Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers might be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embody a query usually tend to be revealed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday might be saved for the next week.
Q: Blackbird 66 Mk.1: The place do you voice or register your help for this design?
John Schira
MARSHALL PRUETT: Help=registered.
Q: I wished to answer the Blackbird 66 article. What a breath of recent air! What a show of sanity! Lastly somebody pointing in an clever course!
iRacing and Dallara did one thing alongside these traces throughout the Covid period in designing and activating the Dallara iR-01 as a design train and subsequent use within the iRacing service. Its a fictional automobile, has outrageous specs and takes particular expertise to drive at its restrict. Although its of downforce DNA, the salient level is that as a challenge, it was simply precisely the type of first step that’s postulated on this article.
I bear in mind Dallara/iRacing saying that the ultimate design was accomplished as a working set of drawings and specs that could possibly be used as-is to construct the automotive in actual life, ought to somebody provide some cash. It is nonetheless energetic on iRacing at this time, in the event you wished a peek.
That nexus of Dallara / iRacing / iR-01 could be one level to discover alongside the street to furthering the Blackbird 66 as a actuality.
Greg Smith
MP: The argument to peel all downforce from downforce automobiles is an previous one, and there’s some splendidly romantic historical past of Indy automobiles – the Fifties and early Nineteen Sixties Roadsters period, particularly – the place zero downforce, lengthy wheelbases, decently highly effective four-cylinder Offy engines, and tall and thin tires made for nice racing and the modest use of drifting to navigate the corners.
Throughout the completely different areas that made the automobiles what they had been, the tall/skinny tires, which had been on the leading edge of information and expertise, enabled the drifting.
The unsaid half within the superior Blackbird 66 piece can also be the previous counter argument to taking wings and downforce off of at this time’s Indy automobiles, and that’s what occurs within the corners. The ’66 would weigh nothing and have 1000 horsepower, which is a dream. It could speed up like a High Gas dragster at Indy, at Lengthy Seaside, and so forth. And would crawl like a turtle – in comparison with at this time’s downforce automobiles – via the corners.
The absence of downforce means braking zones are considerably prolonged, so straights develop into shorter with regard to acceleration. Sure, the automotive is a missile in a straight line, however has no downforce to sluggish the factor, so say hey to leaping off the throttle looooong earlier than the nook arrives.
And with no downforce to hold that missile-like velocity via the sharper turns, you’re at a low velocity and needing to rely solely on mechanical grip to get via the corners. And that could possibly be enjoyable, offered a tire producer needs to go away from all the pieces they do at this time with comparatively low-profile sidewalls.
The final time we had superior drifty open-wheelers was in F1 within the Nineteen Seventies (till Lotus introduced floor results and large downforce into the sport). The automobiles had been very mild, had 500ish horsepower, and likewise had wings – typically very giant wings – and the rear tires had been very vast. However in addition they stood tall – had large sidewall profiles – and seemed and behaved like balloons. With the downforce serving to to maintain the automobiles beneath management, they could possibly be pushed sideways within the slower and medium-speed corners; all hail the good Gilles Villeneuve, who made his identify because the world’s preeminent F1 drifter.
So, sure, if a Firestone or one other model wished to wind the clock again 50 years with tire sizing and building, I’m positive you would replicate the Villeneuve approach with the ’66. It’s additionally price noting that whereas the drifting was cool, the automobiles weren’t notably quick in these corners, so if fashionable followers are good with the ’66 behaving like a dragster on the Indy 500 between the corners and seeing a steep drop in velocity as soon as they get near the corners and softly pedal via them, this might work.
For many who are all in regards to the velocity – the visible velocity and seeing Indy automobiles do greater than go quick in a straight line – there’s a priority. I’d like to see this automotive come to life. I’ll be the primary man there to assist construct it and crew on the factor. I simply don’t need of us to get misplaced within the romanticism of all of it with out acknowledging that 20-inch-wide rear tires aren’t a cure-all for the corners.
Doing 275 mph from Flip 4 to Flip 1 at Indy could be mind-blowing for drivers and followers to expertise. Seeing drivers hammer the brakes quickly after the Begin/End line and limp via Flip 1 at 175mph? That’s the half I battle with.
