Frye on third IndyCar manufacturer interest

The next step in the engagement process is to put the Dallara DW12 chassis through its paces in testing later this summer with the new 2018 bodywork in place to give interested manufacturers a close-up look at the product IndyCar is offering.

From Frye's perspective, additional manufacturers will want to see the aesthetically pleasing machines run in anger before moving the conversation toward possible future participation in the series.

"There's always a lot of talk, but then they say, 'You have to show me. Show me what you're going to do. Show me what you've done,'" he told RACER.

IndyCar has taken an inclusive approach to the 2018 bodywork redesign by inviting styling input from inside the paddock with its engine and tire suppliers, and by bringing in auto manufacturers that have expressed some form of interest behind closed doors. There's no guarantee those brands will join IndyCar in the years ahead, but it's a smart strategy nonetheless.

"We had other OEMs that aren't currently in the sport part of that [universal bodywork styling] process," Frye said. "And there's other manufacturers that are aware of what we're doing, who are part of the process of what we're doing."

Of the recent manufacturers said to be looking into IndyCar programs, the name of Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini was whispered on a regular basis. The Volkswagen Audi Group property is believed to have expressed similar overtures toward IMSA and its new Daytona Prototype internationals, and if one or the other were to happen, the latest conjecture has Lamborghini leaning more toward a DPi program than an open-wheel venture.

Time will tell if IndyCar's manufacturer-friendly approach will snare a third manufacturer. Frye is thankful for all those who've shaped the 2018 bodywork and says inviting some of the interested brands to see the car run in private could be in the works.

"We'll make sure that they're aware of what we're doing," he said. "We appreciate their input to get us to where we're at. They were part of the process, too, so hopefully it's a proud moment for all of us. Again, the teams have been spectacular. Chevy, Honda, and Firestone, everybody's pitched in on this project. This is our car. This is the series' car. We've come up with this together.

"We always have to do what we say we're going to do, particularly with the [manufacturers] we're talking to, and I think that we're showing that's the case. Once this car gets on the track, once we get rolling, they'll see for themselves where we're going."