

Penske said the two-car team -- drivers Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge with backing from Lotus -- is moving into a custom-built 12,000-square-foot glass building that will showcase the IndyCar effort.

"It will be much easier to facilitate sponsorship and get people to come see your shop," Penske said. "Once they see this thing it's going to be pretty good."

Penske said the reorganized team is getting help from three West Coast teams: Pacific Coast Motorsports, Dan Gurney's All-American Racers and PPI Motorsports. Some aspects of the team will remain in Indianapolis, where the bulk of the sport operates.

Team sponsorships are still to be announced, but Microsoft and McAfee will be involved. Legge has ties to TrueCar.


----------



## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

Comments from Autosport about IndyCar future...

http://plus.autosport.com/premium/feature/4149/why-indycar-has-to-get-it-right-in-2012/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Test

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/51088-sebring-draws-a-crowd/

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/photos-sebring-indycar-test-january-2012/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

With the previous car, and I think I speak for a lot of the drivers, you ended up with chronic understeer and that was something that was just kind of standard, it was just one of the things you ended up dealing with. As much as this whole weight distribution has been brought up as an issue for ovals, in some respect it might be a bit of a benefit for street and road courses because it does allow the car to turn, maybe even too well. So that, from a handling perspective, was definitely different.

The other thing is the turbo engines; it***8217;s just kind of a different feeling. I didn***8217;t find it particularly difficult to get used to. It***8217;s not like we***8217;re going out there all of a sudden with 1000 horsepower, but there is a different style in throttle application through and out of corners. I think it***8217;s going to take some time to figure out how to get the most out of the car.

In the old car there had bit more low-end torque and not as much high-end horsepower so it was kind of linear in how you applied the throttle. So you got used to waiting to get to the point when you actually need the car to go and getting on the throttle. With this it***8217;s different because you have that little bit of lag, so you have to think ahead of time, ***8220;up there I want the car to be going so now I need to give it a little more gas now.***8221;

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/51098-post-test-qanda-with-hildebrand/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

KV Racing


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Full Scale Wind Tunnel Testing

http://www.windshearinc.com/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Test

"The car is fun as hell to drive," Ganassi's Graham Rahal told SPEED.com. "It's pretty wicked-it clearly has a lot of potential on road courses and has plenty of grip. For sure, the car will be quicker at Sebring. It's a tough, bumpy place. The car has a lot of room to improve, and the track conditions weren't ideal. Everyone is in the first stages of figuring the car out, so it's not like we all know the cars and what makes them tick. That's gonna take some time."

"The initial thing that stood out to me was how good the brakes are," he said of the system supplied by Brembo. "They have a serious amount of grip - by far the best braking system I've had on an Indy car. It took a few laps to get used to, but it was just a lot of fun once I got up to speed. In the mid-speed corners and up, the car also has a ton of downforce. That's something you also feel right away.

"We're close to the quickest I've ever gone in the old car already, and we haven't done much running, so that says a lot about how much is left to come, I think."

Like Rahal, Briscoe enjoyed what he found with Team Penske's DW12 in road course trim, and looks forward to developing the car's setup.

"It looks like the Honda guys were a little bit faster than us, but we got to get into some changes for the first time-[suspension] geometries, springs and bars, and other setup stuff-and overall, it was a lot of fun," he said. "It wasn't always easy to handle the power, either. The turbo's pretty strong. You'd heard a lot negative comments about that, but when the boost comes in on the slow corners, you're feeding in opposite lock and trying to hold onto the thing. It can catch you out if you aren't paying attention. It's challenging, and it's going to get faster and faster as we keep testing. Overall, I'd say we're on the right track."

EJ Viso sampled KV's DW12 for the first time at Sebring, and echoed the comments made by others drivers about being in the early stages of learning what the 2012 car needs to perform.