Determine a compromise on tires to permit drifting, and possibly that’s the magic repair that brings the ’66 idea to its full potential. One thing must tie the straights and corners collectively so it isn’t a case of explosive velocity adopted by deploying the parachute, over and over.
In any other case, the all-fun on the straights and comparatively-slow-as-hell in all places else feels off.
Hildebrand’s Blackbird 66 idea was an on the spot hit with readers. Picture by Patrick Faulwetter
Q: Please, please, please, somebody construct a racing collection primarily based on JR Hildebrand’s Blackbird 66 Mk.1. As a a lifelong fan of non-wing dash automobiles on filth, there isn’t any purer type of racing than over-powered automobiles scrabbling for traction. Seeing Hildebrand’s (and Gurney’s) automobiles in motion could be magical.
Ned Smith
MP: Amen.
Q: I used to be enthused to learn Hildebrand’s piece on the Blackbird. I’ve thought for years that eradicating or, at the least proscribing, wings and downforce would enhance racing in a number of methods, together with permitting automobiles to extra simply observe and go and permit a bigger vary of driving types to be aggressive. If braking distances enhance, I believe that might additionally make for higher racing. Most of us don’t drive automobiles with large wings or different downforce-producing gadgets, so issues could be extra intuitive as effectively. Arguably, energy unit traits develop into extra vital, so maybe it will enhance producer curiosity. If IndyCar had been to go on this course, it will present an apparent differentiation from F1 and negate the notion that they’re a lesser class.
What are your opinions?
Would possibly a discount in aerodynamics permit lesser-funded groups nearer to their well-funded opponents? How would you anticipate the sanctioning our bodies, groups and drivers to react? Or have they already? How would one construction a conversion schedule if the strategy had been accepted?
Jack
MP: I like the idea, with the questions raised above as the one caveats. Additionally, it’s superb how otherwise an idea is obtained when it doesn’t appear to be an grownup toy.
My late buddy and hero Dan Gurney, who JR cites because the inspiration for the Blackbird 66, was centrally concerned with the DeltaWing design created by Ben Bowlby, and like JR’s automotive, its core idea was one in all excessive efficiency via an absence of massive aero and a deep dedication to excessive drag discount.
The DeltaWing made downforce, after all, however solely sufficient to nook with the most effective of its rivals. The place the ’66 differs most is using a raging engine; the DeltaWing went the Colin Chapman route with lightweighting as one other core tenet; it had a tiny and bespoke four-cylinder turbo from Ray Mallock Restricted within the again and wasn’t seeking to go full-rocket just like the ’66.
Normally, no, decreasing issues does nothing to assist smaller groups draw nearer to greater groups. The temporary durations the place the enjoying area is barely leveled is when a brand-new system is launched. And that’s as a result of zeroing of time and data between all groups with that new system. As soon as the larger/higher/wealthier groups have sufficient time to study and grasp the automobiles, which occurs at a sooner fee for them, they draw back from the smaller groups. Additionally they are likely to have a head begin on the educational course of since they’ve extra individuals, and more cash, and extra experience. You’ll get a small staff or two that can overachieve and produce some early surprises, nevertheless it doesn’t final.
The article is every week previous, so I wouldn’t anticipate a enjoyable and superior idea to make a significant impression on how IndyCar, or F1, or another open-wheel collection goes about its planning for the long run. F1 has a brand new system on the way in which for 2026 and IndyCar is effectively down the street on its new automotive for 2028.
Bowlby and Chip Ganassi constructed a DeltaWing prototype (it was a present automotive, to be correct, not a functioning automobile), introduced it to the Speedway throughout the month of Might, and put it on show on the base of the Pagoda in 2010. It had loads of onlookers, various (myself included) who beloved the novel strategy to what the following Indy automotive could possibly be (whereas acknowledging its likeness to the Ace and Gary-mobile from SNL’s Ambiguously Homosexual Duo cartoons), and it was summarily rejected by IndyCar.
If the ’66 goes to have an opportunity in the actual world, it must be constructed and run and demonstrated as one thing superb to undertake by sanctioning our bodies, which continues to be unlikely to occur since F1 and IndyCar favor to do their very own factor, or for a rich lover of racing to put money into and type a brand new racing collection utilizing the ’66 system.
