INDYCAR: Dallara gets extension through 2020

The Verizon IndyCar Series has signed an extension with chassis constructor Dallara that will see the Italian firm maintain its sole supplier status through 2020. Its most recent IndyCar chassis, 2012's DW12, will enter its sixth season of competition when the 2017 championship begins on March 12 in St. Petersburg.

“Dallara’s continued participation in our sport provides INDYCAR and our competitors a tremendous amount of confidence,” said IndyCar competition president Jay Frye. “Dallara has been an instrumental partner in the Verizon IndyCar Series for 20 years and we are excited to extend our relationship with them.”

The timing of the extension comes in advance of a major aerodynamic change for IndyCar. With its three-year aero kit experiment set to end at the conclusion of 2017, the series will overhaul the look of its cars with a return to a more traditional shape starting in 2018.

Although it was not included in the announcement, it would not be a surprise to learn Dallara will play a role in producing the universal Champ Car-style bodywork that will outfit every car next year. The term of the contract extension would also suggest the first opportunity for a brand-new IndyCar chassis would come in 2021.

"We are all working together for a common goal and this is the reason why the possibility to work more closely with the teams excites us," said Dallara Automobili CEO Andrea Pontremoli. "We want to contribute concretely to their success and to that of the series."