"There's a bit margin to be improved with the car for the teams, and the drivers also need more seat time, too," he said. "It's a different animal. The turbo makes a big difference when you're driving--the timing, and a lot of that will come down to the engineers to get the RPMs right to [match] the power delivery for the different tracks we'll be at. I think it's the same for everybody."

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-teams-complete-two-day-sebring-test


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Test

"It was pretty windy today, and the car was handling really well," Briscoe said. "There were a couple corners where I don't think I'd ever been as quick as I was today. It felt really good in a couple places, with the downforce up, and engine driving nicely."

"We never put on the street course tire; we were on a harder road course tire," he added. "The first impression was pretty nice, better than expected. For a first day test, we were right there with performance on the old car. That's a good barometer for the first day."

"The Chevy guys have done a good job at sorting the ramp up from the throttle pedal so there's almost no turbo lag," he added. "It kicks in more heavily out of the corner, all at once. It does catch up with you a little bit on full throttle."

Team Penske's Helio Castroneves joined the ranks of the left-foot brakers to accommodate the pedal arrangement of the new Dallara DW12 IndyCar during this week's two-day test session at Sebring.

Accustomed to right-foot braking his entire career, the Brazilian has changed that because the new DW12 chassis has two pedals instead of three (third for clutch). For 2012, the clutch joins the paddle shift system on the steering wheel.

http://www.racer.com/indycar-testing-priorities-intensify-on-sebring-day-one/article/223395/

http://www.racer.com/dw12-learning-development-continue-on-sebring-day-two/article/223715/

http://www.racer.com/castroneves-my-left-foot/article/223799/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Homestead Test

"I think at Mid-Ohio, for example, we're going to be braking a lot later than we were - we'll be able to exploit the extra power of the carbon brakes."

http://www.racer.com/q-a-alex-tagliani-on-lotus-indycar-test/article/225049/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

At age 39, Rubens Barrichello isn't quite ready to be a motorsports spectator.

The Brazilian F1 veteran will embark on an exploratory IZOD IndyCar Series test Jan. 30-31 with KV Racing Technology at Sebring International Raceway, team officials confirmed Jan. 27.

Barrichello, who has 332 career starts in F1 (11 wins, 68 podiums and 14 pole positions), suggested on Twitter last week that he wants to continue competing. Last week, he was replaced by Bruno Senna as Williams F1 second driver for 2012 alongside Pastor Maldonado.
"When I said that things were open (it) is because I still have lots of speed on me," he wrote. "Just like an old friend said: racing is in my blood."

He'll be at Sebring with old friend and fellow Brazilian Tony Kanaan, who will compete for the second consecutive year with KV Racing Technology (this season in the No. 11 car). Kanaan was on the Sebring short course last week for further development of the team's Chevrolet-powered Dallara DW12 chassis.

"As we can't keep the secret anymore, Rubens Barrichello will be testing for us. Very proud he can help KV Racing and myself with his feedback," Kanaan wrote on Twitter.

Oriol Servia (in the Lotus development car), Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport), JR Hildebrand (National Guard Panther Racing), and the Team Penske trio of Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves and Will Power also will be on the track Jan. 30.

Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing), Mike Conway (A.J. Foyt Racing), Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing), Graham Rahal (Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing) and Charlie Kimball (Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing) join them Jan. 31.

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/51114-surprise-test-guest/


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Test


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Rubens Barrichello donned a headset as fellow Brazilian and longtime friend Tony Kanaan zipped around the Sebring International Raceway short course at 9:45 a.m. in the No. 11 KV Racing Technology car.

"Sounds impressive," the driver with 332 career Formula One starts said of the Chevrolet 2.2-liter, dual turbocharged V-6 engine. "Sounds like he's having fun."

Soon it would be Barrichello's turn in the new Dallara DW12 chassis.
"I just hope I don't break anything for Jimmy (team co-owner Vasser)," joked Barrichello, 39, before getting accustomed to the car and bumpy circuit for two days of testing in the No. 5 companion to Kanaan's car.

