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IndyCar
INDYCAR: 2012 Stampede Under Way
With Delta Wing’s launch due this Wednesday, Dallara, Lola, and Swift are rushing to have their voices heard first on the 2012 IndyCar.
Marshall Pruett  |  Posted February 08, 2010   Oakland, CA
Swift's 2012 IndyCar bears a number of similarities to its FNippon car, including the use of leader lights in the roll hoop. (Swift Engineering)
With the upcoming reveal of the Delta Wing group’s proposed 2012 IndyCar this Wednesday, the full slate of potential manufacturers will have revealed their plans for the next generation IndyCar.

Dallara was first to publish their interpretation of the possible 2012 car last Friday, followed by Lola’s release this morning, which addressed everything IRL COO Brian Barnhart recently expressed a desire to see in the new car.

After months of consultation, design evaluation and business planning, Lola has presented to the IRL Board an innovative and commercially viable proposal for the next generation of Indy Car.

At the heart of Lola’s presentation to the IRL Board was a carefully considered modern dual body style approach. This concept will provide two ready to race aero performance balanced Indycars that could compete even safer side by side and very close behind one another on all circuits. This would provide a unique focus for drivers, teams and fans alike without technical compromise or advantage and in addition would accommodate a dual engine supply situation if required.

The proposed Lola Indycar for 2012 focuses on several key areas. These are safety, efficiency, engine adaptability, weight reduction (proposed 1380lbs v current 1540lbs), pleasing aesthetics with good sponsor exposure and a concentrated evaluation on significantly improving overtaking.

As part of the rigorous technical studies by Lola engineers, an entire range of futuristic concept cars were explored. While these proved technically interesting and on the wish list of the special projects team, some of these options will be deferred, but retained, as a next iteration option. Lola supported University projects that are now using recycled materials continues to be of great interest.
Dallara penned three 2012 concepts, including this mildly futuristic option. (Dallara)

While the company refrained from providing renderings of their car, Lola told me they could publish images of the 2012 chassis later in the week.

Dallara’s release, while less specific than Lola on chassis details, contained much of the same language.

Discussions with league officials have resulted in a much lighter, more efficient car with less drag and more downforce. The design requires less horsepower to achieve the desired level of performance than its predecessor with greater fuel efficiency.

Safety has been improved with increased resistance to frontal lift and improved yaw stability. Improved raceability also has been addressed in the design with less sensitive aerodynamics in traffic for better overtaking and the reduced incidence of wheel-to-wheel contact.

The cost of the complete package to compete on a variety of racetracks (superspeedway, speedway, short oval, road course and temporary circuits) will be reduced to 55% of the current car cost. Teams will carry much smaller quantities of spares because it requires less parts specific to individual types of tracks, which is another cost saving measure.

The car will be manufactured and assembled in the United States, potentially in the new technology center Dallara is planning to open as part of the Speedway, Ind., redevelopment program, in an effort to increase local industry in the area to support the program.
Swift has cornered the market on futuristic visuals with their recent spec Formula Nippon (formerly Japanese F3000) car. (LAT)

San Clemente, California’s Swift Engineering, the former CART constructor and makers of the current Atlantic Championship chassis and the wild Formula Nippon machine, announce their 2012 hours after Lola's plans were unveiled.

American race car company, Swift Engineering, Inc. is proud to announce key motorsport partnerships with industry leading companies to further its bid to design and build the next generation race car chassis for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.

“Given Swift is the leading US race car design and manufacturing company and our 27‐year history was founded in motorsport, it is only natural that we aspire to partner with the nations’ premier open‐wheel
formula, the IZOD IndyCar Series,” Jan Wesley Refsdal, Swift’s president said. Key business alliances have been cemented between Swift and Cray Inc. (The Supercomputer Company), Indianapolis‐based Mark One Composites, Inc. and Cruden America, world leaders in motion racing simulators.

“Individually, each one of these partnerships is critical to Swift’s continuing commitment to motorsport; however, collectively and in conjunction with one another they will help us set new industry standards in innovative design, manufacturing and support,” Refsdal stated. Swift’s strategic industry partnerships were carefully selected and cultivated through a focused effort to realize the challenge the IZOD IndyCar Series has set for its next generation car.

Cray supercomputers will be used at Swift’s facility to further enhance its capabilities in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), an important tool in the design and development of aerodynamic concepts. In conjunction with Swift’s existing on‐site wind tunnel designs will be tested in accurate virtual models allowing for valuable driver feedback and performance data collection on Cruden’s state‐of‐the‐art 3Ctr 6‐DOF motion racing simulator which is soon to be operational at Swift.

“Speed‐to‐market is critical in any business, but probably more so in racing as the green flag doesn’t wait for anyone,” Refsdal said. “Rapid development is just as much about the speed and quality of the design process as it is manufacturing. We are evolving our four‐year exclusive certified composite repair relationship with Mark One Composites, Inc. to provide further manufacturing and inventory support directly to teams from its Indianapolis‐based facility.”

Swift is currently developing a detailed value proposition with finalized performance data and conceptual designs for IndyCar’s consideration.

With the Delta Wing reveal this week at the Chicago Auto Show, the IndyCar Series will have two American constructors, the Italian Dallara firm producing its car in Indiana, and a British constructor vying for contracts to deliver solutions to replace the ageing Dallara IR3 chassis that has been in use since 2003.

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