IndyCar: Honda superspeedway kit features options

Honda’s superspeedway aerodynamic bodywork package unveiled today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway features a range of options available to teams to utilize on two configurations for Indianapolis 500 qualifications and the race.

Qualifications and race trim platforms were designed, developed and supplied by California-based Honda Performance Development, and the aero kit will make its public on-track debut May 3 during a Promoter Test on the 2.5-mile oval. Practice opens May 11, with qualifications May 16-17 and the 99th Indianapolis 500 on May 24.

The superspeedway package includes a variety of individual aerodynamic components fitted to the Honda-powered Dallara chassis but is markedly different from the road/street and short oval kit that has been utilized in the first four races of the Verizon IndyCar Series season. There will be differences between the Honda and Chevrolet superspeedway kits, within both manufacturers’ qualifying and race set-ups to achieve maximum performance, and within teams that likely will run different elements – even asymmetrical on the cars – during practice.

“We’re excited to unveil our superspeedway aero kit, the newest element in this era of enhanced manufacturer competition in the Verizon IndyCar Series,” HPD president Art St. Cyr said. “Coupled to our proven Honda Indy V6 engines, these aero kits are the products of thousands of hours of research, development and testing, as we seek to give our drivers and teams the tools they need to win the race that Honda holds as its most important goal each season: The Indianapolis 500.”

(Click on the thumbnails below for larger images.)

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As specified by the regulations, both manufacturers designed components in “legality boxes” that complement the standard components of the rolling chassis. Areas open for development in these legality boxes include sidepods, engine cover, rear wheel guards, front and rear wing main planes and end plates, superspeedway front wing main plane, and the Indianapolis 500 rear wing main plane. Standard components for all cars include the underwing, road course front wing and rear wing main planes, nose, mirror housing and roll hoop fairing.

The superspeedway package also will be used at Texas Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Auto Club Speedway (Fontana) this season, with a rear wing main plane different from the one for Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The road/street and short oval and superspeedway aero kits were developed by utilizing the latest in Computer-Aided Design and Computational Fluid Dynamics technology, then validated using Driver-In-Loop simulators. The process allowed the aerodynamic direction to be determined before full-size components were created.

Full-scale wind tunnel testing was used to confirm performance characteristics and develop aero maps to be used during manufacturer on-track testing from early October 2014 through mid-January 2015.

Source: IndyCar