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IndyCar
INDYCAR: General Motors Returns
Chevrolet will compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series with a new twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 racing engine powered by renewable E85 ethanol fuel.
General Motors will return to IndyCar racing in 2012 with its Chevrolet brand, partnering with Ilmor Engineering to produce a 2.4L twin-turbo V-6 engine. GM will also manufacture Chevy aero kits. (IMS)
Chevrolet will compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series with a new twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 racing engine powered by renewable E85 ethanol fuel.
The new purpose-built Chevy IndyCar engine will be developed jointly by GM and Ilmor Engineering. Team Penske is the first IndyCar team to commit to Chevrolet power in 2012. The Chevrolet IndyCar engine will be available to all entrants in accordance with the series' regulations.
"Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a proving ground for manufacturers since Louis Chevrolet, our co-founder, first raced here in 1909,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “Our return to IndyCar as Chevrolet enters its centennial year is natural. At the same time this engine program will be a showcase for the efficient, and powerful, engine technologies that parallel new Chevrolet vehicles like the Camaro, all-new Cruze compact and Equinox crossover."
Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 104 races, powering six driver champions, and scoring seven Indianapolis 500 victories. The new Chevrolet IndyCar engine program will reunite one of the most successful partnerships in motorsports as Team Penske will introduce the Chevrolet engine in 2012. Team Penske previously tallied 31 open-wheel victories with Chevrolet engines, including four Indianapolis 500 wins.
(Click Here or click the image below to view 37 photos of Penske and Chevy in Indy car racing.)
"Our vision is to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles – and racing is one of the best ways to showcase what we can do," said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. "Re-entering IndyCar racing will help us take our advanced engine technology to the upper bounds of what’s possible. And it will also provide a dynamic training ground for engineers, who’ll transfer the technologies we develop for racing to the products we sell to our customers.
"GM has become a recognized leader in implementing direct-injection technology in both 4-cylinder and V-6 engines," Stephens said. "Building on this foundation, our new partnership with Ilmor will give us even more opportunities to accelerate our engine technology. It will help our effort to continue to expand and improve the DI technology for street cars."
The Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 will have a displacement of up to 2.4 liters. The powerplant will have an aluminum block and cylinder heads, and will be a fully stressed chassis member supporting the gearbox and rear suspension. It will burn E85 ethanol, a renewable alternative fuel. Technical details and specifications will be released at a later date.
"We are excited to have engine manufacturer competition again in the IZOD IndyCar Series, beginning in 2012," said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. "Chevrolet brings a strong passion for racing, technology, relevance and innovation, which is a great fit for our new car platform. We are excited about the future of IndyCar racing with the addition of Chevrolet."
2012 Chevrolet IndyCar Reactions:
Danica Patrick, Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver: “It’s great news for IndyCar. It is great news. IndyCar, I feel like, has really desperately needed some competition out there. ... I think it’s just a real win for IndyCar to finally have some other manufacturers back in the series. Hopefully, it will be a snowball effect for IndyCar and others will join in. But, overall, it’s a really big plus.”
Chip Ganassi, Target Chip Ganassi Racing owner: “The announcement of Chevrolet’s entrance into the IndyCar Series is great for the series and I couldn’t be happier. There are great things happening in the IndyCar Series right now that we should all be encouraged by. Our team has enjoyed a great relationship with Chevrolet over the last two years through our NASCAR program and look for continued success with them in the future. When the time comes to entertain options for our 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series engine the first conversations will be with our current partners.”
Erik Berkman, Honda Performance Development President: “We want to take this opportunity to welcome Chevrolet back to the IZOD IndyCar Series. Although we are certainly proud of HPD’s numerous accomplishments during our tenure as single engine supplier to the Series – including an active and unprecedented streak of five consecutive Indianapolis 500s completed without an engine failure – we have repeatedly and unequivocally expressed our desire for engine competition within the Series, dating even from our first days of sole supply, in 2006. We look forward to renewing our relationship with Chevrolet as competitors on the race track and giving the fans of open-wheel racing a spirited and challenging rivalry.”
Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Owner: "This is a great announcement and a significant step forward for the IndyCar Series. It is what was needed for the new car package and reactivates the competition which has been dormant and missing for too long. This will begin to regenerate our programs in the longer term and brings back the excitement."
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver: "Great news for the IZOD IndyCar Series today. Welcome back Chevy/GM! Things are headed in the right direction."
Graham Rahal, IndyCar driver:"Fantastic day for IndyCar racing! To have Chevy back and hopefully more in the near future this is exactly what we needed! Get ready to hear the great noise of a turbo engine again."
Justin Wilson, Dreyer & Reinbold IndyCar driver: "[The] IZOD IndyCar Series will have competition in 2012! Thank you to Chevy and Honda/HPD for helping our sport."
John Barnes, Panther Racing Owner: “Firstly, I think this is a very special day for the IZOD IndyCar Series and obviously we’re very happy that our old friends from Chevrolet and General Motors will be returning to open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 beginning in 2012. GM is a major part of Panther Racing’s history and they were instrumental in helping us achieve our two IndyCar championships and all 15 of our IndyCar race victories. Those of us involved in this series have been saying for over a year now that there is a lot of positive momentum in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Chevrolet’s announcement today only reinforces the strength and direction of our sport. We also need to take time to recognize the unbelievable support that Honda has given the IZOD IndyCar Series since becoming the sole engine supplier in 2006. The reliability of their motors and the commitment they have for open-wheel racing and our league is a big reason why our sport is as strong as it currently stands today. Let’s hope that even more engine manufactures take note of where our series is heading and jump on board with Honda and Chevy. Teams, sponsors and fans should be very excited for the future of open-wheel racing and the direction in which we are heading.”
Ryan Briscoe, Team Penske IndyCar driver: "Exciting news for IndyCar and Penske Racing announcing Chevy back in 2012! This is huge, lots to look forward to."
Helio Castroneves, Team Penske IndyCar driver: "I'm very excited to use Chevrolet power in 2012, but I'm also excited for the series. There's so much good news happening, not only with engines but with cars. It will create opportunities for new teams for teams to switch to what they think will be the best package. It's turning from a spec series to how it used to be in the past with lots of manufacturers all going for wins, Indy 500 wins and championships. It's going to be a lot of fun developing an engine for Chevrolet, and it's a great opportunity for everyone involved."
Gil de Ferran, Co-owner, De Ferran Dragon Racing: "I think it is a great day for the sport. I think Mr. Stephens' quote was really well put when he said the technology that they will develop in IndyCar racing is really relevant to the challenges that the automotive industry faces today. I can say as a member of the ICONIC committee that that was one of the key issues that we were trying to address. I was glad to see Mr. Stephens and Chevrolet saw that IndyCar does provide a great platform and a very cost-effective platform for manufacturers to the enter motorsports competition and showcase and develop their technology."
Simona De Silvestro, HVM Racing IndyCar driver: "I think it's great news. It will open up the competition, and I think that's what the fans want to see. I think it's great to have an American brand in the IndyCar Series. It's something pretty special, and it will be a great year in 2012."
J.R. Hildebrand, IndyCar driver: "It's not only great to see an American brand come back, but it's Chevrolet. I grew up in a Chevy family. My dad had a '68 Camaro, and he's got a '78 IMSA GTO Camaro now. It's always something I grew up around. I think seeing competition from a domestic manufacturer, especially seeing the 'Bowtie,' is a cool deal."
Will Power, Team Penske IndyCar driver: "It's fantastic news. What the series needed was another manufacturer, and Chevy being an American brand is a perfect fit. Hopefully it can entice even more manufacturers to come into the series. But this alone is great news for everyone associated with IndyCar."
More recent IndyCar news and features from SPEED.com:
INDYCAR: 2012 Rules Limit ‘Factory’ Teams
INDYCAR: Chevy Picks Penske
PHOTOS: Penske Chevy Retrospective
INDYCAR: Justin Wilson Returns To DRR
INDYCAR: Chevy Deal Imminent
PRUETT: Chevy IndyCar True Or False
INDYCAR: KV Closing In On New Lotus Contract
PHOTOS: Vintage Lotus Indy And F1 Cars
INDYCAR: Chevy To Return In 2012?
