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IndyCar
INDYCAR: 2012 Dallara Improving On Ovals
Plenty of work remains to turn the Dallara DW12 into a solid performer on ovals, but as this week’s test at Homestead-Miami confirmed, progress is being made.
Honda and Chevy (shown here at Las Vegas in October) carried out a number of tests for INDYCAR during two days of running the DW12 chassis for the first time on a 1.5-mile oval. (LAT)
Plenty of work remains to turn the Dallara DW12 into a solid performer on ovals, but as the parties involved with this week’s test at Homestead-Miami confirmed to SPEED.com, progress is being made.
With KV Racing’s Tony Kanaan and Panther Racing’s JR Hildebrand sharing the Chevrolet testing duties, and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon handling the driving chores for Honda, both manufacturers spent Wednesday and Thursday working through a number of items at the 1.5-mile oval on behalf of INDYCAR.
“Various tests were carried out to determine the optimum weight distribution as well as follow up various aero configurations from Fontana,” said Will Phillips, INDYCAR’s VP of Technology.
The DW12, as teams encountered during testing at Indianapolis in early November and again later in the month at Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway, carried a serious excess of aero drag and rear weight bias, which limited its cornering capabilities most heavily at the Brickyard, and held top speeds down significantly.
Working with Dallara and the two engine manufacturers, INDYCAR took the first positive steps at Homestead-Miami towards addressing the areas that are limiting the DW12’s performance and speed.
The Dallara IR07, which the DW12 replaces, raced with a Speedway weight distribution of roughly 45 percent front and 55 percent rear, while the 2012 Dallara hit the track closer to 41/59, giving its drivers fits with big oversteer turning in and bigger understeer on corner exit.
With help from Xtrac, the DW12’s gearbox manufacturer, some lightweight parts were developed to try at Homestead-Miami in an effort to shift some of the weight bias towards the front. Limited time between test dates meant all of the desired lightweight parts would not be tested in unison, which led the series to simulate its effects by adding ballast to the front of the car.
Forward weight bias additions ranging from two to three percent were tried, which many felt went at least halfway to solving the overall problem. Decisions now need to be made by the series and Dallara as to whether the permanent solution will be implemented through the inexpensive route--adding weight to the nose of the car, or the more costly option of mass producing those lighter gearbox internals, a magnesium gearbox case and a few other items that have been discussed.
INDYCAR’s first test of the DW12 on a 1.5-mile oval also included its first attempt to gather data on how a pair of Dallaras worked while running side-by-side, in a tow and with the cars passing each other to evaluate downforce changes for the trailing car.
Drivers reported minimal buffeting and, on another positive note, the DW12, at least in 1.5-mile trim, generates a bigger wake, making it easier for the trailing car to draft and pass. Further tests will be done on other ovals, but at least from what was learned at Homestead-Miami, the DW12 appears to be pointed down the right path to reduce the “pack racing” phenomenon.
Dallara also had a few aerodynamic bolt-on pieces for teams to try, which accounted for small reductions in drag. Just as they did at Fontana, teams were able to try high and low downforce options, but the car’s excessive drag continues to serve as a limiting factor for achieving higher speeds.
Cars saw top lap speeds in the 205 mph range (for the sake of comparison, pole for the 2010 IndyCar race at Homestead-Miami was 213 mph), and with more improvements—specifically in chassis balance, drag reduction and tire life—higher average speeds are possible.
Although it’s not yet known how much each area contributed to the problem, the combination of a forward shift in weight distribution and a chassis setup that might not have been optimized to suit that weight shift is believed to be the reason new Firestone tires were losing a lot of grip in a short amount of time.
The tires were not physically worn out, but provided minimal adhesion after as little as 30 laps of running, and also delivered a significant drop in lap speeds.
It’s likely that with more testing and tuning time, the DW12’s 1.5-mile setup would be more forgiving on its tires—especially the right front.
Moving Ahead
Heated competition between Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus will be the centerpiece of the 2012 IndyCar season, but the two manufacturers active in the testing process so far have put their competitive natures aside and rallied around the need to improve the DW12 on ovals. Both camps expressed their commitment to work together in a collaborative environment with INDYCAR and Dallara to address the car’s issues as a team.
There will come a time where the bi-partisan collaboration will end, but for now, it’s good to see the manufacturers working towards a mutually beneficial goal.
From a scheduling standpoint, with four road and street courses set to open the 2012 season, INDYCAR will have time to address the DW12’s oval shortcomings before serious testing begins for the fifth race on the schedule, the Indy 500.
Concerns over the car’s capability to race on an oval would be heightened if the series held its first oval race earlier in the year, but with the benefit of extra time, INDYCAR should be able to finalize the fixes needed before teams start to commence major oval testing programs of their own.
