Motorsports Commentary - Observations On The 'New' IndyCar
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Austin, Mar. 25, 2012: I have finished watching IndyCar at St. Pete, and some thoughts 'popped' into my head, so I figured I'd pass them on for your consideration.
First and foremost, after watching the nextgen Dallara trundle around for a hundred laps, even with the livery wraps on, the new car is aesthetically dreadful. The bolbous rear kick-ups, combined with the car's semi-enclosed wheel caps, remind me of some designer's acid-driven downer, undoubtedly triggered by Brian Barnhardt droning on about his fears about rear-wheel contact, while wistfully considering the transformation of IndyCar's bare cupboard into a healthy and NASCAR-like revenue stream.
It might be remembered that both Lola and Swift produced proper 'open-wheel' designs during last year's ICONIC design period, which by the way, is spelled o-p-e-n w-h-e-e-l. But, rather than simply being sucked into Barnhardt's 'safety' vortex based on wishes where driver's were to be outfitted like padded Michelin persons (have to be gender-neutral after all), so that IndyCar's dainty driver-celebrities wouldn't scrape their knees, or big wide cars, with big fenders and parachute-sized rear wings making so much drag that they would produce all of 100 mph in a straight line, both Lola and Swift paid appropriate attention to driver safety, but at the same time actually intended to deliver race car designs that were true to the nature of IndyCar's history and culture; meaning the efficient performance of multiple risk-managed competitive tasks while working at very high speed.
Of course the economic deck was stacked against them, since Dallara always had the inside business track given the Italian manufacturer's sole chassis contract and fifteen years supporting cookie-cutter racing (one chassis, one engine, no waiting). So, after the company 'cleverly' decided that it wanted to continue to eat at the Speedway trough (ya' duh), what we've ended up with is a car that is 'safe' ala Barnhardt while, at the same time, being representitive of some kind of Fellini-like, cross-dressing NASCAINDYCAR half-stocker/semi open-wheel car, that is comparitively cheap to build, sell and buy.
Unfortunately, when it comes to race car design form tends to follow function, or more colloqually put in aviation terms, 'if an airplane looks good, it'll fly good.' However, the Dallara does NOT look good, and in time I expect that interest in the car's oddness will ultimately prove the inverse of the axiom, along with dimming further competitve interest in the premise of US open-wheel racing over time. Because a car that does not offer 'open wheels', while at the same time failing to embrace the increased level of risk thereof, will not provide what people want to see (and more importantly pay for).
On the other hand, St. Pete did create a new kind of motorsports attraction called NASCAINDYCAR racing instead, since it only took about a lap and a half for drivers to try out the semi-enclosed rear-wheel configuration, and begin to bang into each other like NASCAR stockers. After all, helmeted boys and girls will always be boys and girls, when taking a position for money is at stake. So, I hope all of the 'lay engineers', 'safety experts', and bureaucrats in the timing stand, and home in Indy, are going to be happy now that we've proved that physically leaning on a competitor at the apex is possible in IndyCar 'semi open-wheel' racing, and much easier to pass than in the past, given all of the extra crushable area in the bloated side pods, supported by near total enclosure of the rear wheel structure. Of course, this awareness will only get 'better' once the series moves to short ovals where pack racing will return.
On a positive note, I will say that, however, I found the new engine note pleasing, if not nostalgic. The new turbo powerplants produce an appropriate dB level at speed, and the tone actually sounds like the 'old' IndyCar engine, as opposed to the flatulant, geese farts on a foggy day resonance produced by the last generation. So, props to the makers, because if nothing else the engines at least 'sound' good, even though the cars aren't going to be near as fast, nimble, and dare I say, scary as they used to be. Of course the series will be able to offer enhanced event perks in compensation, like team cleaning based on who can polish pit equipment fastest, who can get out and back from the Porta-San fastest, or who can drink hot coffee without burning one's tongue fastest, but the actual racing? Not so much. Nonetheless, figure it this way, you can always close your eyes and listen to the 'new' IndyCar, while conjuring up what real IndyCar race cars used to look like, when IndyCar racing used to be about the business of real racing. Although it won't be much, it'll have to be enough I guess.