He didn't during almost six hours of track time and 94 laps (150 miles). He exited the car with a large grin and promptly gave Vasser and Kanaan high-fives.

"I feel like a kid," Barrichello said. "I had a really good and productive day with all the set-up options we tried. You could call me a rookie, even though I have 33 years on this job. In the morning I was getting used to the car and not doing anything silly because obviously you don't want to put it in the wall. It's a different machine from what I'm used to, but it had a good feeling."

What began as a pick-me-up message from Kanaan two weeks ago -- after Barrichello learned that he was being replaced at Williams F1 by Bruno Senna -- has developed into serious consideration about him joining the IZOD IndyCar Series for the 2012 season that kicks off March 25 with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

"If you go purely from joy, it wouldn't be a problem," Barrichello said. "I have still so much passion for the speed and I'm quite young in my mind and I believe I'm getting better and better. Right now, I'm truly happy and I like what I saw. I've been a fan of the Indy series for a long time. It's a great atmosphere and great racing.

"I just need to see what comes up. I need to talk to my family, I need to talk to Jimmy. I like it."

Kanaan, who was joined at dinner Jan. 29 with Barrichello by Helio Castroneves, Will Power and Oriol Servia ("he noticed the atmosphere; how we all get along"), was happy to have Barrichello accept the invitation to join him at Sebring.

"Over the winter we talked about it, but it became serious when I was testing (at Sebring) and they announced that he wouldn't be will Williams and I tweeted a picture of my car saying 'It's ready for you,' " said Kanaan, who is godfather to one of Barrichello's sons and vice versa with his son, Leonardo. "Then I called him up and said, 'Hey, you want to come test at the end of the month?' And he said yes, so I called Jimmy (Vasser).

"It's great to have a guy I can call brother with us. His knowledge and experience helped confirm some ideas that we had for this test, so it was very productive having Rubens around. (His future) is in his hands. Right now, it's just an invitation for him to help us out as far as his feedback. What goes beyond that, it's up to him.

"Knowing Rubens, his timeline will be pretty short. By the time he gets out of the car (Jan. 31), he'll have a pretty good idea what he wants to do. Right now, we don't have anyone signed for the other two cars. You can tell by his face he's having a lot of fun."

Vasser said the door is open.

"This was Rubens' first time in an IndyCar and I think he enjoyed himself," he said. "Certainly, we had a lot of fun working with him. Most importantly, if he is going to have this kind of affect on Tony we are going to have to figure out a way to keep him around."

Barrichello, who has recorded 11 wins, 68 podiums and 14 pole positions in F1, was joined at the facility by his family. They were greeted by INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard.

"If Rubens joins the IZOD IndyCar Series, it continues to strengthen the caliber of drivers that we're attracting," Bernard said. "His record alone is the type of excitement that we want to build within the series and give our fanbase. When you at the history of Indy car and the greats such as Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi, it only helped the stature of Indy car. If there is a transition, I want him to know that we're here to help him."

Servia (in the Lotus development car), Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport), JR Hildebrand (National Guard Panther Racing), and the Team Penske trio of Ryan Briscoe, Castroneves and Power also were on the track Jan. 30.

Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing), who co-drove the winning entry in the 50th anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 29, Mike Conway (A.J. Foyt Racing), Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing), Graham Rahal (Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing) and Charlie Kimball (Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing) join them Jan. 31.

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/51120-barrichello-evaluates-car-future/


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Test


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Test

Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay led all drivers, posting a low 52-second lap in his Chevrolet-powered Dallara DW12.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/arti...o-concludes-impressive-kv-racing-sebring-test

http://www.andrettiautosport.com/home.php


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Xtrac IndyCar Gearbox

The latest type '1011' transmission is a completely new gearbox for the 2012 Dallara DW12 chassis that offers a smaller, lighter and more efficient design fully integrated into the car's improved rear crash structure, which will make a major contribution to increased driver safety.

