Indycar 2015

OK, is it me, or are the new aero kits so ugly it makes them hard to watch. I know it shouldn't matter, but shesh, those things are killing the series. Ugly and fragile, what could be worse. I thought when they were going to roll out body kits, I assumed the cars would look different from each other, but no, it's just after thought, tacked on winglets.

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I've given it three races and I may have to stop watching as my wife keeps telling me to stop yelling at the TV. Race cars don't have to be ugly turds. If you are going to not have a spec series, at least let the teams build their own.

And while they weren't pretty last year, they did raced better. If I were Honda or Chevrolet, I'd be embarrassed to put my name on them.

yeah … they're ugly

IndyRacing has sucked this year.

And no Simona? WTBerk? I guess 4th last time out wasn't good enough?

How they thought making the cars gangrape the air would make for better racing is beyond me.

They're Crapwagons. After all this time I've learned to ignore them. The Hulman/George clan can hemorrhage money for all eternity for all I care. Berkeley them.

I see that they had to remove a couple of pieces. One driver called them Rabbit Ears. I think they should have just enough down force to keep them on the ground.

Which is worse looking ? F1 or Indy car ?

Indy car … this yr

last yr I'd have said F1 with their penis noses

Seeing them in person at NOLA, they are HIDEIOUS!!!

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/5/19/8625257/james-hinchcliffe-indy-500-crash-injuries

"Hinchcliffe had the steel wishbone enter and exit his right leg, then enter his upper left thigh, and continue into his pelvic region, where it came to a stop. The suspension component pinned the 28-year-old in the car, leading the safety team to cut the wishbone from the chassis to allow Hinchcliffe's extraction."

Wow.

Here's hoping for a speedy-recovery for the Mayor of Hinchtown.

Nasty-- hard wreck for Hinchcliffe. You can add all the safety devices you like.....racing at 230 mph is still going to be dangerous. Indy is easy to criticize as the cars are ugly, mostly the same, and it "ain't what it once was". It is still however, one of the most dangerous races in the world. I have nothing but respect for the folks who have the cojones (or lady cojones) to put in on the line out there. In person, it's an amazing site to witness----unlike anything else I've ever seen.

I attend the Indy 500 every year. I'm not a fan of Indycar, I'm a fan of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That place is hallowed ground.....and you can feel the past on race-day. It's also a fantastic way to spend Memorial Day Weekend, as they do a great job of honoring those who have fallen while serving our country. Hearing the bugle echoing throughout the stadium as a lone soldier plays "Taps" is one of the loneliest, most moving things I've ever heard---- still gives me goosebumps....every time.

I gave up on Indy years ago.

Latest news is that he is doing well.

With all the resources of Chevrolet and Honda and they can't fix the cars so they won't fly. Maybe thy need some flaps like NASCAR put on the cars. Seem to work pretty well.

spitfirebill wrote: I gave up on Indy years ago.

Short sited view. The racing is great other than all the yellow flags. Indy GP was a good race, so was Long beach and Barber. the others this year have been ruined by yellow flags. Once they sort that out, the racing will be better than F1 and I'm a life long rabid F1 fan.

I agree with Joe, there is something about just walking into Indy. You know its special the moment you arrive. I've watched the 500 and F1 there, and the 500 is completely different.

After watching all that has happened this year, I hope the race goes off without any big impacts. They've had enough already. Hopefully Hinch gets well soon and back in the car. He appears to be a nice guy living the dream.

I'm with you racerdave600---- I'm more nervous about driver safety (and crowd safety) than I have been in years. Hopefully the race will be an exciting one, without injury to anyone.

20 or so years ago, they broke the lower limbs of several drivers due to the flat at the bottom of the track. I said at the time they should bulldoze the place, but they fixed the track and it got better.

Right now, I'm back to the bulldoze the place, but if they fix the problem with the cars I'll be ok.

iceracer wrote: With all the resources of Chevrolet and Honda and they can't fix the cars so they won't fly. Maybe thy need some flaps like NASCAR put on the cars. Seem to work pretty well.

Series Q, how would you do that with a single seater? I'd be scared that trying to create extra drag on the top side of a single seater would make a barn door that would actually promote it going over.

