New Aero Kit Part of Bigger INDYCAR Plan
Frye says the kits took about 18 months to design.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowINDYCAR’s president of competition and operations says he hopes the new universal aero kit unveiled today will help attract another official engine manufacturer to the series. Jay Frye says the design is part of a five-year plan that includes finding a third OEM to join Honda and Chevrolet. He says fan reaction has been positive on the new kits, which he believes combine modern technology with a "historical feel."
Verizon IndyCar Series teams currently use aero kits made by Honda or Chevrolet. However, Frye says the series has talked with other manufacturers that "didn’t really want to be part of our aero kit program." He says he hopes INDYCAR partnering with Dallara to make the kits will help the series attract a third OEM.
Oriol Servia was one of the drivers who tested the new kit today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"The last car was working great. It’s given us great Indy 500 races and championships, so I think the fans were wondering, ‘What are we doing?’," Servia told Inside INdiana Business. "But the second the car was unveiled, everyone fell in love."
Servia believes Honda and Chevrolet will also benefit from the design. He says putting all the drivers in the same aero kit will allow the OEMs to focus more on the engines, "which is what they do."