There’s no denying that the DW12 has made progress on ovals in the last month, and although it’s not perfect, every test driver and team principal this writer has spoken to about the DW12 has said it is more than capable of racing on road and street courses immediately.
With KV Racing’s Tony Kanaan and Panther Racing’s JR Hildebrand sharing the Chevrolet testing duties, and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon handling the driving chores for Honda, both manufacturers spent Wednesday and Thursday working through a number of items at the 1.5-mile oval on behalf of INDYCAR.
“Various tests were carried out to determine the optimum weight distribution as well as follow up various aero configurations from Fontana,” said Will Phillips, INDYCAR’s VP of Technology.
The DW12, as teams encountered during testing at Indianapolis in early November and again later in the month at Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway, carried a serious excess of aero drag and rear weight bias, which limited its cornering capabilities most heavily at the Brickyard, and held top speeds down significantly.
Working with Dallara and the two engine manufacturers, INDYCAR took the first positive steps at Homestead-Miami towards addressing the areas that are limiting the DW12’s performance and speed.
The Dallara IR07, which the DW12 replaces, raced with a Speedway weight distribution of roughly 45 percent front and 55 percent rear, while the 2012 Dallara hit the track closer to 41/59, giving its drivers fits with big oversteer turning in and bigger understeer on corner exit.
With help from Xtrac, the DW12’s gearbox manufacturer, some lightweight parts were developed to try at Homestead-Miami in an effort to shift some of the weight bias towards the front. Limited time between test dates meant all of the desired lightweight parts would not be tested in unison, which led the series to simulate its effects by adding ballast to the front of the car.
Forward weight bias additions ranging from two to three percent were tried, which many felt went at least halfway to solving the overall problem. Decisions now need to be made by the series and Dallara as to whether the permanent solution will be implemented through the inexpensive route--adding weight to the nose of the car, or the more costly option of mass producing those lighter gearbox internals, a magnesium gearbox case and a few other items that have been discussed.
INDYCAR’s first test of the DW12 on a 1.5-mile oval also included its first attempt to gather data on how a pair of Dallaras worked while running side-by-side, in a tow and with the cars passing each other to evaluate downforce changes for the trailing car.
Drivers reported minimal buffeting and, on another positive note, the DW12, at least in 1.5-mile trim, generates a bigger wake, making it easier for the trailing car to draft and pass. Further tests will be done on other ovals, but at least from what was learned at Homestead-Miami, the DW12 appears to be pointed down the right path to reduce the “pack racing” phenomenon.
Dallara also had a few aerodynamic bolt-on pieces for teams to try, which accounted for small reductions in drag. Just as they did at Fontana, teams were able to try high and low downforce options, but the car’s excessive drag continues to serve as a limiting factor for achieving higher speeds.
Cars saw top lap speeds in the 205 mph range (for the sake of comparison, pole for the 2010 IndyCar race at Homestead-Miami was 213 mph), and with more improvements—specifically in chassis balance, drag reduction and tire life—higher average speeds are possible.
Although it’s not yet known how much each area contributed to the problem, the combination of a forward shift in weight distribution and a chassis setup that might not have been optimized to suit that weight shift is believed to be the reason new Firestone tires were losing a lot of grip in a short amount of time.
The tires were not physically worn out, but provided minimal adhesion after as little as 30 laps of running, and also delivered a significant drop in lap speeds.
It’s likely that with more testing and tuning time, the DW12’s 1.5-mile setup would be more forgiving on its tires—especially the right front.
Moving Ahead
Heated competition between Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus will be the centerpiece of the 2012 IndyCar season, but the two manufacturers active in the testing process so far have put their competitive natures aside and rallied around the need to improve the DW12 on ovals. Both camps expressed their commitment to work together in a collaborative environment with INDYCAR and Dallara to address the car’s issues as a team.
There will come a time where the bi-partisan collaboration will end, but for now, it’s good to see the manufacturers working towards a mutually beneficial goal.
From a scheduling standpoint, with four road and street courses set to open the 2012 season, INDYCAR will have time to address the DW12’s oval shortcomings before serious testing begins for the fifth race on the schedule, the Indy 500.
Concerns over the car’s capability to race on an oval would be heightened if the series held its first oval race earlier in the year, but with the benefit of extra time, INDYCAR should be able to finalize the fixes needed before teams start to commence major oval testing programs of their own.
There’s no denying that the DW12 has made progress on ovals in the last month, and although it’s not perfect, every test driver and team principal this writer has spoken to about the DW12 has said it is more than capable of racing on road and street courses immediately.
INDYCAR BRAZIL
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