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Apr252011

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 05:07PM

April 27, 2011

What if? A vision for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar in 2014.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. After listening to Randy Bernard and thinking about the best possible scenario for IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500, I'd like to put forth a vision for the year 2014 that could very well redefine the sport as we know it and strongly position IndyCar racing for the next 20 years at the very least.

So for a moment let's think, what if?

Imagine the currently-approved "standard" 2012 Dallara chassis being used by only a few of the lesser teams by 2014, because as racing manufacturers got more involved with doing aero kits for the new chassis their packages became more and more sophisticated and all-encompassing, at which point IndyCar decided to remove the financial spending limit on the aero kits to allow for even more manufacturer participation and interest. And yes, the Delta Wing chassis would be allowed for those who wanted to use it.

This would go hand-in-hand with the fact that IndyCar would be welcoming seven engine manufacturers to the Speedway that May. Or should I say seven plus one as Honda, Lotus, Chevrolet, and Hyundai (using Twin-Turbo Direct-Injected V6 engines) would be joined by Ford, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz (using Turbocharged Direct-Injected 4-cylinder engines). And then there will be a wild card entry as specially-prepared OPOC racing engines from EcoMotors will make their debut. One team has decided to show up at The Speedway with a lower and more compact chassis designed and built around the OPOC's inherent advantages of compact dimensions and big power, and IndyCar has allowed them to do so. Hmmm... I wonder who that team might be, perhaps one seeking an "unfair" advantage?

And participants will not only have a choice between three tire manufacturers - Bridgestone/Firestone, Michelin and Pirelli - but the wheel/tire package would be modified to allow 13" front wheels, down from the 15" wheels that have been used for decades. That is if you aren't running a Delta Wing car. For those choosing to run a Delta Wing car perhaps only one of these tire manufacturers would be supplying tires, but you get the point.

This "what if" scenario is fun to consider and would be very interesting indeed, but if we get back to reality I envision Indycar needing four key things going forward if it is to survive and thrive:

1. Manufacturer Diversity. That means multiple engine, chassis, and tire manufacturers. More is better, and anything IndyCar can do to get away from being a spec racing series the better off they'll be in the long run.

2. Technical Diversity. (See point No. 1 above.) IndyCar must embrace different technolgoies, whether they be chassis (Delta Wing), engines (OPOC), or tires (a change in the wheel/tire package dimensions). It is absolutely essential that the series and The Speedway become a technological hotbed again.

3. Global Sponsorships. If IndyCar can make the Indianapolis 500 the technical focal point again and the series truly embraces manufacturer diversity, I believe global sponsor interest will grow exponentially. The Indianapolis 500 still is and should be the single most important and prestigious motor race in the world to win. If IndyCar and the Speedway can work toward that goal, the global sponsors will line-up in droves.

4. Renewed Fan Interest. Add the previous three elements together and you instantly have a much more appealing and compelling package for the racing fan. True racing fans lament the "spec series" era and anything IndyCar can do to change that perception the better off we'll all be. People want different looking cars and different sounding engines, especially in major league open-wheel racing. IndyCar should embrace radical change and the vive le difference of it all whenever they can.

If Randy Bernard embraces this scenario I believe we will see a new day for Indycar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500, and open-wheel racing in America.

And IndyCar will be the racing series to watch for the rest of this decade and well into the next.

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, 1963. Dan Gurney prepares to go out for a test run in the first "Lotus Powered by Ford" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gurney was instrumental in bringing Ford and Colin Chapman together for the historic Anglo-American quest to win the Indianapolis 500.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.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.