Q: I’ve talked about this earlier than, nevertheless it looks like this advertising concept can have some legs now. With FOX being an IndyCar accomplice now, how about IndyCar use a few of that leverage to place a present automotive or two at each NFL stadium? QR code on the automobiles with the IndyCar schedule, in addition to ticket shopping for alternative for the closest race or the five hundred. Looks like a pure to me.
Vincent Martinez, South Pasadena, CA
MP: It’s an awesome concept that turns into possible firstly of the 2027 NFL season.
Till then, groups might be utilizing their Dallara DW12s to race, and as soon as the season finale occurs in late August/early September of ’27, you’ll have 100-plus DW12s with no goal and no vital worth, which makes blanketing the nation with Indy automobiles for promotional functions an possibility. Who pays for the entire ongoing transportation, organising, and activations from occasion to occasion? That half wants a solution.
For many groups proper now, they’ve at the least one present automotive, however these are usually in use at sponsor features and whatnot all through the offseason. Once we hit the offseason in 2027, proper because the NFL season is beginning, there might be fleets of DW12s that may be deployed to each NFL stadium, school soccer stadiums for FOX’s Saturday video games, MLB parks as baseball’s season winds down, and anyplace else FOX Sports activities may have its cameras.
Q: I learn a word revealed to elucidate what Ed Carpenter Automotive Components means. Ed Carpenter has a enterprise that makes particular components just for his IndyCar race automobiles, not for public gross sales. It didn’t make clear precisely what meaning. I assume it means the corporate has designers and fabricators in-house who design components to exchange the unique bodywork offered by Dallara to enhance aerodynamics.
Among the different groups do the identical sort of fabrications (I consider RRL, Andretti, Penske, Ganassi have functionality to make {custom} parts to realize small benefits in velocity). There should be guidelines established by IndyCar and possibly Dallara for security causes relating to the boundaries in changing sure parts. Neither company would wish to undergo the unhealthy press created by a alternative element failure leading to damage to anybody on the scene of a crash.
My query is, what are the constraints for making and utilizing custom-made replacements that will embody suspension parts?
T. Grimes
MP: When writing in to quote and reference one thing, it helps to share a hyperlink to no matter it’s, since there’s no context as to whether this ‘word’ was posted yesterday or 10 years in the past. I couldn’t discover it through Google, as effectively.
I’ve no data of ECR beginning a second enterprise to make IndyCar components for its principal enterprise. Each staff has a machine store and composites store to deal with the manufacturing or restore of no matter is required associated to their automobiles and help tools.
Relying on the yr and period, groups have been allowed to make plenty of the parts on their Indy automobiles, after which we’ve got the present state of affairs the place groups aren’t allowed to make most issues for his or her Dallara DW12s, together with suspensions, with exception for anti-roll bars.
Q: To recommend an alternate for IMSA’s FCY in response to the concerns of the King of Lower Ellsworthia, why not simply retains the pits closed for FCYs? I do know, the groups love the power to pit, however the issue of those longer FCYs is the large delays as a result of shuffling of the automobiles and lessons.
So, screw ‘em. Hold the pits closed. For those who want emergency service, these guidelines apply. In any other case, you possibly can pit when it goes inexperienced. It’s honest for all of the opponents, and eliminates a minimal of two laps (and possibly extra) for each FCY process.
Is it much less of a visible spectacle? Perhaps. However I’ll commerce the mayhem of a full pit battle for further inexperienced flag operating each time.
Additionally, for reshuffling automobiles, in Tremendous GT I bear in mind the collection parking the GT500 class on the primary straight, then letting the GT300 class go them and are available round in order that the grid could possibly be reshuffled in a single lap. IMSA may do the identical. After which in the event that they wished to deal with lapped automotive wave-arounds as effectively, after the GTP class parks on the primary straight, make the GTD lessons park on the again straight, after which the wave-around automobiles can simply cycle to the again of their respective lessons. Then restart the lessons in sequence and so they can all be part of up as a re-formed and sorted area inside a single lap. Or is that too formidable?
Duncan, Ottawa
MP: I’ve had the identical thought on closing the pits and making everybody pit when it goes inexperienced. One thing to contemplate on why IMSA doesn’t do that’s the measurement of its automobiles – specifically the lengthy and vast prototypes – and the scale of the pit bins they’ve to make use of are most races, which is within the vary of 19-20 toes lengthy. Some occasions have longer bins within the 22-foot vary, however these are rarities.
