Champ Car Pilots To Get Extra Boost from Push-to-Pass System
INDIANAPOLIS (March 9, 2004) In an effort to make for more competition on the race track and to increase passing opportunities for the drivers, the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford and Cosworth Racing announced today that they have developed a push-to-passı mechanism for the Ford-Cosworth XFE racing engines in 2004. The innovation will give drivers a chance to increase their boost from 41.5 to 44 inches of mercury with the push of a button, a system that will give them an extra 50 horsepower per use. The drivers will have the ability to use the increased boost for a total of 60 seconds per race, a time that is equivalent to five applications on the average main straightaway of a Champ Car circuit. ³We wanted to put give our drivers more of an opportunity to make passes and compete for position and we think this will play a key role in that,² said Champ Car Technical Director Lee Dykstra. ³Champ Car Director of Electronics Kevin Vander Laan and others in our organization have worked very hard to develop this new application and we expect it to make for more exciting racing.² The normal 41.5-inch level of boost will be controlled by engine sensors that will measure the boost before it reaches the pop-off valve, with the maximum 44 inches of boost regulated by the pop-off valve. The pop-off valves will continue to be maintained by Champ Car and distributed to the teams at the track during race weekends. ³This gives us another opportunity to further develop our engines and we are very pleased with the progress to this point,² said Vice-President of Cosworth Racing Inc. Ian Bisco. ³The Champ Car World Series gives Cosworth Racing the chance to be creative and that is a big reason why we are involved in the series.² To allow fans and television viewers the opportunity to recognize how the drivers are using the new system, the Champ Car television production crew will monitor each time that the system is used, letting fans know how much time each driver has remaining in his boost reserve. The production crew will also track the tendencies of the drivers in helping fans determine when their favorite driver might be more apt to use his allotment. ³This new push-to-pass system when combined with the other competition rules in place for 2004 will make for very exciting racing,² said Executive Vice-President of Operations John Lopes. ³We have developed all of our rules for 2004 with the racing fans in mind as well as the drivers and teams and we feel that we have come up with a package that will make for a great on-track product this year.²