MILLER: Loyalty And Trust
The new purpose-built Chevy IndyCar engine will be developed jointly by GM and Ilmor Engineering. Team Penske is the first IndyCar team to commit to Chevrolet power in 2012. The Chevrolet IndyCar engine will be available to all entrants in accordance with the series' regulations.
"Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a proving ground for manufacturers since Louis Chevrolet, our co-founder, first raced here in 1909,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “Our return to IndyCar as Chevrolet enters its centennial year is natural. At the same time this engine program will be a showcase for the efficient, and powerful, engine technologies that parallel new Chevrolet vehicles like the Camaro, all-new Cruze compact and Equinox crossover."
Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 104 races, powering six driver champions, and scoring seven Indianapolis 500 victories. The new Chevrolet IndyCar engine program will reunite one of the most successful partnerships in motorsports as Team Penske will introduce the Chevrolet engine in 2012. Team Penske previously tallied 31 open-wheel victories with Chevrolet engines, including four Indianapolis 500 wins.
(Click Here or click the image below to view 37 photos of Penske and Chevy in Indy car racing.)
"Our vision is to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles – and racing is one of the best ways to showcase what we can do," said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. "Re-entering IndyCar racing will help us take our advanced engine technology to the upper bounds of what’s possible. And it will also provide a dynamic training ground for engineers, who’ll transfer the technologies we develop for racing to the products we sell to our customers.
"GM has become a recognized leader in implementing direct-injection technology in both 4-cylinder and V-6 engines," Stephens said. "Building on this foundation, our new partnership with Ilmor will give us even more opportunities to accelerate our engine technology. It will help our effort to continue to expand and improve the DI technology for street cars."
The Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 will have a displacement of up to 2.4 liters. The powerplant will have an aluminum block and cylinder heads, and will be a fully stressed chassis member supporting the gearbox and rear suspension. It will burn E85 ethanol, a renewable alternative fuel. Technical details and specifications will be released at a later date.
"We are excited to have engine manufacturer competition again in the IZOD IndyCar Series, beginning in 2012," said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. "Chevrolet brings a strong passion for racing, technology, relevance and innovation, which is a great fit for our new car platform. We are excited about the future of IndyCar racing with the addition of Chevrolet."
2012 Chevrolet IndyCar Reactions:
Danica Patrick, Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver: “It’s great news for IndyCar. It is great news. IndyCar, I feel like, has really desperately needed some competition out there. ... I think it’s just a real win for IndyCar to finally have some other manufacturers back in the series. Hopefully, it will be a snowball effect for IndyCar and others will join in. But, overall, it’s a really big plus.”
Chip Ganassi, Target Chip Ganassi Racing owner: “The announcement of Chevrolet’s entrance into the IndyCar Series is great for the series and I couldn’t be happier. There are great things happening in the IndyCar Series right now that we should all be encouraged by. Our team has enjoyed a great relationship with Chevrolet over the last two years through our NASCAR program and look for continued success with them in the future. When the time comes to entertain options for our 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series engine the first conversations will be with our current partners.”
Erik Berkman, Honda Performance Development President: “We want to take this opportunity to welcome Chevrolet back to the IZOD IndyCar Series. Although we are certainly proud of HPD’s numerous accomplishments during our tenure as single engine supplier to the Series – including an active and unprecedented streak of five consecutive Indianapolis 500s completed without an engine failure – we have repeatedly and unequivocally expressed our desire for engine competition within the Series, dating even from our first days of sole supply, in 2006. We look forward to renewing our relationship with Chevrolet as competitors on the race track and giving the fans of open-wheel racing a spirited and challenging rivalry.”
Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Owner: "This is a great announcement and a significant step forward for the IndyCar Series. It is what was needed for the new car package and reactivates the competition which has been dormant and missing for too long. This will begin to regenerate our programs in the longer term and brings back the excitement."