Why does this matter? We get right into a critical numbers drawback each time there’s three or 4 lessons competing and the entry listing is 35 to 50-plus automobiles deep.
We see how excruciatingly tight issues might be at many IndyCar races with 27 automobiles with lots of steering lock to get out and in of the pit bins. Double that quantity of automobiles, and with fenders, you don’t get the intense steering angles to play with like open-wheelers, and that’s a recipe for lots of issues moving into and out of pit bins with a complete area of IMSA GTP/P2/GTD Professional/GTD automobiles pitting on the similar time, and locations lots of crew members on the lane and within the cramped areas automobiles use to navigate their approach out and in of the stalls.
In order that’s why they break up the lessons and keep away from jamming everybody in collectively and danger groups dropping plenty of time, to not point out having an enormous mass of humanity on the lane. I do know it was achieved this manner previously and people managed. Understanding how all the pieces is so tightly regulated at this time with minimal pit cease instances and managed refueling instances, the place no one is keen to give up a fraction of a second – which is completely different from the mindset when all people pitted on the similar time – I perceive why it’s achieved this manner.
Q: Any rumblings with regard to Honda’s relationship with IndyCar? There was some extent earlier this yr the place it was the dominant story in IndyCar. I’m hoping it’s factor that we haven’t heard a peep of latest.
Will Zoeller
MP: Once I final requested about two weeks in the past, Honda was nonetheless evaluating. As I continuously have to remind myself, we additionally haven’t heard from Chevy on its formal dedication to provide engines past 2026.
Watch this house. Matt Fraver/Penske Leisure
Q: Following the letter final week in regards to the IMSA yellow flag state of affairs, I’ve a query. When there’s a state of affairs the place there’s a FCY, why cannot the tempo automotive merely choose up the chief and the others maintain station behind the chief as they run? And if the chief, or anybody else for instance, decides to pit throughout the FCY, then they arrive out the place they arrive out, and that’s the place they keep.
If the chief pits, the tempo automotive merely picks up the following automotive behind it, even when it’s a lapped GT automotive, for instance. Chances are high they might field, too. Then when the mess is cleaned up, we go racing – no losing time aligning the lessons.
They race anyplace from a dash to 24 hours coping with class racing, so they need to be capable to take care of restarts all blended up. They’re single file restarts anyway, so it shouldn’t be that tough to do. Hoping they discover a answer.
Dan
MP: To each ‘why can’t they’ query, my speedy response is, ‘They will in the event that they wish to.’
There’s no motive they’ll’t do what you recommend or others recommend. It’s a matter of whether or not they like the concept or wish to change from no matter they’re doing proper now on no matter subject.
Q: I used to be watching a report about Dan Wheldon’s accident, and the feedback raised a query about his entry in Las Vegas, given the problem of beginning final, and so forth.
The query that arose is whether or not he was the one driver to just accept the problem, and if there have been different names thought of?
Relating to the 2026 season, do not you assume it will be superb for Rahal LLR to promote its constitution for No.30 and put money into the opposite two automobiles, or since they misplaced the IMSA program, can they now focus extra on IndyCar once more?
Emerson Czerkawski, São Paulo, Brazil
MP: There have been others being thought of, together with Travis Pastrana. RLL’s sports activities automotive staff has received extra races during the last 17 years than its IndyCar program, in order that aspect of the home is one thing to carry onto and discover a new producer to rent as its manufacturing facility staff.
The No. 30 had its worst season so far, and there have been rumors of the staff seeking to promote its constitution, however these are false. The staff is testing Mick Schumacher on Monday on the IMS street course. Graham Rahal and Louis Foster have multi-year offers and are locked in for 2026. The one motive to check Schumacher is to see if he likes the automotive and would wish to be part of Rahal and Foster subsequent yr. Stated one other approach, if the staff was seeking to eliminate the third automotive, it will serve no goal to spend cash on operating Schumacher.
With that in thoughts, it’s clear to me that RLL is looking for a driver who will restore what it misplaced when Christian Lundgaard departed for Arrow McLaren. Axing the third automotive solely is sensible if it could possibly’t discover somebody to carry it ahead within the area.
