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IndyCar
INDYCAR: HVM Readying For Lotus Testing; Working On Second Car
With Lotus drawing closer to joining the IndyCar testing trail, HVM Racing owner Keith Wiggins has been working hard to expand his team's factory endeavors.
HVM's new Lotus-powered entry for Simona de Silvestro will look similar to the team's 2011 livery. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)
With Lotus drawing closer to joining Chevrolet and Honda on the IndyCar testing trail, one of its three factory teams is preparing for a busy spell.
“From our perspective, we’re just working through updating workshops and building items to get ready for the new car,” said HVM Racing team owner Keith Wiggins.
“We’re also waiting on the Lotus test car, which is no surprise. By the time it’s here, it will be Christmas already and Simona will be going on the [DW12] simulator at Dallara. We’ll get our car and the test car at pretty much the same time and then life gets rather hectic.”
In a somewhat unique arrangement, Lotus will run a significant portion of its IndyCar endeavors out of HVM’s shop on Gasoline Alley, rather than from a dedicated facility of its own.
“Lotus themselves will be based in our workshop and the engine facility will be in part of our facility here,” said Wiggins.
“For the running of the test car, we’re working with the other two teams (Bryan Herta Autosport and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) to split resources because it makes the most sense. The reason the whole thing came out [with the shared testing program] is because if we’d had a two-car team, it would have been a lot easier to have one factory team, but the problem is we only have one driver, and one who is lacking experience on ovals.
“So the whole reason this came about was to work with others, so we’ll be sharing crew and whatever resources needed. Simona will do the first road course testing because [BHA and DRR] are still working on driver packages.
"When we go to an oval test, logically, we wouldn’t have her testing the car at the moment. We’re going to work in a group to solve all of our testing needs for Lotus.”
To strengthen HVM’s competitive efforts in 2012, Wiggins says he’s made key additions to his engineering department.
“We took Tom Brown back from a chief engineer perspective,” he said of Brown, who moonlighted with HVM at times last season when Sarah Fisher Racing, Brown’s primary team, skipped certain races.
“He was with us during the Herdez [Champ Car] days so it’s good to have him back. At the moment, we’re going to bring someone else that’s experienced to join him, some more engineering assistants and we did bring on a full-time person from Purdue University as part of our arrangement with them. He’ll look after a long-term CFD project for us. If a second car happens, we’ll be in good shape.”
“From our perspective, we’re just working through updating workshops and building items to get ready for the new car,” said HVM Racing team owner Keith Wiggins.
“We’re also waiting on the Lotus test car, which is no surprise. By the time it’s here, it will be Christmas already and Simona will be going on the [DW12] simulator at Dallara. We’ll get our car and the test car at pretty much the same time and then life gets rather hectic.”
In a somewhat unique arrangement, Lotus will run a significant portion of its IndyCar endeavors out of HVM’s shop on Gasoline Alley, rather than from a dedicated facility of its own.
“Lotus themselves will be based in our workshop and the engine facility will be in part of our facility here,” said Wiggins.
“For the running of the test car, we’re working with the other two teams (Bryan Herta Autosport and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) to split resources because it makes the most sense. The reason the whole thing came out [with the shared testing program] is because if we’d had a two-car team, it would have been a lot easier to have one factory team, but the problem is we only have one driver, and one who is lacking experience on ovals.
“So the whole reason this came about was to work with others, so we’ll be sharing crew and whatever resources needed. Simona will do the first road course testing because [BHA and DRR] are still working on driver packages.
"When we go to an oval test, logically, we wouldn’t have her testing the car at the moment. We’re going to work in a group to solve all of our testing needs for Lotus.”
To strengthen HVM’s competitive efforts in 2012, Wiggins says he’s made key additions to his engineering department.
“We took Tom Brown back from a chief engineer perspective,” he said of Brown, who moonlighted with HVM at times last season when Sarah Fisher Racing, Brown’s primary team, skipped certain races.
“He was with us during the Herdez [Champ Car] days so it’s good to have him back. At the moment, we’re going to bring someone else that’s experienced to join him, some more engineering assistants and we did bring on a full-time person from Purdue University as part of our arrangement with them. He’ll look after a long-term CFD project for us. If a second car happens, we’ll be in good shape.”
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