IndyCar
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
INDYCAR: Swift Files 2014 Indy Lights Proposal
Of the three possible Indy Lights constructors SPEED.com has chronicled so far, California's Swift is the only outfit with a turnkey solution to offer.
Marshall Pruett  |  Posted August 28, 2012  
Swift's proposed 2014 Indy Lights car is based on its proven 017.n Formula Nippon chassis, and features a size and style that falls between the most recent Atlantic and Lights cars. (Photo: Swift Engineering)
Of the primary companies vying for the contract to build the next-generation Firestone Indy Lights car, California-based Swift Engineering has a lot of positives for the Firestone Indy Lights Series to consider.

Of the three potential Indy Lights constructors SPEED.com has chronicled so far, Swift is the only outfit with an existing, turnkey solution to offer for the car that’s due to arrive for the 2014 season, and also ticks the “Made in America” box the series desires.
If it's accepted, the 020.I would follow Swift's most recent American ladder series car, the 016.a Atlantic chassis, that was used through 2009. (Photo: LAT)

Whether those factors will result in Swift getting the nod for 2014 won’t be known until this weekend’s race at Baltimore, at the earliest. As Swift President Jan Refsdal told SPEED.com, if his company gets the commission, they’ll use their proven Formula Nippon chassis as the basis for its Lights car, code named the Swift 020.I.

“We think we can offer a cutting-edge solution to the series,” he said. “The leveraging of our Formula Nippon car into something that is very relevant and modern for the Indy Lights series makes a lot of sense. And at the same time, it can help to drive the series forward with a major engine manufacturer as well as with promotional value.”

Swift came to prominence in the early 1980s with its championship-winning DB1 Formula Ford chassis, and went on to produce open-wheel chassis for F2000, Formula Atlantic and the CART Indy car series. In recent years, a major portion of its business model has included aerospace and defense-related projects.

Its spec Atlantics chassis were used through the 2009 season, but with the demise of Champ Car, the company has focused its racing endeavors on Formula Nippon, and also submitted a proposal to supply the 2012 Indy car.

With the new opportunity to supply a field of cars on the Mazda Road To Indy, Refsdal hopes to use what Swift has learned in the high-tech Nippon series to benefit the next wave of Lights drivers.
The Formula Nippon series asked for a car with wild visuals, but the 020.I, at least in what's been submitted to the Lights series, has dropped the radical design elements. (Photo: LAT)

“Technology has also advanced considerably with the Formula Nippon chassis,” he said. “We were invited to bid on the chassis for the Nippon series in about 2007 and we were able to capture that business with the release of 24 chassis in 2009, and that car has done very well. We have that contract through 2014 at this point in time.

“And one of the notable things is that this last year when the IndyCars ran at Motegi, they couldn’t run on the oval track because of the earthquake damage so they ran on the road course, and their [2011] car was five seconds slower than the fastest Swift Formula Nippon car. We know speed won’t be a concern if we're awarded the 2014 contract.”

Refsdal has spoken with some of the known players on the engine side of the 2014 Lights equation, including Honda Performance Development, which is located near Swift in southern California.
Page 1 of 2
Prev
12
Next
MPruett's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marshall Pruett

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.