Xtrac and Dallara worked closely to ensure the design of the gearbox complemented the new car and is fully compatible with all three turbocharged engines supplied by Honda, GM and Lotus. Xtrac similarly consulted with IndyCar and all the race teams to understand what they wanted from a new transmission and has incorporated many of the features requested. A feature that everybody wanted to carry over from the previous transmission was the ultra-reliable and successful MegaLine assisted gearchange mechanism, which is further integrated into the new gearbox and now powers an auto clutch anti-stall system.

The ability to changeover very rapidly from one set of gears to another to provide different ratios for different circuits has also been carried over into the new design, and it is now possible to swap between ovals and street circuits without needing to touch the crown wheel and pinion. Moreover, increased differential adjustment allows teams to further fine tune the chassis from one course to another.

An initial batch of 75 gearboxes has been manufactured to ensure sufficient cars and spares for the start of the 2012 season. Extensive use of sophisticated computational analysis and rig based testing was essential to ensure the gearbox is fit for purpose, even prior to any major endurance track tests. The gearbox is assembled at Xtrac's expanded US facility, which is only 10 minutes from the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the company has been heavily involved in the winter test program for the new racecar to validate the new gearbox design and confirm its reliability.

http://3d-car-shows.com/2012/xtrac-heading-for-another-record-year/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Chip Ganassi Racing


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Lotus Teams
http://www.lotuscars.com/us/racing/indycar

Lotus Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 22 Oriol Servia
http://www.dreyerreinboldracing.com/

Lotus Team Barracuda - Bryan Herta Autosport
No. 98 Alex Tagliani
http://www.bryanhertaautosport.com/

Lotus HVM Racing
No. 78 Simona De Silvestro
http://www.hvmracing.com/

Lotus Dragon Racing	
No. 7 Sebastien Bourdais
No. 6 Katherine Legge
http://www.dragonracing.com/

Lotus V6 Twin-Turbo


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

2012 IndyCar Engine

Capacity - 2.2 liter maximum
Cylinders - Up to six, all of equal capacity
RPM - 12,000 as restricted by the Engine Control Unit
Horsepower - 550 to 700+ suited to type of circuit
Fuel - E85; fuel injection allowed
Oil - Only lubricating oil that is readily available to general public through retail methods
Boost pressure - 155KPa for road courses, 140KPa for short ovals and 130KPa for speedways. Two boost sensors will be fitted and monitored by INDYCAR
Minimum weight - 112.5kg (248 pounds) excluding items such as the clutch, ECU, fluids, turbo
Turbocharger - Single or twin featuring water-cooled bearing housing and titanium turbine wheel provided by BorgWarner
Mounting - Common mounting points on bulkhead and gearbox for all three manufacturers
Engine life - 1,850 miles. Each full-season entrant will receive five fresh engines per year
"Push to Pass" - Not to start season
KERS / Pop-off valve / Traction control -- No
Anti-stall - Yes

The weight of the new V6 (including turbo & wastegate) is similar to the 2011 Honda V8 (275 lb).

http://racing.honda.com/about/engine.aspx


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

2012 IndyCar Engine Architecture

Bank angle - V6 engines - between 60 and 90 degrees
Bore - 95mm diameter maximum
Engine length - 460mm, measured from mounting face to mounting face
Crankshaft height - 100mm above bottom of chassis (lowest point of sump)
One-piece crankshaft - homogenous with no additional non-ferrous inserts or bolt-on balance weights
Main bearing minimum dimension - 48mm diameter
Big end journal minimum dimension - 40mm diameter
Connecting rods - Homogenous, no welding or bonding
Piston pin - single piece only
Valve type - Reciprocating circular poppet, return force via coil spring only
Spark plug - One per cylinder otherwise free
Coatings - DLC coatings are not permitted on crankshafts, rods, camshafts, piston skirts or sleeves
Camshafts - Up to four overhead camshafts permitted (2 per bank)

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/photos-2012-indycar-chassis-and-engine-technical-shots/

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/51175-manufacturer-competition-engine-rules/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

IndyCar ECU

The new Dallara IndyCars will incorporate new anti-stall technology provided by McLaren Electronics and AP Racing, starting with this weekend's season opener in St. Petersburg.

