IRL Teams Plot Strategy for Road Course Race in Sonoma

IRL Teams Plot Course for 

First Race on Permanent Road Course

 

SONOMA, Calif. -  When today's cars from the
Indianapolis 500 embark on their historic mission, Aug. 26-28, in the
Argent Mortgage Indy Grand Prix at Infineon Raceway, Phil Casey will be
watching intently.

 

            Casey, a native of Fresno who serves as the IRL's Senior
Technical Director, has been the mastermind behind the IndyCar Series(r)
specifications since the league started in 1996. 

 

So, how will teams prepare for oval races the next two weekends at
Kentucky Speedway and Pikes Peak International Raceway before turning
the cars around for the Infineon Raceway event? This will mark the first
event on a permanent road course in the 10-year history of the IRL.

 

            "The original design (for road courses) stayed the same,"
Casey said. "We changed to a heavier brake rotor so it would last longer
and modified the brake ducts to help cooling. We use carbon brakes on
ovals and steel brakes for road courses. All we had to do with the
transmission was put a 'spec' differential in it. Les McTaggart (IRL
technical consultant) worked on the road-course package with the
manufacturers."

 

            The cars' road-racing package was tested earlier this season
with the street race in St. Petersburg and later in testing sessions at
Sonoma and Watkins Glen.

            

"Nobody had any complaints there (at St. Petersburg)," Casey said. "The
brakes were okay. This will be the test of a race on a true road course.
We tested there (at Infineon Raceway) and everything seemed to be okay."

 

            The trip to Infineon Raceway will be a return for Casey, who
started as a crewman for car owner Fred Gerhardt of Fresno in 1965 with
driver George Snider. 

 

            Dave "Poppy" Popielarz is a long-time crew chief now serving
in that capacity for Dario Franchitti's car at Andretti Green Racing. He
outlined his team's plans for the three-week mission that culminates at
Infineon Raceway.

 

            "We're going with our backup car already in road-course
configuration," Popielarz said. "If we have any incident at Kentucky or
Pikes Peak, our road course cars are already converted. The good thing
is you don't have to take different sidepods or underwings, not gigantic
parts. The IRL has done a pretty good job so it isn't a big effort.

 

            "But they're different. The transmission takes a lot of
work, put a differential into it, drop gears, suspension is different,
brake ducts, calipers and rotors are different, the radiator ducting is
different, the pedal arrangement, the head rest.

 

            "If we had to turn a road course car into an oval car or the
reverse, I expect it'd be 10-12 hours and that's with all hands on deck.
It'd be a long night and you'd better order a pizza. But the IRL has a
good rule that you're not allowed to have an engine in the backup car or
take it off the trailer unless you need it. There's no shortcut but we
can make it all happen."

 

            It's also a return trip for Popielarz, who raced karts at
Infineon Raceway back in his college days at Menlo College in Menlo
Park.

 

            "It's going to be real exciting," Popielarz said. "There're
not many tracks that have that kind of terrain change. It's a real
racetrack."

 

            Casey said the aerodynamic package introduced at the 88th
Indianapolis 500 would remain the same. The wings currently used with
the series' short oval package will be used as part of the road course
package. MacTaggart said limited modifications to the wings could be
made to help move the balance of the car forward.

 

            "I think cooling and everything else is in good shape, but
we may have to make a few modifications here and there," Casey said.

 

 

Argent Mortgage Indy Grand Prix

WHAT: Big O Tires Racing Season Presents: Argent Mortgage Indy Grand
Prix

WHEN: August 26-28

CIRCUIT: 12-turn, 2.26-mile road course

IN ADDITION: The weekend will also feature the Menards Infiniti Pro
Series(tm), as well as the Moly Shield Oil Historic Grand Prix

NOTABLE: This will be the first-ever permanent road-course race in the
10-year history of the IRL

TICKETS: 800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com
<http://www.infineonraceway.com/> , www.ticketmaster.com
<http://www.ticketmaster.com/>