The presentations are complete and the decision begins....RIGHT NOW! The 2012 IndyCar Chassis selection continues

The 2012 IndyCar Chassis presentations are officially over, and the decision now rests in the hands of the Eddie Gossage, Tony Cotman, Gil de Ferran, Brian Barnhart, Tony Purnell, Neil Ressler and Rick Long. Gen. William Looney III serves as the moderator of the group, this group won’t make THE decision, they will just recommend one to the League.

The interesting part of this process is that for the last three days, nine men have been sitting in the basement of the Brickyard Crossing, in the dual parlor rooms, hearing presentation after presentation. Jan Wesley Refsdal, President of Swift Engineering Inc, told me yesterday, that the presentation went great and they feel very good about where they stand. Did you know that the basis of all Swift Engineering designs for the 2012 IndyCar model started with the Formula Nippon model,(see picture below) an example of this model was sitting at the Brickyard Crossing yesterday. Personally, I think the Swift cars are very sexy looking cars.

(Swift's Formula Nippon pictured above)

I watched today as Dallara officials arrived in IMS SUV’s and the Delta Wing Racing team unloaded their model down by the practice putting greens at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course.

It’s funny to me, the future of IndyCar was sitting in the basement of the Brickyard Crossing, and that they might already know which chassis they are going to select for 2012.

IndyCar Garage gives you a brief breakdown of each chassis and their odds of being selected.

Feel free to throw your money wagers out and see how they pay out.

(Sorry IndyCar Garage is not a gambling site, so you’ll have to find someone else to actually take your money)

(Pictures are below each chassis manufacture)

Dallara – Odds 3 to 1

Dallara has to be the favorite going into the 2012 chassis, based off several factors. First, the huge amount of safety data that has been collected over the course of their 13 year involvement with the Indy Racing League. Second, they plan to build a brand new manufacture building right on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana. Their new building would be in the heart of the Speedway Redevelopment plans. They have been the sole chassis supplier of the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2007. Dallara has produced images of three different types of futuristic 2012 cars.

Delta Wing Racing – Odds 5 to 1

The futuristic Delta Wing Race car was presented to the public back in February at the Chicago Auto Show. Delta Wing Racing is a product of Chip Ganassi and his chief engineer, Ben Bolby. The Delta Wing has the support of various team owners, not all, but most and it appears to be the most radical type of IndyCar since the late 1960’s. The problem with the Delta Wing is that there isn’t enough time to get a working model on the track before a decision is made on June 30^th. The concepts for the Delta Wing, lower costs, and open opportunity for anyone to participate, is what makes it the most appealing, but the look of a non-traditional open wheel car, is what has turned man fans away from the Delta Wing.

Swift Engineering – Odds 6 to 1

Swift Engineering, in my opinion, has presented some of the sexiest, coolest, and unique looking cars for the 2012 chassis selection. Swift is based out of California, and that probably is their biggest problem. Most of the other manufacture groups have said they will build the car in Indianapolis, Indiana, most notable Dallara in Speedway, Indiana. Swift’s future designs include an open engine concept on some of their designs, and also a new lighting system that might be helpful with safety regulations in the wake of Mike Conway’s crash at the Indy 500. Check out all of the designs of Swift Engineering at http://www.swiftengineering.com/

Lola – Odds 7 to 1

Lola Race Cars have been involved with open wheel racing, as recently most in 2007 when they supplied the last year of Champ Car’s chassis. Lola also has won the Indy 500 three different times, as recently as 1990 with Arie Luyendyk. Lola is based out of England and has stated that they plan to build their cars in the state of Indiana, possibly Speedway, Indiana. Lola is also a personal favorite of legendary team owner, Roger Penske. The unique aspect about Lola’s design for 2012 is that the body styles for their proposed cars would be a dual body style so that Indy Lights teams could use them in the IZOD series. This would help lower costs for teams that wanted to field a one off for the Indy 500, but normally just participate in the Indy Lights Series.

(Lola's 1990 Indy 500 Winner pictured above)

BAT Engineering – Odds 15 to 1

If there was a long shot in the 2012 IndyCar chassis competition, it would have to be BAT Engineering. Composed of Bruce Ashmore, Alan Mertens and Tim Wardrop, hints the name. BAT was a late entry into the chassis proposal, and their concepts are the most radically next to the Delta Wing. BAT lacks safety data, and also experience, as they have yet to produce a car that has competed in any form of motor sports.(Correct me if I am wrong on that). It’s hard for me to believe that the league would go with an unknown chassis manufacture such as BAT, but in respect to the three men who formed BAT, good luck and no one should ever count out the long shot.

Resolving the 2012 chassis and engine decision

As the decisions for the new car package is starting to loom, Bernard said he expects a decision to be made by June 30th, IndyCar Garage would like to make their suggestion on how the decision should be made.

As I played golf at the Brickyard Crossing yesterday afternoon,(the Speedway looked like there hadn’t been 300,000 fans there two days ago, seriously it didn’t) it dawned on me, there needs to be different types of cars in IndyCar racing, especially in the IZOD IndyCar Series. I know, I know, everyone is saying this, but it dawned on me that there might be a solution that allows for different style of cars, but with one sole chassis manufacturer.

On the engine front, it’s a forgone conclusion that if the series doesn’t introduce multiple manufactures in 2012, they will never get corporate sponsors like NASCAR, and in turn never get NASCAR drivers (AMERICAN DRIVERS) to participate in IndyCar racing. Before you think to far, let me go on the record and say that I am not a huge fan of NASCAR racing, but I do think some of the drivers in NASCAR would have came to open wheel if the opportunities had been there. I think it would be nice and attractive to open those open wheel doors again if the NASCAR drivers want the chance to walk through them, because they weren’t open in the split years. Now, back to the chassis decision that is looming, IndyCar Garage breaks down the steps of how we get different style cars with one chassis manufacturer.

