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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Spring Training Notebook
With a break in the testing action, SPEED's Marshall Pruett and Robin Miller catch up with the latest news going on in the IndyCar paddock.
Ed Carpenter Racing's smart new livery appeared at Sebring on Wednesday. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)
Insurance Is Back, by Robin Miller
By the time you pay for all the components that make the 2012 Dallara DW12 go around the track, a team is looking at roughly $525,000. On top of that, the new car has no spares or interchangeable parts of note from years gone by, except for the wheels.
That’s why Steve Chassey believes he’s got a nice safety net.
The former Indy car driver has put together an insurance package for all the IndyCar teams through Wells Fargo and Lloyd’s of London.
"We haven’t had any insurance for Indy cars in a long time because they used the same cars year after year and there were lots of pieces available,’’ said Chassey, who works for Wells Fargo Special Risks Inc. and handled race car insurance with Acordia before that.
"But now everything is new and nothing is interchangeable and it’s a good time to have insurance.’’
The prices might seem a little steep ($225,000 premium with a $450,000 deductible per car) until you consider what a crash can cost.
"In the late ‘90s, the average oval crash was $175,000 while the road and street course crashes averaged between $40,000 and $65,000,’’ continued Chassey, who excelled in USAC midgets and sprints in the ‘70s and ‘80s. "And teams averaged about four incidents per year.
"You never totally destroy a car in a crash but you can eat up $450,000 pretty quick nowadays and if you use up $450,000 in that first crash, then you’ve got $700,000 worth of coverage for the next crash.
"We don’t insure stock cars or sprints or midgets because they don’t cost enough but Indy cars are still pretty pricey.’’
It was an upheld battle to even get Lloyd’s of London to underwrite the new policy because of the previous pounding it took in CART, IRL and Champ Car with $50,000 deductibles.
"We’ve got to prove to the underwriters the program can be successful,’’ said Chassey. "And I’m meeting with all the team owners this week to show them this is something that could be quite beneficial.
"The teams may freak when they see the $450,00 number but if they go through their budget for the last three years and see what they had in the line item for crash damage and then look at what they actually paid for repair parts, I think it will make sense to them.’’
Enter The Dragon, by Marshall Pruett
The only real mystery of the week so far at Spring Training has been the circumstances behind Dragon Racing's failure to take part in the test.
Its cars have been in the paddock the entire time, have gone through technical inspection and its drivers--Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge--have been present, but the one item needed to make the cars go round has been missing in action.
SPEED.com has heard from series sources that issues stemming from a need for money to change hands was resolved on Monday, which led to Lotus instructing Engine Developments Limited, makers of the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6, to release an engine from its factory.
Shipping from England, the engine arrived in Florida at 4:20 p.m. this afternoon, and Lotus Indy project manager Olivier Picquenot told SPEED.com he hoped the motor would clear customs and arrive at the track before 10 p.m.
Provided the engine clears, the Dragon team will need to do a complete engine and engine kit installation--an extremely long procedure to do in the field--starting late tonight, which leaves a bit of a question mark as to exactly when the team will hit the track.
Legge, who has been out of a racing car for almost a year, is expected to drive when the car is ready.
Buried in the minutiae of the Dragon/Lotus engine supply situation is the fact that apparently only one lease has been paid for, leaving the status and timing of the second car's on-track appearance in question as well.
Bia Testing With Andretti, by Marshall Pruett
The one promising full-time driver from last season without a ride appears to have something brewing with Andretti Autosport.
Brazil's Ana Beatriz, who struggled through a tough rookie season with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, has been linked recently with Panther Racing, Michael Shank Racing, and now, after being spotted making a seat at in James Hinchcliffe's car at Andretti Autosport, looks to be ready to at least test for the Michael Andretti-owned outfit.
Whether that will turn into a longer commitment, or is nothing more than a one-off test is unknown at this point.
MISC
• Having received its first engine from Chevrolet three days ago, Ed Carpenter Racing spent the better part of two days in transit to Sebring and will fire up the twin-turbo V6 for the first time today. Bryan Herta Autosport and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing were also preparing to start their engines for the first time.
• Sebastien Saavedra, as the team announced on Tuesday, will contest the full Firestone Indy Lights Series championship for Andretti Autosport and AFS Racing, and will join the team for the Indy 500.
• Mouser Electronics will be Tony Kanaan's primary sponsor at Long Beach, Texas, Sonoma and China, and will join GEICO as co-primary sponsor for the Indy 500. Mouser supported Ho-Pin Tung and Dragon Racing during his limited IndyCar appearances last season.
• Between this week's Spring Training at Sebring and next week's 12 Hours of Sebring ALMS/WEC event, Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports' Simon Pagenaud will fly back to France to contest the Rallye De La Vienna meaning that the Frenchman will have driven an Indy car, a rally car and an LMP1 prototype in the span of a week...
