Q: Please explain tire allocation for the 500. Are extra tires allowed for teams that qualify Sunday for pole and bumping? Is there a race tire advantage for teams that make fewer qualifying runs?
Why was Legge the fastest RLL driver — did she bring her own engineer? Unfortunate outcome for Graham; the only silver lining is he won’t suffer further by running three laps down in the race.
The bump rules when only 34 cars are attempting seem stacked against the bubble spot. Wait 40 minutes after first run when track is cooler for the second attempt then get extra cooldown laps before trying a third time, leaving no time for defender. Having 35 or more entries can avoid that scenario.
Since we will never again see the real drama of bumping with 40+ entries, wouldn’t it be more fair for last row to each get a single run like the pole runs?
Roger
MP: The finer details on tires are in the next question, Roger, and yes, the fewer tires used leading up to the race, the newer/fresher the rubber for that entry. RLL supplied engineers for Kat’s car. I’m not sure if that’s the answer to make the LCQ more dynamic and interesting, but it does seem ripe for a rethink. If it was four cars from different teams on Sunday, I don’t know if the reaction to teammate-on-teammate bumping would have been 10 percent of what it was.
Q: How many sets of tires do the teams get for the month of May, and how are they used throughout the month? How many are set aside for race day?
S. Cooper, Bargersville, IN
MP: From Firestone:
Primary (black sidewall): 34 sets per entry
- Same construction and compound design as the 2022 Indianapolis 500 primary tires.
- Rookies receive three extra sets
- Drivers doing a refresher receive two extra sets
- Entries participating in Firestone Fast 12 will receive an extra set
- Entries participating in Firestone Fast 6 will receive an additional set
- Entries participating in last chance qualifying (last row) will receive an extra set
Notes from Cara Krstolic: “This year’s Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires have the same race-proven construction and compound design as last year. This year, it has slightly softer compounds with added grip. In keeping with our sustainability efforts, the tread of all our 2023 Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires also incorporate a synthetic rubber created with ISCC+ certified recycled Butadiene, a monomer produced with recycled post-consumer plastic waste, that was developed in partnership with Shell.”
Q: Epic fails during qualifying are part of Indy lore (see Penske 1995 et al), but didn’t more teams underperform this year than usual? Any identifiable reason why? (And BTW, how did Penske deteriorate from a sure bet at Indy to midpack?)
You have written at length about the special work that goes into prepping a car for the 500. Is it possible that some budgets are too tight to allow for that now? Is there a shortage of engineers around who are familiar with/adept at Indy setup?
Al, Boston
MP: Coyne’s on a strict budget, but RLL is loaded with sponsors and funding, and yet, Sting Ray Robb was well clear of what Harvey and Rahal could achieve. There are so many things that can cause a team to suck at the Speedway. Wrong R&D path. Bad data from testing that doesn’t correlate to what’s happening at the track. Inexperienced technical director or engineer. Chassis setup errors. Aero and/or mechanical drag anomalies. Tire inconsistencies. Poor decision making. Poor driving.
As teams rightfully say, if they knew what was wrong, they’d fix it.
Q: I’m curious about how much data is available to IndyCar teams. There appears to be quite a bit of data transmitted from the car.
When the engine manufacturer’s representative plugs into the car, is the data they get different from what the team can access? Is the manufacturers’ connection to the car proprietary and is the data exchange encrypted both ways?
Is it possible to automate or remotely change the fuel mapping/weight jacker to reduce the driver’s workload at the Speedway?
What is the purpose of the cable/cord that is always plugged into the driver’s compartment when stopped in the pits? Data and electrical power, or just electrical power?
Warbird Willie
MP: Yes, the engine techs have software that is unavailable to the teams, but they are also able to download performance data from the rest of the car since such things work as a unit. It is possible to automate, but it’s not allowed by IndyCar. The umbilical provides car power and acts as a download/upload cable.
Q: I was watching a replay of the 1991 Indy 500 and noticed that there were what looked like warmers covering the front wings and sidepods of Rick Mears’ car before the start of the race. What advantage did that bring to the car, and did every team use them? Also, when was it banned?
Matthew Houk, Columbus, OH
MP: Those were just blankets to cover the wings so other teams couldn’t see what angles and Gurney flaps were installed. As for the sidepod blankets, those would have been to keep temperature in the engine after it was warmed.
Thanks to former IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard and president Derrick Walker, covering the cars in the garages and on pit lane was banned in 2012, and that continues to apply to when the bodywork is on or off. It was a smart nod to the new engine/chassis formula and wanting to make sure the new technology being unveiled was actually seen by fans. Teams hate it when you shoot their uncovered cars, but I’m not sure how we get people to care about the vehicles and technology they contain if it isn’t shown and celebrated.
And as an aside, every team has their own spy photographer who shoots the other cars, so that part makes me chuckle.
Q: Is IndyCar looking to get the engine software changed and neccessary modifications in the engine by Honda and Chevrolet for 2024 so they can consider introducing standing starts for road and street courses, especially since the electric component can do the initial launch better than IC engines?
Shyam
MP: No, rolling starts aren’t coming to an end.
Q: With the added car for Andretti in IMSA GTP, is Marco Andretti a candidate for that car?
Dave Sontag
MP: As I understand, it’s a full factory car, not one that WTR/AA is funding by themselves, and assuming that’s the case, it would come as a surprise if Marco was in the frame for a seat. That’s not to say he shouldn’t; he was wickedly fast back in the day in the AGR Acura LMP2 car, but when it’s a factory deal, the factory tends to have the major voice in who’s driving since they’re the ones paying for it. All of that stuff aside, I’d love to see Marco back in prototypes. I’ve also heard Tristan Vautier is drawing a lot of interest.