Teams have tested the software, which automatically disengages the clutch to keep the engine running on the racetrack and pit lane, at Sebring and Barber Motorsports Park in the past two weeks. The clutch is on the steering wheel, in conjunction with the paddle shift system, with the new Dallara car. The hope is that the anti-stall technology will reduce the number of caution periods for cars that run off course or spin.

http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2012/March/3-21-antistall-software-ready-for-opener.aspx

http://mclarenelectronics.com/Products/Product/TAG-400i


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Rubens Barrichello Interview


----------



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Dallara DW12 Specs

Chassis 
Name: Dallara DW12
Length: 5012.3 mm/197.3 in
Width: 2011 mm/79.2 in
Height: 1127.9 mm/44.4 in
Track Width: 1940 mm/76.34 in maximum
Wheelbase: Between 2997.2 mm and 3073.4 mm/118 and 121 in, depending on use of original or weight distribution correction a-arms
Minimum Weight: 1565 lb
Weight Distribution: 43% front/57% rear (approx.)
Fuel Capacity: 18.5 gallons

Engine
Type: Single- or Twin-Turbocharged, four-cycle, four-valves-per-cylinder
Designations: Chevy IndyCar V6 (Chevrolet), HI12R (Honda), DC00 (Lotus)
Displacement: 2200cc/134.2 cubic in
Cylinders: 6 max.
Camshafts: 4 max.
Crankshaft: One-piece, no lower than 100 mm above the bottom of the chassis
Valves: 2 inlet, 2 exhaust (mechanically-operated, only. Variable valve timing not permitted)
RPM: 12,000 maximum
V Angle: 60° minimum, 90° maximum
Bore: 95 mm dia. maximum
Stroke: Unsupplied
Compression ratio: Unsupplied
Turbo Vendor: BorgWarner
Turbo Model Numbers: EFR9180 (single), EFR6758 (twin)
Turbo Weights: 8 to 8.71 kgs/17.6 to 19.2 lbs (single, depending on the turbine housing used), 4.91 to 5.1 kgs/10.8 to 11.2 lbs (twin, depending on the turbine housing used)
Turbo Boost: 22.47 psi
Wastegate: Maximum of two, electronic or pneumatic controlled, vendor chosen by each manufacturer
Ignition: Coil-based, vendor chosen by each manufacturer
Exhausts: As built and homologated by each manufacturer
Fuel injectors: Maximum of 2 per cylinder, vendor chosen by each manufacturer (Direct injection permitted)
Spark plugs: 1 per cylinder, vendor chosen by each manufacturer
Weight: 112.5 kgs/248 lbs
Length: 460 mm/18.1 in
Banned Engine Materials: Alloys containing more than 3 percent/weight beryllium, iridium or rhenium, metal matrix composites, magnesium-based alloys, inter-metallic materials
Horsepower: 550 to 700+
Torque: 300 lb-ft (approx.)
Push-to-Pass: Not permitted. Future use of 100 hp (road/street course) and 50 hp (oval) boosts possible
Fuel pump: Supplied by Dallara
Fuel pressure: Maximum 300 bar
Fuel: E85 Ethanol
Fuel Mileage: 3 mpg approx.