Q: Are the IndyCar groups allowed to mix-match tire compounds? For instance, put two exhausting compound tires within the again and two softs within the entrance? Or put two comfortable compounds on the left aspect of the automotive and hards on the suitable? And even higher, put a tough compound on the entrance proper and softs on the opposite three? Please advise.
Bob Grey, Canoga Park CA.
MP: They aren’t.
Q: Will the low season strikes put Andretti again into the combination? With the technical alliance between Andretti and Coyne carry VeeKay again into the fold?
Dino, New Hanover, PA
MP: To date, it’s dropping Nathan O’Rouke from the No. 26 timing stand in favor of a shop-based engineering position, so within the short-term, no, I can’t see how that makes the staff stronger. He’s probably the greatest race engineers within the collection, and will definitely assist the staff in no matter position they create for him, however I wouldn’t anticipate it to have a direct impression. It’s only a query of timing and when O’Rourke’s revised contributions might be felt.
Identical for Rob Edwards, who holds onto his staff management position till the tip of the yr after which shifts to an overarching chief efficiency officer place that covers all of TWG Motorsports’ program, aside from F1. He’ll be new to that position and defining its scope on the similar time, so like O’Rourke, it’s exhausting to say a direct uplift might be skilled in IndyCar.
Ron Ruzewski, who’ll take over from Edwards in January, is the one individual whose change I anticipate to have an on the spot affect. He’s arriving from Group Penske the place his title was managing director, and that’s the identical title held by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Mike Hull, which speaks to how vital Ruzewski was to Penske’s success. He’s been given the title of staff principal at Andretti, which is only a completely different identify for what he was doing at Penske.
His deep race engineering background and technical director-level stature at Penske might be a brand new aspect for the chief of Andretti’s IndyCar program, in order that’s a achieve, after which you may have the apparent half, which is figuring out Penske’s playbook inside and outside. All of the methods Penske prepares its automobiles for the Indy 500 and does no matter it does to be particular in all places else is within the reminiscence banks of the individual answerable for Andretti’s three-car effort, which incorporates Will Energy, who Ruzewski labored carefully with at Penske.
The one draw back is Ruzewski’s on gardening depart till the tip of the yr. If he was in a position to plug himself into Andretti at this time, there could be a bigger alternative to form its offseason engineering R&D program and another areas he sees as needing enter. Beginning on January 1 will push that timeline again, however sure, the staff needs to be extra aggressive with him in the home.
VeeKay is off to Juncos Hollinger Racing.
That is the smile of a driver who is aware of he has a experience for subsequent yr. Chris Owens/Penske Leisure
Q: I’ve adopted the Cadillac F1 information and the announcement of drivers. The half that I have not heard something about is Herta the check driver.
Is he lined as much as a F2 staff for subsequent season? Are any of the present groups to having him with them or is there going to be a brand new staff for him to drive for?
Michael Kraemer
CHRIS MEDLAND: The final data I had was that the staff was not but absolutely confirmed, however there was a shortlist of three. Drivers should carry funds to a seat in F2, so there was a suggestion that maybe a number of the numbers being quoted had been inflated, resulting in it taking just a little longer to finalize.
It is going to be an current staff as there isn’t any announcement of a brand new staff getting into F2 subsequent yr, or a present one being offered/rebranded (although it could possibly occur at quick discover). I consider the vast majority of groups had been very all for operating Colton, however some had been additionally barely cautious of the elevated scrutiny and stress that might come alongside that.
Q: Colton Herta hasn’t introduced which F2 staff he’s driving for subsequent yr, which goes to have a big effect on expectations, however what does yr in F2 appear to be for Colton subsequent yr?
On one hand Herta is much more skilled at racing in a excessive stage in comparison with the common F2 driver, however on the opposite he has much less expertise on the tracks in comparison with virtually everybody else within the area.
Is it reasonable for him to be a title contender?
Will, Indy
CM: Actually, no, I don’t assume it’s reasonable for him to be a title contender. That’s not right down to an absence of expertise, however expertise in comparison with those that might be combating for a title. You’re proper that the staff he finally ends up with will play a serious position – you want the tools to be dependable and to have good engineers round you – however I personally would view subsequent yr as a studying season for Colton to realize observe expertise and get to know the automotive and surroundings once more.
