F1 Cars > DP01 > CART Cars before the split > Karts > Pinto > NASCAR COT > Dallara

xsiveone - 29 March 2008 11:36 PM

Whatever chassis they use, they have to use a turbocharged engine. That would be totally unique to open wheel. Plus, they could regulate the power easier by limiting the boost. Let them crank it up for the road and street courses and then limit it for the ovals, so they aren't running around at 250 mph. I'd like to see a boost level to give the cars the speeds that they are currently running on the ovals and then give the cars a limited time of 100 hp on push to pass. That would be very interesting IMO.

The problem with limiting the boost on a turbo-charged car is that you, in effect, can create the very pack racing that many road racing fans seem to dislike so much about the IRL's ovals. Having extra HP on an oval seems awfully gimicky. In my opinion, the whole point of oval racing is to go as fast a possible all the time, not when you still have "push to pass" time left...

besmith - 01 April 2008 10:08 AM

The problem with limiting the boost on a turbo-charged car is that you, in effect, can create the very pack racing that many road racing fans seem to dislike so much about the IRL's ovals.

If the object is to get road racing fans to start watching oval racing, in any form, and to stop complaining, no car design is going to make that happen. If the racing is in packs, they'll complain it is in packs. If the racing is spread out, they'll complain that it isn't close enough.

Hopefully we won't have to go with a car that sacrificed so much to the gods of cost containment, like the DP-01, which was incredibly bad. And boring to look at.

Steve

Steve Levin - 02 April 2008 12:01 PM

Hopefully we won't have to go with a car that sacrificed so much to the gods of cost containment, like the DP-01, which was incredibly bad. And boring to look at.

Steve

I suppose aesthetics are somewhat subjective, but I absolutly love the look of the DP01. The rear wing was the only bad visual element IMO. Way too big. It certainly had it's share of teething pains though. Fuel hose interlock, engine re-start and driver seating position were issues at the beginning. All but the engine re-start system had been solved by a few races into the season. It's sole purpose was to race on the roads and streets which in turn makes it an aweful option for the ovals. I would be interested to know what was so incredibly bad Steve? Of course it's all water under the bridge now (Long Beach GP not withstanding)

Steve Levin - 02 April 2008 12:01 PM

Hopefully we won't have to go with a car that sacrificed so much to the gods of cost containment, like the DP-01, which was incredibly bad. And boring to look at.

Steve

You're the first person I've seen who doesn't like the look of the DP-01. IMO it's one of the nicest looking open wheel cars made in the last decade outside of F1.

The PAnoz Dp01 was a beautiful car It drew cues from the previous Champ cars while reaching for the future. The Dallara is BUTT UGLY!!!! I beleive Paul Tracy called hem "crapwagons".

westsideclay - 03 April 2008 01:17 PM

The PAnoz Dp01 was a beautiful car It drew cues from the previous Champ cars while reaching for the future. The Dallara is BUTT UGLY!!!! I beleive Paul Tracy called hem "crapwagons".

I'm probably lighting a match while standing in a lake of gasoline, but....

my problem with the DP01 is that it looked like dumbed down version of an F1 car. Granted, the road racing fans probably enjoyed that aspect of it. However, we now know that the future of American open wheel racing is the IndyCar series and will mean a mix of road/street circuits and ovals. It is that mix that, in my humble opinion, makes AOWR a unique thing. As such, I think it requires a car of equal uniqueness. I don't necessarily think the current Dallara fits that bill, but I think staying away from a car like the DP01, which, let's face it, was designed for use in a series not running on ovals is essential.

Something totally new is the only way to go.

Yes some thing new is what's called for, because now that the series are "unifeid" the car needs to be some thing that transcends the two. My respones was merely on the asthetics of the two chassis. The Dallara is seriously ugly. If that car were a woman it would be named Bertha. The Panoz is hardly a dumbed down version of an F-1 car,the designers sought to transition the previous Lola chassis into the 21st century in a new form. AS i previously stated it would be great to have multiple chassis and some real creativity if this "brave new series" is to regain the stature that it had before a gigantic ego squanderedit

My prediction is that they'll build a car that's visually quite different from the current Dallara and the DP01, but that its specs will basically follow the DP01 model (with an aero package for ovals). Unless the sponsors start beating down their doors (unlikely in the looming economy), there's no getting around the fact that they need a cheaper formula. So the new car will be less expensive, be capable of taking a variety of different engines, and have features that increase overtaking opportunities in the spirit of the DP01's ground effects. There will be greater restrictions on what can be done to modify the car, similar to the CCWS rules, to further keep costs down. And they will reduce the number of oval events to reduce repair bills. This all has to happen because the formula is too expensive for the amount of interest the series generates.

The engine will be the interesting part, there's a variety of different ways they could go. No guess as to what's going to happen there.