Clutch
Type: Three-plate carbon with steel housing
Vendor: AP Racing
Model Number: CP8153-DE03

Transmission
Type: Sequential
Manufacturer: Xtrac
Model Number: 1011
Number of Gears: 6
Shifting Actuation: Paddle
Shifting Actuation System Vendor: MegaLine


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Suspension
Type (Front): Double A-Arm, pushrod, with third spring and anti-roll bar
Type: (Rear): Double A-Arm, pushrod, with third spring and anti-roll bar
Damper Vendors: Unrestricted, use of inerters within the damper housing permitted

Aerodynamics
Type: Ground effects underbody used in conjunction with front and rear wings
Front Wing Assembly: Fixed main element with second and third adjustable elements per side
Front Second (middle) Element Range: -10° to +32°
Front Third (top) Element Range: Three pre-set positions of 6.5°, 9.0° or 11.5°
Rear Wing Assembly: Fixed main element with single adjustable upper element
Rear Upper Element Range: 10° to 46°
Wickers: 1 in maximum height
Downforce: 4600 pounds at 200 mph (road course)
Drag: 1500 pounds at 200 mph (road course)
Downforce-to-Drag Ratio: 3.07 (aero efficiency)
Strakes: One per tunnel

Brakes
Type: Carbon discs and pads with monobloc aluminum calipers
Supplier: Brembo
Front/Rear Calipers: Six-piston design, with 28/30/36mm pistons
Caliper Weight: 2.08 kg/4.58 lbs each
Front/Rear Brake Disc Dimensions: 328 mm dia./12.9 in dia., 30 mm thickness/1.18 in thickness (minimum thickness: 19 mm/.75 in)
Carbon Brake Pad Thickness: 24 mm/.94 in
Carbon Pad Weight: 270 g/.59 lbs each
Maximum Disc Operating Temperature: 900 C/1652 F

Electronics
ECU Vendor: McLaren
ECU Model Number: 400i
Dash, Data Logging System and Chassis Wiring Loom Vendor: Cosworth Electronics
Engine Loom: Vendor chosen by each manufacturer
Drive-by-Wire System: Vendor chosen by each manufacturer
Hand Clutch Vendor: AP Racing

Wheels
Type: Single lug
Vendors: BBS, OZ, Avus
Front Dimensions: 10 in wide x 15 in diameter
Rear Dimensions: 14 in wide x 15 in diameter
Wheel Nut Torque: 430 lbs

Tires
Type: Slick
Supplier: Firestone
Front Tire Dimensions: 10.0/25.8R15 (Road and street course)
Front Tire Weight: 18 lbs
Rear Dimensions: 14.5/28.0R15 (Road and street course)
Rear Tire weight: 23 lbs
Tire Allotment: 9 sets per weekend, 5 sets primaries, 3 sets alternates, 1 set used primary

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-dallara-dw12-specifications/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

IndyCar Fuel

Sunoco E85-R is an unleaded racing fuel containing 85 volume % ethanol. It can only be used in fuel systems designed specifically for E85 blends. Because it is highly oxygenated and requires increased fuel flow compared to conventional non-oxygenated fuels, consult with your fuel injection system or carburetor supplier for correct air/fuel ratio calibrations.

Sunoco E85-R is blended to consistently contain 85% ethanol. Conventional E85 can vary from 68% to 79% ethanol or so but rarely contains 85% ethanol. Conventional E85 can also vary seasonally; the composition of Sunoco E85-R race fuel does not change. The non-ethanol portion of Sunoco E85-R is comprised of highly-refined race fuel hydrocarbons for stability and consistency. Sunoco E85-R is the racer's fuel of choice where E85 fuels are allowed.

Sunoco E85-R does not contain metallic additives and will not harm oxygen sensors. It should be stored in dark, tightly sealed containers where the temperature is stable. Handled under such conditions, shelf life is in excess of 1 year. Check with your fuel system and fuel container manufacturers for compatibility with ethanol and E85 blends.

http://www.racegas.com/fuel/compare

http://www.coalitionfore85.org/why-e85/

http://www.e85fuel.com/

http://www.growthenergy.org/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

IndyCar App

http://sponsorship.verizonwireless.com/indycar/

http://www.racer.com/will-powers-blog-ready-to-go-racing/article/233117/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

St. Pete Qualifying

1. Will Power (Chevy) _ 1:01.372

http://www.indycar.com/News/2012/March/3-24-IICS-qualifying.aspx

http://www.racer.com/power-briscoe-lock-out-penske-front-row-at-st-pete/article/233555/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

St. Pete Race

1. Helio Castroneves (Chevy)

http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2012/March/3-25-IICS-race-story.aspx

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-castroneves-and-chevy-capture-st-pete-victory/P2


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Penske driver - Will Power
"I had a car exactly how I wanted," he said. "It is the best car I've ever had in my career."

