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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Limited Engine Supply In 2012?
"Nobody seems interested in supplying more than 10 cars and, at least right now" writes SPEED.com's Robin Miller.
With Honda setting a hard number on how many engines it will supply, GM and Lotus will be responsible for outfitting the rest of the 2012 grid. (LAT)
Honda is a little ahead of Chevrolet and they’re both further along than John Judd. The power brokers have already been divided and now the rest of the teams are maneuvering to try and make the best choice.
Nobody seems interested in supplying more than 10 cars and, at least right now, nobody is going to throw money at drivers and teams like those good old CART days in the 1990s.
That’s the quick overview of the new engine programs for the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR series.
A few weeks before teams must give their Leader’s Circle commitment for 2012, we know three sure things:
1. Team Penske is the masthead for General Motors’ return to open wheel racing.
2. Chip Ganassi’s 4-car armada has aligned with Honda.
3. All engines will cost $690,000 apiece to lease.
After six seasons of having Honda as the sole supplier, competition returns to Indy car racing in the form of V-6, turbocharged motors that will be priced cheaper than anyone could have imagined a few years ago.
Honda ruled CART from 1996-2001 before moving to the Indy Racing League in 2003, where it eventually dominated and became the only engine left standing after 2005.
GM had success in CART with the Ilmor/Chevy and spanked Nissan in the early days of the IRL until Toyota and Honda muscled in.
Logic says because it has been winning for 16 years that Honda has the early lead, followed by GM and Judd, which is being financed by Lotus.
“I’d say GM is 45 days behind Honda and Judd is 45 days behind Chevrolet but they’re all meeting the requirements we set and things are looking good,” said Tony Cotman, new car program manager for INDYCAR.
Erik Berkman, president of Honda Performance Development, agrees with Cotman’s assessment. “We got a running start and we’ve been on the dyno for quite a while and we’re on our second illustration of design,” he said.
“We’ll have our first engine fitted into the test car by late July.”
Mark Kent, director of racing for GM, is also pleased with progress. “We’ve been on the dyno and we’re right on schedule. We’re on track to get an engine in a car by late August or early September.”
John Judd Jr. visited Toronto last week but there seems to be a concern about whether his father’s relative small engine factory can be ready in time to fight the Big Boys, let alone compete.
“They’re further behind the other two but I was just over there and they’re catching up,” said Will Phillips, the technical director of INDYCAR.
“They’ll have an engine on the dyno by late August or early September. “I used Judd engines in sports cars and they were a very good product in ALMS. I’ve been impressed with all three manufacturers and there’s no reason to think Judd won’t deliver.”
The best educated guesses are that Andretti Autosport and Panther Racing will be in the Bow Tie Brigade, but KV Racing (aka Lotus) could be headed for Honda and Judd might be pursuing Newman/Haas.
Nobody seems interested in supplying more than 10 cars and, at least right now, nobody is going to throw money at drivers and teams like those good old CART days in the 1990s.
That’s the quick overview of the new engine programs for the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR series.
A few weeks before teams must give their Leader’s Circle commitment for 2012, we know three sure things:
1. Team Penske is the masthead for General Motors’ return to open wheel racing.
2. Chip Ganassi’s 4-car armada has aligned with Honda.
3. All engines will cost $690,000 apiece to lease.
After six seasons of having Honda as the sole supplier, competition returns to Indy car racing in the form of V-6, turbocharged motors that will be priced cheaper than anyone could have imagined a few years ago.
Honda ruled CART from 1996-2001 before moving to the Indy Racing League in 2003, where it eventually dominated and became the only engine left standing after 2005.
GM had success in CART with the Ilmor/Chevy and spanked Nissan in the early days of the IRL until Toyota and Honda muscled in.
Logic says because it has been winning for 16 years that Honda has the early lead, followed by GM and Judd, which is being financed by Lotus.
“I’d say GM is 45 days behind Honda and Judd is 45 days behind Chevrolet but they’re all meeting the requirements we set and things are looking good,” said Tony Cotman, new car program manager for INDYCAR.
Erik Berkman, president of Honda Performance Development, agrees with Cotman’s assessment. “We got a running start and we’ve been on the dyno for quite a while and we’re on our second illustration of design,” he said.
“We’ll have our first engine fitted into the test car by late July.”
Mark Kent, director of racing for GM, is also pleased with progress. “We’ve been on the dyno and we’re right on schedule. We’re on track to get an engine in a car by late August or early September.”
John Judd Jr. visited Toronto last week but there seems to be a concern about whether his father’s relative small engine factory can be ready in time to fight the Big Boys, let alone compete.
“They’re further behind the other two but I was just over there and they’re catching up,” said Will Phillips, the technical director of INDYCAR.
“They’ll have an engine on the dyno by late August or early September. “I used Judd engines in sports cars and they were a very good product in ALMS. I’ve been impressed with all three manufacturers and there’s no reason to think Judd won’t deliver.”
The best educated guesses are that Andretti Autosport and Panther Racing will be in the Bow Tie Brigade, but KV Racing (aka Lotus) could be headed for Honda and Judd might be pursuing Newman/Haas.
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