Then I’d anticipate him to be combating for the title the next season, earlier than seeking to step as much as F1 in 2028. That might permit Cadillac to seek out its toes, too, and the expertise of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to essentially assist with the staff’s improvement earlier than contemplating any adjustments to the line-up.
Q: The following set of F1 guidelines appear to be getting increasingly more unfavourable publicity (even with, I think about, F1 placing stress on drivers to restrict any unfavourable commentary to the press). However wanting ahead to the next set of rules, is it time for F1 to be much less prescriptive?
For instance, with the success of the price cap, may this be expanded to engine producers too, however they’re then given freedom on engine measurement and sort? Then groups would have extra notable strengths and weaknesses. We may see V12s and V8s vs smaller turbo V6s. With a strict value cap, groups received’t be allowed uncontrolled spending and improvement.
For the general automotive, scale back the minimal weight to 550kg, for instance. It may not be potential to achieve that weight, but when groups should go the strict crash exams then groups can develop a lot smaller lighter automobiles or ones which might be barely bigger (however nonetheless smaller than present era).
Lastly, may there be extra testing choices, if groups wish to do testing then there’s an related value and so they should additionally sacrifice wind tunnel and CFD improvement time. This opens up completely different methods and so forth.
This may by no means occur however could be good to have extra open guidelines and automobiles which might be identifiable to a staff even when they’re painted black. (Last level: Can the FIA pressure groups to have the automobiles in gloss/chrome end? The matte colours and quantity of carbon makes the schemes a lot duller).
Richard, UK
CM: I do love the concept of freedom for engine producers, and it has been mentioned previously, however the concern is one sort of engine would emerge because the dominant one, and both you’d should develop the identical measurement, or pull out of the game if that wasn’t in keeping with a producer’s wider strategy. The one option to realistically keep away from that occuring could be via Stability of Efficiency (BoP), and as prescriptive as F1 has develop into, that’s one thing it isn’t eager on.
You’re additionally proper Richard that 2022 did see the automobiles develop into extra prescriptive than previously, however that was to each attempt to encourage nearer racing and restrict how a lot a automotive was influenced by soiled air. You may not consider it, however each have been achieved – your entire grid is often lined by lower than a second over a qualifying lap – however in creating a more in-depth area, there aren’t the efficiency differentials that result in overtaking.
With out these, then a smaller quantity of soiled air has a much bigger impression, as a result of the automobiles are already carefully matched. For instance, in the event you misplaced 0.5s per lap operating behind one other automotive 5 years in the past, however had a 1.0s per lap benefit, you’d have a greater likelihood of overtaking. Whereas now, in the event you lose 0.25s per lap behind one other automotive, however solely have a 0.5s per lap benefit, the tempo benefit shouldn’t be sufficiently big to make a transfer.
Selection in automotive design and engine specs would create larger differentials to permit extra overtaking, however that might additionally open up the potential for much more races the place there are huge gaps between automobiles.
It’s all the time going to be imperfect whether or not you go for the extra prescriptive route or much less, however the place I completely agree with you is that the automobiles needs to be smaller. Very merely, that offers them extra room to race in on current tracks, which undoubtedly wouldn’t damage.
In your last level, technically the FIA may try this in the event that they wished – they may write it into the rules! Which I believe was kind of instructed at one level, within the type of mandating a share of the automotive that couldn’t be carbon. However making it simpler for groups to satisfy the load restrict would even have a useful impression on liveries.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, October 8, 2014
Q: Final week throughout the press convention for the Japanese GP, all of the drivers had been requested what probably the most highly effective automotive they’d pushed by age 17. Sebastian Vettel talked about that he examined a Champ Automotive at that age. This is able to put it round 2004 or ’05. I’ve by no means heard something about this check, so do you may have any details about the place it was and who he was testing for
Artem, Kitchener, ON
ROBIN MILLER: He was the Components BMW champion and earned a check in Derrick Walker’s Champ Automotive at Homestead’s infield course. Right here’s a quote from Walker: “He was bloody spectacular and I advised any individual ‘That child could possibly be Components 1 champ some day.’” Good name, D.W