Penske driver - Helio Castroneves
"I feel great about Barber for several reasons. It's difficult to pass and it has high-speed corners that are really fun to drive. One critical change from St. Pete is the track asphalt at Barber; it tends to be very abrasive. So tire management will be extremely important. The front tires tend to go away really fast. And this is also a place where fuel mileage comes in."

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/in-the-cockpit-helio-castroneves-st-pete/

The Chevy twin-turbo engine helped its drivers to get a slight jump off the slow corners.


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Barber Qualifying

700hp IndyCar Dallara-Chevy _ 1:09.755 (record)

500hp Grand-Am DP Corvette _ 1:21.420

http://www.racer.com/castroneves-on-pole-from-bizarre-barber-session/article/234570/

http://www.grand-am.com/news/index.cfm?series=r&cid=51144


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Barber Race

1. Will Power (Chevy)

http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2012/April/4-1-Barber-Power-repeats-at-track

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-power-chevy-take-convincing-barber-win/P2


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

INDYCAR has converted a planned manufacturer test at Indy into an open test for teams on April 4th, with April 5th being held as a rain backup.

The open test will have a few restrictions, with teams limited to running one car, four sets of tires (three 2011-spec and one 2012-spec), and one set of the new "Cadillac" rear wheel guards. Rookies will not be permitted at the test.

Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud will test at the Texas oval on the 4th and 5th, and the Infineon Raceway test date for the four-car Ganassi team is scheduled for the 4th.

Chevrolet teams will test at Infineon on April 9th with the full roster of drivers from Andretti Autosport, KV Racing Technology and Team Penske expected to attend.

While the Infineon test takes place in Sonoma, Ed Carpenter Racing will conduct its first oval test at Fontana.


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Indy Test


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Race fans will be treated to a free INDYCAR test session at Infineon Raceway on Monday, April 9, when several teams from the IZOD IndyCar® Series head to Sonoma to test the all-new 2012 racecars.

Five teams are currently scheduled to attend the test, including:
•	Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, Will Power (Team Penske)
•	Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing)
•	Charlie Kimball and Graham Rahal (Chip Ganassi Racing)
•	Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport)
•	Rubens Barrichello, Tony Kanaan, EJ Viso (KV Racing Technology)

Race fans are invited to watch the test session and enjoy the open paddock. Plus, the first 100 fans to register at the Infineon Raceway display in the Wine Country Winner's Circle will receive a FREE guided Pit Tour. Fans are also invited to attend a press conference with the drivers during the lunch break. The Raceway Café will also be open from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. for breakfast and lunch.

http://www.infineonraceway.com/media/news/606433.html


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Ganassi Driver - Scott Dixon

***8220;In order to get the DW12 to do the things I want in medium- and slow-speed turns, I've had to make it very loose in the high-speed corners. That's where this car finds its speed, but it's quite a handful.

Dario prefers a solid rear end to his car, and he's very particular about handling.***8221;

http://www.racer.com/scott-dixons-b...nd-getting-a-handle-on-things/article/235618/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Infineon Test

Dario Franchitti (Honda) _ 1:17.1

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-franchitti-honda-top-sonoma-test/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Long Beach Lap Times

700hp IndyCar Dallara-Chevy _ 1:08.609

550hp ALMS LMP1 Honda ARX-03a _ 1:15.514

http://www.racer.com/briscoe-fastest-franchitti-gets-pole/article/236577/

http://www.alms.com/results/race?year[value][year]=2012&race=598


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