MAybe they need to only allow the aero kits for road courses going forward.

I think the cars still have too much downforce- when the grid is run flat out, and the top places are more determined by the ambient conditions- I'm not a big fan of that.

Best IndyCar race I've seen recently was when they were forced to put a superspeedway package on for a short track. That meant 1) the drivers had to drive (back out in corners- perish the thought) and 2) the set ups were different enough that they changed a lot during a stint. It also meant more than one line- so as cars changed, there was some passing.

So, IMHO, they can reduce downforce MORE- but I do think that an aero device that has the same effect as the flap can work- so the cars spin but don't get airborn.

That won't solve accidents like Hinch's- as I read he had a suspension failure. But recent advances in the wall and the car have done a lot to keep the drivers safe.

Adrian- how? I don't know- but with some study, I'm sure a flap of some kind can come up- be it a moving flap like in nascar or some other device to keep the bottom from backflowing is possible. If it reduces forward downforce, all the better.

Then they can up the power to keep the lap times fast.

I'd just like to see more put on the driver to do something more than just steer the car.

In reply to alfadriver:

I totally agree with the sentiment of more power less downforce.

less downforce is what I've been advocating for yrs … for Indy, for F1, and for NASCAR … make the drivers drive

NASCAR … give um back their engines, make um lift at the end of the straights (Daytona and Talladega)

F1 … make it less downforce so they don't have to depend on BS like the DRS for passing … do away with a lot of the turbulent air behind the car (wing caused) so that the faster car can actually corner on the tail of the car ahead, and then power past on the next straight

Indy… make it so they can't drive these ovals flatfooted

So many people have been asking for less downforce for so long, I have to think there are reasons why it hasn't happened. I remember Brock Yates' columns in C&D 20 years ago saying they should take the wings off F1 cars. The only reason I can think of why they've stayed is to have more space for sponsor logos.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I gave up on Indy years ago.

Short sited view. The racing is great other than all the yellow flags. Indy GP was a good race, so was Long beach and Barber. the others this year have been ruined by yellow flags. Once they sort that out, the racing will be better than F1 and I'm a life long rabid F1 fan.

I just can't stand the way the cars look. Same thing with F1.

wbjones wrote: NASCAR … give um back their engines, make um lift at the end of the straights (Daytona and Talladega)

I think it's more about how fast they would be going once the got their.

Remember almost 30 years ago Bill Elliot qualified and set race pace at more than a 210mph average.

I suspect unleased with full power they would be hitting 240+ at the end of the straights.

I also agree racecars have become way to dependent on downforce. Anything above go karts, street stocks, or formula F, and it seems all you hear is people bitching about not enough downforce. In my opinion the corner speeds are way, way too high. You should have to lift, brake, and work the throttle to get through a turn. Jeez, even at a place like Darlington, they aren't off the throttle for long. Now Indycar and F1 want to add a bunch more power to artificially inflate speeds and break records. Right idea, wrong method. Many years ago Rusty Wallace took off his restrictor plate during a test day and went over 240 at Talladega in his Cup car. Yee friggin' hah. BAR took their Honda F1 car to Bonneville one year and made a pass at a tick under 250 mph. To this day they still get credit for the fastest F1 car ever. The events going on at Indy the past few weeks got me pondering if anyone has ever put their car in a wind tunnel backwards. Seems like that would be very useful information to have.

z31maniac wrote:

wbjones wrote: NASCAR … give um back their engines, make um lift at the end of the straights (Daytona and Talladega)

I think it's more about how fast they would be going once the got their. Remember almost 30 years ago Bill Elliot qualified and set race pace at more than a 210mph average. I suspect unleased with full power they would be hitting 240+ at the end of the straights.

not if they'd take away "all" their downforce … leaving just enough rear spoiler to make them drivable…

mainly take away the front air dams and mandate a front spring that will keep the front end up off the pavement … again leaving a tiny amt. of rake to give SOME downforce to the front end … they would then have to actually put REAL brakes on the 2 1/2 mi. tracks … they would have to lift way before the corner and BRAKE for the corner (because of all the speed they could develop on the straights) without the control of the front downforce, I think you would be correct …. I should have mentioned the front end downforce when I made the initial post