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IndyCar
INDYCAR: 2012 Engine Has Manufacturers Listening
Robin Miller and Marshall Pruett get the insights on the 2012 engine from Honda, Ford, Mazda and Cosworth.
SPEED Staff  |  Posted June 02, 2010  
As the 2012 engine rules become more clear, expect more manufacturers to join in, as HPD's Erik Berkman expects to happen. (LAT)
IndyCar has taken the first steps towards restoring variety, creativity and some much-needed punch to the IZOD series and Indianapolis 500 with the announcement of a return to turbocharged engines of multiple sizes.

Randy Bernard’s ICONIC committee decided the next engine formula will be open to anything up to six cylinders with a maximum displacement of 2.4 liters.

Although there are still quite a few major questions to be answered regarding the parameters of how the power will be regulated, it’s a big move for a group that’s only had the normally-aspirated Honda V-8 engine since 2005.

And the goal is to try and entice as many manufacturers as possible – like the glory days of CART in the late ‘90s when Ford, Mercedes, Honda and Toyota were in competition and spending money.

“I think our guys are impressed with Randy’s leadership and where he wants to take things and Ford still sees value in the Indianapolis 500,” said Ford spokesman Kevin Kennedy.

“What was announced today was pretty broad and it’s too early to say, ‘yea or nay’ but our position is that it’s worth listening to more of what they have to say.”

Bernard met with Jamie Allison, the director of Ford North American motorsports in April and also had a conversation with Edsel Ford last month.

IndyCar CEO Bernard said there will be a press conference Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway where more specifics might be discussed. Like maybe how an inline-4 can compete with a V-6. In an afternoon of calls and exchanging emails, it seems that those within the IndyCar community have been left with more questions than answer.

If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that the next ICONIC announcement –whatever it is – might be better received if it offers greater detail. With open-wheel racing so filled with speculation and doubt, vague announcements are usually met with yards of skepticism.
Former Cosworth man Ian Bisco says he'd need a lot more specifics from the ICONIC panel before buying into the plan. (LAT)

“It’s exciting news but it’s so wide open and there are still some major questions to be answered,” said Ian Bisco, the former racing manager at Cosworth. “Will there be a RPM restriction? Will it be an air flow restriction or a fuel restriction? Will the engines be stressed or a non-stressed member?"

For several years at Indy, the Buick V-6 operated with a higher boost pressure than the V-8 Cosworth, while IMSA currently uses air restrictors and ballast to try and equalize the dozen or more engines used in the ALMS sports cars.

Honda, which reigned in the turbo days of CART and won six consecutive championships before moving to the Indy Racing League in 2002, had been pushing for a V-6 turbo, publicly stating their lack of interest with an inline-4.

“We’ve been in an open and engaged dialogue with the league now for two years,” said Erik Berkman, President of Honda Performance Development. “And the whole idea of trying to come up with something that wouldn’t exclude anybody – but you have to exclude something. Are we going to allow rotary? Are we going to be able to bring a Honda jet turbine-powered car back to the Brickyard? The idea was, I think, to embrace a range of solutions and I think the league is still going through that process, as you know, with the chassis manufacturers still holding court.

“As far as the League’s direct communication with other manufacturers, that being encouraged, we'd like to see some competition come back on the engine front in the series. So we don't want to paint it too narrow. Of course, you heard our advocacy for a six-cylinder engine. Others have indicated that they have less interest in that format and would rather go with a four cylinders. So whether we’re restricting air or restricting fuel or restricting some way more, we, hopefully, can say, look, however you want to make that power, build it and bring it for 2012.”

Part of the appeal for Berkman, despite Honda’s preference for a V-6, is the freedom the new engine rules allow. With options for anything from one to six cylinders presented in a V or inline, the worlds of motorcycle, marine and aviation engine technology could theoretically end up in the back of an IndyCar.

“If there's a three cylinder idea out there or if there's – if somebody says, ‘Well, I don't really want to use 2.4L – can I use something different, less?’ Again, you think they might be leaving something on the table but one thing that the IndyCar Series does have to specify, however, is the fuel or they have to decide the fuel is open or whatever they're going to do.”
Berkman and Dario Franchitti celebrate Honda's win at the Indy 500 last weekend. HPD would like nothing more than to beat a host of engine manufacturers to Indy's Victory Circle in years to come. (LAT)

Part of what we expect to be revealed on Saturday will specify the formula used to make a wide variety of engine solutions competitive and compatible with different chassis. Will production-based engine be allowed, and if so, will they receive weight or air restrictor breaks? Will the series only allow dedicated racing engines for 2012? We’ll know in a few days, and while Berkman wouldn’t be drawn to answer on what their V-6 will be based upon, it doesn’t sound like it will start its life in a Civic or Accord.

