Indy Makes Safety Changes Decrease In Horsepower, Speed Shouldn’t Change Look Of Race

The Indy Racing League has reduced the horsepower, downforce and speed. Still, with the cars expected to reach close to 220 mph, who can tell the difference?

Designed for safety as well as affordability, the new IRL cars made their debut in January at Orlando. They’ll get their first extensive testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by rookie drivers through Monday, and by the veterans when the full Indy 500 practice begins Tuesday.

The first of four days of qualifications for the May 25 race will be next Saturday.

“Most people can’t see the difference. When you see the cars on the Speedway here, the average spectator is not going to see anything different,” IRL executive director Leo Mehl said Saturday.

“The human eye is not going to spot the difference between 235 mph and 215 mph. What’s important is the cars are close in speed at this competitive race. It’s not the top speed; it’s the relationship between them.”

The opening session of the rookie testing was delayed by rain.

At least nine drivers were expected to participate in the program, which gives rookies extra time on the track without the normal heavy traffic in the week leading up to the start of qualifications.

Former winner Arie Luyendyk set one- and four-lap records last year of 237.498 mph and 236.986 mph, but no one will come even close to those speeds this year because of the new chassis and engines.

“There were two basic theories in the changes for the cars,” Mehl said. “One was to reduce the speed, which we’ve done approximately 20 mph. Last year, cars qualified at 237, this year perhaps 217. … The other thing was to control the costs.”

The familiar Reynards, which won the Indy 500 the past two years; the Penskes, which won the race in five of the seven years before that; the Lolas, Galmers, Marches, other popular chassis in recent years, all are gone. The only chassis being used at Indianapolis now are the G-Force of England and the Dallara of Italy.

The only engines - non-turbocharged 4-liter V8s - are the Nissan Infiniti and the Oldsmobile Aurora.

“We have a fixed price on our car at $263,000 for this season,” Mehl said. “I think it is 50 percent of what it was. There will be inflation, so it’ll be up some next year, I’m sure.”

Safety also was a big concern, especially after the death last year of Scott Brayton, whose flat tire sent him into the concrete wall during practice.

“First of all, we cut the horsepower about 200,” Mehl said. “We changed the aerodynamics of the car so the downforce is not coming from the shape of the bottom, because we have flat bottoms. The downforce comes from the wings, and what that does, it makes it easy to adjust the handling of the car. … Every driver, rookie or veteran, has been complimentary of the handling of the cars.”

A big question, though, has been the stability of the cars because of the reduced downforce, which tends to keep them on the track. Without it, there has been a concern the drivers will have to lift off the throttle in order to make it through Indy’s narrow turns.

“I think the fast guys will qualify flat, full-throttle,” Mehl said. “But in the race, of course, they’re going to have to lift off. The only way you can make them lift off all the time is destroy the handling, and we’re not willing to do that.”

And the cars are stable the way they are, he said.

“You don’t see hardly any of them spinning,” Mehl said. “We’ve had some oil losses that have caused our spins, but basically, people don’t make mistakes with these cars. Everybody loves the handling.”