IndyCar: The End of Spec Racing?
As the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 draws closer, the talk around the spec nature of the Verizon IndyCar Series continues to swirl. Right now, all of the teams in the series must use the Dallara DW12 chassis and they can outfit it with Chevrolet or Honda aero kit clothing. But, according to new reports from RACER, the leaders within IndyCar may be considering a move toward opening up the rules to allow for development.
RACER’s Marshall Pruett talked with Jay Frye, IndyCar’s president of competition, and discovered that a move toward dropping the separate aero kits could be on the horizon. According to the report, one possible solution would see the two engine builders collaborating to come up with a single-spec aero kit for 2017. This comes just after Frye revealed the series is also looking into opening up some areas of the car for development by the teams.
This all adds up to a shift toward the possible end of spec racing in the Verizon IndyCar Series. If the trend continues, we could see a period in the sport that is a callback to the days of individual team development and innovation. The question is whether or not this is the right direction for the sport. The answer is not simple.
It could be a positive move because it gets back to the roots of racing in that the idea has always been to see what can be done to go faster and beat the field to the finish line. The century-long history of the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is built on innovation in both speed and safety. In fact, the track itself was always intended to be a proving ground for auto manufacturers and opening the cars up for development in the Verizon IndyCar Series would certainly fit that bill.
However, it may not guarantee the future of the sport. Development comes at a cost and it often benefits those with the deepest pockets. Teams that can fund major advancements will end up with an equally major advantage over the rest of the paddock. While that is, of course, the essence of development and motorsports, an already thin grid of teams in the Verizon IndyCar Series may not be able to handle such a change. A massive advantage shared among only a few teams would likely lead to dominance, strung out races, and in turn a negative effect on television ratings and audience growth.
In a time when motorsports in general are struggling to find audiences and sell tickets, it may not be in the best interest of the sport to dilute the current competition. The real answer may instead lie in a balance of the past’s innovation and development and reality’s demand for cost efficiency and tight competition.
Perhaps the leaders in the Verizon IndyCar Series should consider a “spec and cap” system. That means setting down the specifications for the car and the engine and mandating a specific cost for each item. This would allow for multiple chassis builders, like Lola and Swift, and engine manufacturers to build to suit both the specifications and the price points intended to keep costs down. It would mean more potential for different cars and different power plants while also keeping costs in check and the competition close. It would even allow for individual teams to contract their own cars. Remember those successful Penske cars doing battle with Lola and March cars? Maybe the sport could have a semblance of that again.
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In short, IndyCar is likely on the right track with a move toward the end of spec racing. But, it must be careful to avoid the pitfalls of trying to recreate the days of old and instead it should focus on creating a new era that is suited for the realities of today’s sports world.