“Well, not to say that we couldn't do it but it's been tried before and those who tried the stock block route didn't have such great success. Back in the day, in the formation of the IRL and the stock block format, there were a lot of engine failures. Of course, in the competitive era that we participated in pre-2006, we had some failures as well. But the stock block era that preceded that, there were way too many cautions or cleaning of the track. Engines having to wear diapers and all that sort of stuff. That's not to say that an evolution or change couldn't be made to maybe make that happen; that's why hopefully when the full rules package comes out it wouldn't exclude somebody from bringing their production derived racing engine. As far as what we do, I'm just going to hold off saying more about it until we have a good opportunity to talk about it. And we’re not going to talk about it until we have all the rules out on the table.”

Mazda, the power source for Formula Atlantic before that longtime feeder series closed its doors this year, has made it clear it wants to be involved in open-wheel racing, but they are said to be waiting on more feedback from Bernard’s group.

Compared to a Ford or Honda, Mazda is known to work from a much smaller budget, and based on what ICONIC envisions for 2012, Mazda will likely wait until all aspects of the engine regulations are spelled out until reconnecting with the series, whom they met with last week in Indy. If large financial commitments and big engine production requirements are put in place, look for Mazda to pass on 2012.

If the Series is smart, they will address a sliding scale of commitment – one where smaller manufacturers and even independent engine builders can compete without being drowned by the cubic dollars an engine giant from Detroit or Germany can bring to bear.

Provided they are interested in participating, Mazda is one of few marques who could answer the call for 2012 with an existing product. Their 2.0L MZR-R sportscar engine, now in its fourth year of service, already uses alternative fuels with BP’s Biofuel Isobutanol, and generates 550hp with a large air restrictor. Without the restrictor, reaching the stated ceiling of 700 hp would not be an issue.
Mazda's MZR-R is ready to power a 2012 IndyCar, and can be leased for almost nothing when compared to the current $1M lease teams pay per year. But will the Series do their part to allow smaller companies to play in 2012? (Marshall Pruett)

The MZR-R hasn’t been without its problems; built in 2007, it came in tiny and overly light. With the massive downforce figures seen in the ALMS LMP2 category, it suffered from flexing issues which led to a string of failures.

With a new, more robust block and cam cover mounting system, it has solved its reliability issues so far in 2010. While the 2010 version of an MZR-R lease agreement is still being debated, it could be similar to what MAZDASPEED offered in 2008 and 2009: A three-year lease for one engine, including all electronics and ancillaries, for $60,000 the first year, $50,000 the second and $40,000 the third. With two to three engine rebuilds added in at $35K a piece, you still walk out the door around the $150K range each year. Compare that to the $1.5M/year teams spend now, and annual budgets are relieved of a rather large burden.

Based on potential interest for 2012, we hear a similar lease program is open for discussion.

Another engine option for 2012 – one that we will delve into tomorrow – is the “Global Racing Engine.”

SPEED.com has an exclusive interview with the father of the GRE, where he reveals the sub-2.4L inline-4 cylinder engine is already in production by one American manufacturer, and seven more marques are readying their own version of the low cost, high power mill.

Whether it's the GRE or another form of IndyCar engine, after years of playing by themselves, the fiercely competitive folks at HPD can’t wait for 2012 to arrive.

“I think enough people know that we really do want to have competition and we enjoy nothing more than trying to compete with another manufacturer,” Berkman continued. “People most recently got to witness that here with the ALMS sportscar duels that we had with Porsche. It was great fun to watch. In IndyCar, being the sole supplier, we have to turn our attention to a different message point of quality, reliability. And it's not that our associates at HPD don't enjoy providing those engines, but in reality I think they would much prefer to be competing and following closely every race, even if they don't travel to the track, and cheering for their favorites and so on.

“So I think competition is best for all. Best for the fans of IndyCar racing and for the journalists; you guys will write the stories. And, hopefully, they'll turn positive and very encouraging. We'll get a bit of that whatever it is we had before back. And, again, I think the possibilities are there. I think the signal from the League is it opens the door now. But who will walk through?”


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