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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Indy 500 pole comes down to aerodynamics

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There was a time when aerodynamics at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) were secondary to both horsepower and a driver’s ability.

Alas, those days may be in the proverbial rear view mirror as the quest for the coveted pole position for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 may come down to which engine manufacturer has done their homework in terms of the newly developed aero kits that both Chevrolet and Honda drivers will be utilizing. What was once simply an effort to add variances to the appearance and handling of the Indy Car mandated identical chassis that all teams must compete in, has turned into an ultra competitive war that actually rivals that of the competition between the engine manufactures themselves.

If you follow the Verizon Indy Car Series, you know the Chevrolet engine has shown to be more than just stout and offers a noticeable difference in horsepower, allowing teams who have it to be quicker than teams running the Honda power plant.

However, neither is taking all this for granted and when the manufacturers were given the green light to develop specific aerodynamic kits for their engine customers, both of them took dramatically different paths to the finished products. While there is a radically different appearance to the aero kits utilized for road and street courses, there are even more changes for the oval package and that has a number of drivers (who requested anonymity when I spoke to them about it) concerned. Some feel the side pods and rear wing pod differentials will play a role, but one former Indy 500 champion told me there was now “only so much” to be gained from adjusting the ultra thin rear wing on both kits. There was also varying opinions on how easily one would be able to pass on race day, which has been both exciting and plentiful the last two years. Needless to say, Honda looks to close the gap on horsepower with aero advantages, and while that remains to be seen, there’s noise in the garage area amongst the Chevrolet teams that rises above the normal competitive concern.

Notes: The month of May officially kicked off with the second running of the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis which took place May 9 on the IMS road course. For the second year in a row, the start was a debacle and an accident sent contenders to the back of the pack as a result. While there was a reported 20 percent decline in attendance, those in the stands were treated to some spirited racing as they watched pole sitter and defending Verizon Indy Car Series champion Will Power cruise to an easy victory. Graham Rahal got the whip out late and made a splendid charge in attempt to catch Power but came up short and had to settle for second place. Former series champion and 2000 Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the podium by finishing third. Scott Dixon, who was victimized on the start via some overaggressive driving by Helio Castroneves had the drive of the day by coming from dead last to finish 10th.

Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee drove the pace car to start the race and tight end Coby Fleener was seen strolling before the start of the event in the pit area. While attendance was reported to be down, the event still has to be considered a bargain for fans when you factor in the number of support series races one gets to view in addition to the main event for one admission price. Most people I spoke to like the format and consider it affordable for families. Credit goes to IMS for making it work for all those on a budget.

Danny Bridges, who thinks the IMS tenderloin is tasty, and feels a Chevrolet-powered entry will win both the pole and the Indy 500 this year, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.

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