FUMES

November 17, 2010

Editor-in-Chief's Note (Posted 11/18, 10:30 a.m.) Detroit: Well, what a difference a week makes for major league open-wheel racing in America and the IndyCar Series. First it was GM and its Chevrolet brand returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar in 2012 with its Chevrolet-branded, Ilmor Engineering-designed, Direct Injected, Twin-Turbo V6. Now, as officially confirmed by my "Autoline" colleague John McElroy in an interview with Dany Bahar, president of Lotus (formerly of Red Bull and Ferrari) on a special webcast from the L.A. Auto Show yesterday afternoon, Lotus will not only do body kits for the new IndyCar package for 2012 (as previously confirmed), but they will also be bringing a Lotus-branded, Direct Injected, Twin-Turbo V6 to the series in 2012. The official announcement is coming today at 5:00 p. m. at the L.A. Auto Show and though the Lotus engine partner has not been confirmed everyone assumes it will be Cosworth Engineering, with Lotus already having an ongoing relationship with the famous engine firm in Formula 1. This just in, but this is huge news, ladies and gentlemen. IndyCar has gone from hanging by a thread with one engine manufacturer and no other prospects for growth beyond 2012, to arguably the hottest open-wheel series in motorsports. And spare me the angry emails all you F1 devotees out there because I know some of you think the racing world revolves around F1 and all of its sanitized and synchronized predictability, but now IndyCar has become the hotbed of manufacturer participation with the same production-based technology (Direct Injection, turbocharging, alternative fuels, etc.) that manufacturers are developing for their vehicles right now and in the immediate future. IndyCar now provides a forum and a marketing platform to these manufacturers because the relevance of the IndyCar racing engine formula to their production-based technologies is undeniable and obviously exceedingly attractive. So much so that I now firmly believe a fourth manufacturer will jump into the IndyCar series by 2012 or at the latest 2013. And I also firmly believe that we are about to see a renaissance in major league open-wheel racing in this country because of it. Who would of thunk it a month ago? Hell, who would of thunk it a week ago? It's simply extraordinary. All I can say now is that 2011 is going to seem like a very long season while we all wait for what's coming. - PMD

What's next for IndyCar?

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

(Posted 11/15, 10:00 a.m.) Detroit. In the aftermath of GM Racing's announcement last Friday morning that they would be teaming with Ilmor Engineering to bring a new Chevrolet-branded racing engine to IndyCar - and that Roger Penske and Team Penske will be the initial developers of the new power package - what's next for IndyCar? Is this the beginning of a renaissance of manufacturer participation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar racing?

Well, that's one question lingering over this story right now, but first things first. I got the part about Chip Ganassi wrong in my scoop last week and I do apologize for that. But Chip's next move should still prove to be very interesting. Will he throw his lot in with the new Chevrolet-Ilmor Direct-Injected Twin-Turbo V6 Indy engine since he already has a relationship with GM Racing beginning in 2011 through his NASCAR operation? Or will Ganassi - being the competitor he is and ever looking for that extra edge - re-up with Honda figuring that with the competitive threat looming from GM, Honda will step-up its game considerably? I don't have the answer for that - yet - but it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

Now about the possibility of additional manufacturers participating in IndyCar. One rumor that persists is that there will be some sort of Italian connection to IndyCar, with the new Fiat-Chrysler car company - which is hot to re-launch Alfa Romeo-branded products here in the U.S. once it gets fully integrated and positioned to prepare for its IPO - a very strong possibility to enter the fray. But over the weekend Sergio Marchionne, the Fiat-Chrysler CEO, made the jaw-dropping comment that before Fiat SpA moves forward with consolidating Chrysler Group LLC into one company that the Italian industrial giant may sell auto-parts division Magneti Marelli SpA and its stake in Ferrari, this according to a Bloomberg News report that just emerged today.

That news suggests to me that if Fiat-Chrysler gets involved in IndyCar that the announcement isn't imminent by any stretch of the imagination. And I would say it's highly unlikely that Chrysler would be on the valve covers of an Indy engine but rather Alfa Romeo would seem to be the most likely and logical scenario. But again, given how Marchionne has a lot of work to do and issues to solve in order to get Fiat-Chrysler's financial house in order, I think the idea of an IndyCar effort seems a ways off at this juncture.

Other names mentioned include Ford and possibly a run from the VW Group, whose brands include VW, Audi, Porsche, Bugatti and Bentley just to name a few. As for Ford, I can tell you that there's much discussion going on within Ford regarding the direction of their future racing programs, but that no decision is imminent on any front. And with the VW Group you just never know, as their resources are deep and their will to compete is legendary. I could easily see the VW Group make a move in IndyCar's direction given that they intend on increasing their share here in the U.S. market considerably by 2018. So much so that industry observers - including myself - are highly skeptical of their aggressive sales plans. But I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the VW Group decided that IndyCar was an excellent avenue for some brand image building.

Suffice to say - and forgive me if I'm repeating myself here - I view the move by GM back into IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500 as being great for the company, because it demonstrates a renewed competitiveness in the market and a desire to re-focus the Chevrolet brand for the American consumer public in the most positive light. It's also tremendously positive for the sport of open-wheel racing, which was so desperately in need of a shot in the arm in order to move forward.

I sincerely hope other manufacturers join in because the continued development of direct fuel injection, turbo-charging, alternative fuels and other technologies plays right into the technologies that these manufacturers are developing for our future production cars. If IndyCar can keep hammering that point home consistently and relentlessly, I believe we'll see at least one if not two additional manufacturers participating in IndyCar by 2014.

(A.J. Mast for Chevrolet)
Tom Stephens, GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Operations, Roger Penske and Helio Castroneves pose on the front straightaway at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the Chevrolet return-to-Indy announcement last Friday morning.

 

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1965. Jim Clark sitting in the No. 82 Lotus-Ford after qualifying second fastest for the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 160.729 mph. A.J. Foyt was on the pole with a four-lap average of 161.233 mph. Clark would win that year's "500" in dominant fashion, leading 190 of the 200 laps. Parnelli Jones finished second and Mario Andretti finished third. Foyt dropped out on lap 115 with gearbox issues.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out ford.artehouse.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

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