Robin Miller brings 40 years of experience to his role as SPEED.com's senior open-wheel reporter, and serves as a frequent contributor to SPEED Center and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. He also contributes to Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett on Twitter.
By the time you pay for all the components that make the 2012 Dallara DW12 go around the track, a team is looking at roughly $525,000. On top of that, the new car has no spares or interchangeable parts of note from years gone by, except for the wheels.
That’s why Steve Chassey believes he’s got a nice safety net.
The former Indy car driver has put together an insurance package for all the IndyCar teams through Wells Fargo and Lloyd’s of London.
"We haven’t had any insurance for Indy cars in a long time because they used the same cars year after year and there were lots of pieces available,’’ said Chassey, who works for Wells Fargo Special Risks Inc. and handled race car insurance with Acordia before that.
"But now everything is new and nothing is interchangeable and it’s a good time to have insurance.’’
The prices might seem a little steep ($225,000 premium with a $450,000 deductible per car) until you consider what a crash can cost.
"In the late ‘90s, the average oval crash was $175,000 while the road and street course crashes averaged between $40,000 and $65,000,’’ continued Chassey, who excelled in USAC midgets and sprints in the ‘70s and ‘80s. "And teams averaged about four incidents per year.
"You never totally destroy a car in a crash but you can eat up $450,000 pretty quick nowadays and if you use up $450,000 in that first crash, then you’ve got $700,000 worth of coverage for the next crash.
"We don’t insure stock cars or sprints or midgets because they don’t cost enough but Indy cars are still pretty pricey.’’
It was an upheld battle to even get Lloyd’s of London to underwrite the new policy because of the previous pounding it took in CART, IRL and Champ Car with $50,000 deductibles.
"We’ve got to prove to the underwriters the program can be successful,’’ said Chassey. "And I’m meeting with all the team owners this week to show them this is something that could be quite beneficial.
"The teams may freak when they see the $450,00 number but if they go through their budget for the last three years and see what they had in the line item for crash damage and then look at what they actually paid for repair parts, I think it will make sense to them.’’
Enter The Dragon, by Marshall Pruett
The only real mystery of the week so far at Spring Training has been the circumstances behind Dragon Racing's failure to take part in the test.
Its cars have been in the paddock the entire time, have gone through technical inspection and its drivers--Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge--have been present, but the one item needed to make the cars go round has been missing in action.
SPEED.com has heard from series sources that issues stemming from a need for money to change hands was resolved on Monday, which led to Lotus instructing Engine Developments Limited, makers of the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6, to release an engine from its factory.
Shipping from England, the engine arrived in Florida at 4:20 p.m. this afternoon, and Lotus Indy project manager Olivier Picquenot told SPEED.com he hoped the motor would clear customs and arrive at the track before 10 p.m.
Provided the engine clears, the Dragon team will need to do a complete engine and engine kit installation--an extremely long procedure to do in the field--starting late tonight, which leaves a bit of a question mark as to exactly when the team will hit the track.
Legge, who has been out of a racing car for almost a year, is expected to drive when the car is ready.
Buried in the minutiae of the Dragon/Lotus engine supply situation is the fact that apparently only one lease has been paid for, leaving the status and timing of the second car's on-track appearance in question as well.
Bia Testing With Andretti, by Marshall Pruett
The one promising full-time driver from last season without a ride appears to have something brewing with Andretti Autosport.
Brazil's Ana Beatriz, who struggled through a tough rookie season with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, has been linked recently with Panther Racing, Michael Shank Racing, and now, after being spotted making a seat at in James Hinchcliffe's car at Andretti Autosport, looks to be ready to at least test for the Michael Andretti-owned outfit.
Whether that will turn into a longer commitment, or is nothing more than a one-off test is unknown at this point.
MISC
• Having received its first engine from Chevrolet three days ago, Ed Carpenter Racing spent the better part of two days in transit to Sebring and will fire up the twin-turbo V6 for the first time today. Bryan Herta Autosport and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing were also preparing to start their engines for the first time.
• Sebastien Saavedra, as the team announced on Tuesday, will contest the full Firestone Indy Lights Series championship for Andretti Autosport and AFS Racing, and will join the team for the Indy 500.
• Mouser Electronics will be Tony Kanaan's primary sponsor at Long Beach, Texas, Sonoma and China, and will join GEICO as co-primary sponsor for the Indy 500. Mouser supported Ho-Pin Tung and Dragon Racing during his limited IndyCar appearances last season.
• Between this week's Spring Training at Sebring and next week's 12 Hours of Sebring ALMS/WEC event, Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports' Simon Pagenaud will fly back to France to contest the Rallye De La Vienna meaning that the Frenchman will have driven an Indy car, a rally car and an LMP1 prototype in the span of a week...
Robin Miller brings 40 years of experience to his role as SPEED.com's senior open-wheel reporter, and serves as a frequent contributor to SPEED Center and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. He also contributes to Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett on Twitter.
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