INDYCAR: Honda, Chevy move past dome skids

Both Honda and Chevy are ready to move forward following the IndyCar Series' ruling to

uphold the use of domed skid plates

While upholding the use of dome skids in a statement Wednesday, the series will allow the manufacturers to lower the optional underwing sidewalls by 9 millimeters (0.354 of an inch). Honda drivers, concerned that taking so much downforce away would make the cars undrivable and potentially unsafe, had been very vocal in their desire for the strakes.

"The understanding we discussed was any downforce lost by the dome skid would be replaced by underfloor downforce [using strakes]," Honda Performance Development CEO Art St. Cyr told RACER. "Our whole goal with the dome skids was to make this aerodynamically neutral for both manufacturers. If you start having to use other methods for replacing downforce [the extended sidewalls], those methods can have performance advantages or deficits depending on how your aero kit reacts to that method. The dome skid is a safety part, and you have to raise the ride height to use it, which for performance, is the opposite direction you want to go. We wanted to make sure if did not become something that was a performance advantage.

"That said, we are in support of any measure that improves safety for the drivers and spectators. That's our primary interest and we support anything that is positive in that respect."

Mark Kent, Chevrolet's racing director, said Chevrolet was pleased with the ruling in that IndyCar reinforced what had been in the rulebook "for quite some time."

"It's the rulebook we at Chevrolet used as we developed out 2016 [Indy 500 aero kit] package," Kent told RACER. "The dome skid and no strakes have been in the rules and we worked very hard with our 2016 development for the Indianapolis 500 to maximize the performance of our car around the rules that were in place. We're pleased the only change for Indy is going to be the extension of the sidewalls, and that is the one part that was not in the rulebook but has been in consideration and in discussions for quite some time.

"We're looking forward to focusing on the 100th running of the race and hopefully a good outcome for Chevrolet and its teams."