INDYCAR: Downforce hot topic after Phoenix test

The lingering question ahead of IndyCar's return to race at Phoenix is whether the series should slash downforce figures. Leaving last week's test on the one-mile oval, the physical toll exacted by an increase in downforce with the updated road course/short oval (RC/SO) aero kit packages from Chevy and Honda, and concerns over the quality of the 250-lap race in high-downforce trim, have fed an ongoing debate.

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"Right now, we have the most downforce the cars have ever had, in history, and the most we've ever had on an oval," Team Penske's Will Power (RIGHT) told RACER at Phoenix. "It's pretty stuck."

Using multiple lanes in the corners also proved to be a challenge, and altogether, the concept of cutting downforce for the April 2 race gained some momentum as something worth considering. Counter to that concept, some of the smartest ideas came from drivers and engineers who realized slashing downforce would be the wrong direction to take.

Thinking of the return to Phoenix after an 11-year hiatus, and the need to entertain new and existing fans to rebuild the event, a bait-and-switch is the last thing IndyCar needs.

"I don't think we should show up and test at 190 mph, then come back and run 173 with low downforce," one engineer said. "We came here and differentiated ourselves with speed; we're what, almost 50 mph faster than NASCAR? If you take downforce off these cars, you're going to have drivers tip-toeing through the corners like we did at Texas a few years ago. That was unbearable to watch."

Among Power's more realistic suggestions for the Phoenix race, a move from the mid-level turbo boost used on short ovals to full road course boost – the maximum available – as a way to force drivers to slow on corner entry is intriguing. Rahal Letterman Lanigan's Graham Rahal agrees with the Chevy driver's outlook on horsepower, and believes that change alone would produce the desired outcome of increased passing.

"The aero shouldn't change," Rahal said. "I think you need the downforce for the race – for the show. Why not have all the downforce and the road course horsepower? My opinion is we need to go to high boost so we're going faster down the straights, then we have to lift in the corners, and then you have to manage the tires as they fall off.

"If we take downforce off, nobody will be able to follow and it will be boring. If we go up on boost, the cars will be faster, we'll go faster in qualifying, and with that extra power, you can pass easier coming out of the corners if you're taking care of your tires and the guy in front of you hasn't done as good a job."

IndyCar made a slight adjustment to the Phoenix aero package heading into the Spring Training test, taking approximately two percent of downforce away after Team Penske (and other Chevy teams) provided feedback after testing at the track. It's possible another round of light downforce reduction could be made without drastically altering the show, but Rahal's thoughts on the relation between downforce and tire management is where the focus should be centered.

"I thought the tires were good, but after a while, the tire marbles were becoming a problem," he said. "If you take off downforce, it's only going to become worse. I mean it; if you turn up the power and leave the aero as it is, we're going to look after tires better, and yeah, maybe we aren't going to have a lot of passing when we're on new tires, but once tire [degradation] starts to happen, the second part of our stints are going to be fun and you can pick off the guys who went too hard on their tires or are off on their setups. After 35 laps or so once the tires go off, the passing will be there."

RACER heard negotiations on race downforce levels were taking place behind the scenes at the test between IndyCar and its manufacturers – an informal attempt to balance aerodynamic performance. The Chevys seemed to thrive in the heat of the day – in thinner air – and the Hondas appeared to hit their stride in the thicker, cooler night air. With the race scheduled for a Saturday evening, the series' final decision on maximum downforce levels for Phoenix could influence which manufacturer comes out on top.