Step # 1 – Select a chassis manufacture that has came out with multiple designs for what the 2012 car should look like.

This eliminates the Delta Wing, which not surprisingly hasn’t impressed enough of the fan base to be even considered an IndyCar type race. This keeps Dallara, Swift, Lola, and BAT still in the race.

Step # 2 – Look at the four remaining manufactures and tell them…..

Tell your manufacture that you need them to build all of their designs if they are selected, and all of them need to be the same costs. This puts three different types of Dallara’s, I think four different types of Swift’s, two Lola’s, and two BAT concepts. Then tell them that the basic car tub, needs to be universal between all of their designs. We now have a basic tub for the car, but with multiple ways of designing the car.

Step # 3 – Tell the manufacture that you selected, all accessory parts for the multiple designs are on a level cost.

The tub has a universal cost and then break down all of the accessory parts for each designs, so if for example Dallara has three different designs, uniform the different parts so that they cost the same. So you have part A on the yellow Dallara, and part A on the red Dallara, make sure they cost the same amount. Part B on the maroon Dallara, and part B on the red Dallara, they should cost the same. You get the idea? Then teams that have to repair the yellow Dallara and red Dallara, pay the same repair costs.

Step # 4 – Tell the manufacture that you selected, that they need to build the new cars in Speedway, Indiana.

Speedway, Indiana is in the beginning stages of a massive Redevelopment project that includes overhauling main street, which is located directly southwest from turn one. Main Street is home to the famous pancake house, Charlie Browns, which is frequently visited by A.J. Foyt, and also new restaurant Dawsons on Main. The benefit of building it on main street, is that it gives main street an anchor in their redevelopment project, allows for Indianapolis based teams to have quick and local access to the manufacture, gives fans a up close look at how IndyCars are built, and allows for educational opportunities to be enhanced through local colleges that want to be involved in technology around motor racing.
Step # 5 – (Probably the most important) Establish a cap on costs to level the playing field.

Costs are dramatically out of control in IndyCar racing today, and they need to be lowered to allow more teams to participate. They also need to be lowered so that drivers can now be hired on merit and not on how much money they bring with them with on sponsors. Drivers such as Graham Rahal and soon to be Ryan Hunter-Reay are about to be on the sideline , due in part because their teams can’t afford to run them because they don’t bring sponsorship money with them.

Step # 6 – The conclusion

If these steps could be implemented, then maybe we have multiple style cars, multiple engine manufacture’s, multiple corporate sponsors, and of course the return of IndyCar racing to the national stage! All in all, this is probably a pipe dream, but hey , we all can hope can’t we?

Where does the Indy 500 and the IZOD IndyCar Series go from here?

The 94^th running of the greatest spectacle in racing concluded yesterday, on a hot sunny day in Speedway, Indiana. Dario Franchitti picked up his second Indy 500 win by leading 155 of the 200 laps at the 2.5 oval, and surviving a very hectic last ten laps.

IndyCar Garage gives you five ideas that the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indy 500 could use for in the next year

1. Start promoting next years Indy 500 as the greatest event in the history of motorsports

Next years Indy 500 is the last race under the Centennial Era celebration, and it will mark the 100^th anniversary of the first Indy 500, in 1911. Given a year to figure out the ins and out of IndyCar, IZOD should be even better next year in their support around the 500. The series needs to do its part and bring the best drivers from across the world to be in this one of a lifetime race. Does this mean bringing in some notable NASCAR names next year? Yes, probably. Does this mean following through with Bruton Smith’s promise of the 20 million paycheck for both the winner of the Indy 500 and the Coke 600? There should be some incentive to run both races and Randy Bernard and the IMS corporate crew need to make the right call on that.

2. Develop storylines that invoke the common fan to stay tuned for the rest of the 2010 season.

Everybody in the world should know who Dario Franchitti is in the next three to four days, but what the series can’t do is let that momentum of Dario’s win fade into the background after the Texas race. Dario needs to be promoted as a legend of the sport, a two time winner of the Indy 500. His best buddy, Tony Kanaan needs to profiled as the hero of the sport who is still looking for his first big win. Ryan Hunter-Reay can’t stop racing after Texas. Interesting story lines that are created from the Indy 500 can’t die two weeks after the greatest event of your season is over.

3. Make the right call on the new car/engine package.

Chip Ganassi made a very bold statement last night at the Indy 500 victory banquet, his closing statement thanked the Hulman/George staff and closed with the line “be bold as you move into the future”. What was he saying: choose the Delta Wing as the next generation of cars for IndyCar. Bernard has stated that he wants to have a decision in hand by June 30^th on the next generation of cars and he needs to, considering the timeline for production. It will be the most important decision that he makes as a four month old leader of open wheel racing in North America.

4. Put yourself in the right markets for 2011

The 2011 schedule will be announced in late July, early August. Bernard and his crew have some tough decisions to make regarding venues that want to host the IZOD IndyCar Series. What will happen to ISC tracks? Will they keep two or four?

Will they all be gone?

Will Las Vegas , Loudon, and Milwaukee return? Baltimore appears to a go for 2011. Wherever they decide to go, pick the markets that you’re wanted and can attract new fans. The promoters that don’t sell your sport, don’t deserve to be involved with your sport.                                                                

5. Keep doing a great job and the future looks good for IndyCar

Several drivers mentioned last night that IndyCar is on the upswing and the wave of momentum is good for the sport and even  Dario mentioned returning to the glory years. Most of this momentum is created through the IZOD activation and the freshness of Randy Bernard. The only thing I can tell them is: Keep it up and keep doing the best you can do to make IndyCar the best form of motorsports in the world.