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver: "Great news for the IZOD IndyCar Series today. Welcome back Chevy/GM! Things are headed in the right direction."
Graham Rahal, IndyCar driver:"Fantastic day for IndyCar racing! To have Chevy back and hopefully more in the near future this is exactly what we needed! Get ready to hear the great noise of a turbo engine again."
Justin Wilson, Dreyer & Reinbold IndyCar driver: "[The] IZOD IndyCar Series will have competition in 2012! Thank you to Chevy and Honda/HPD for helping our sport."
John Barnes, Panther Racing Owner: “Firstly, I think this is a very special day for the IZOD IndyCar Series and obviously we’re very happy that our old friends from Chevrolet and General Motors will be returning to open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 beginning in 2012. GM is a major part of Panther Racing’s history and they were instrumental in helping us achieve our two IndyCar championships and all 15 of our IndyCar race victories. Those of us involved in this series have been saying for over a year now that there is a lot of positive momentum in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Chevrolet’s announcement today only reinforces the strength and direction of our sport. We also need to take time to recognize the unbelievable support that Honda has given the IZOD IndyCar Series since becoming the sole engine supplier in 2006. The reliability of their motors and the commitment they have for open-wheel racing and our league is a big reason why our sport is as strong as it currently stands today. Let’s hope that even more engine manufactures take note of where our series is heading and jump on board with Honda and Chevy. Teams, sponsors and fans should be very excited for the future of open-wheel racing and the direction in which we are heading.”
Ryan Briscoe, Team Penske IndyCar driver: "Exciting news for IndyCar and Penske Racing announcing Chevy back in 2012! This is huge, lots to look forward to."
Helio Castroneves, Team Penske IndyCar driver: "I'm very excited to use Chevrolet power in 2012, but I'm also excited for the series. There's so much good news happening, not only with engines but with cars. It will create opportunities for new teams for teams to switch to what they think will be the best package. It's turning from a spec series to how it used to be in the past with lots of manufacturers all going for wins, Indy 500 wins and championships. It's going to be a lot of fun developing an engine for Chevrolet, and it's a great opportunity for everyone involved."
Gil de Ferran, Co-owner, De Ferran Dragon Racing: "I think it is a great day for the sport. I think Mr. Stephens' quote was really well put when he said the technology that they will develop in IndyCar racing is really relevant to the challenges that the automotive industry faces today. I can say as a member of the ICONIC committee that that was one of the key issues that we were trying to address. I was glad to see Mr. Stephens and Chevrolet saw that IndyCar does provide a great platform and a very cost-effective platform for manufacturers to the enter motorsports competition and showcase and develop their technology."
Simona De Silvestro, HVM Racing IndyCar driver: "I think it's great news. It will open up the competition, and I think that's what the fans want to see. I think it's great to have an American brand in the IndyCar Series. It's something pretty special, and it will be a great year in 2012."
J.R. Hildebrand, IndyCar driver: "It's not only great to see an American brand come back, but it's Chevrolet. I grew up in a Chevy family. My dad had a '68 Camaro, and he's got a '78 IMSA GTO Camaro now. It's always something I grew up around. I think seeing competition from a domestic manufacturer, especially seeing the 'Bowtie,' is a cool deal."
Will Power, Team Penske IndyCar driver: "It's fantastic news. What the series needed was another manufacturer, and Chevy being an American brand is a perfect fit. Hopefully it can entice even more manufacturers to come into the series. But this alone is great news for everyone associated with IndyCar."
More recent IndyCar news and features from SPEED.com:
INDYCAR: 2012 Rules Limit ‘Factory’ Teams
INDYCAR: Chevy Picks Penske
PHOTOS: Penske Chevy Retrospective
INDYCAR: Justin Wilson Returns To DRR
INDYCAR: Chevy Deal Imminent
PRUETT: Chevy IndyCar True Or False
INDYCAR: KV Closing In On New Lotus Contract
PHOTOS: Vintage Lotus Indy And F1 Cars
INDYCAR: Chevy To Return In 2012?
MILLER: Loyalty And Trust
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