Increased downforce at Phoenix to improve racing, says Pappas

To achieve this, IndyCar has raised the maximum allowable height/angle of the z-wing, the rear-most element at the top of the rear wing, to create more downforce. While this change will be irrelevant for qualifying this evening, when the cars will trim out to maximize straightline speed and can rely on mechanical grip on fresh tires, IndyCar’s changes aim to improve Saturday’s Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix.

“At the end of the [February] test, there was some concern that we didn’t have enough downforce on the cars," said Pappas. "We're hoping the cars will now race a little better,” Pappas told Motorsport.com. 

“More downforce should allow them to run a greater variety of grooves around the track, give the cars more adjustability, but we’ll have to see. The tire’s a different specification than last year and the track’s in different shape than last year.”

Based on feedback from Andretti Autosport-Honda’s Marco Andretti and team owner/driver Ed Carpenter, Firestone has brought softer superspeedway right-side tires to PIR this year, while retaining the short-oval left-side tires used in 2016.

Pappas also confirmed that there could yet be another downforce change before the race, although with practice being held at an unrepresentative time for the race (4pm today) and tonight’s qualifying session seeing the cars run in totally different wing spec, Pappas admitted that feedback may not be relevant.

“Z-wing heights are at the series’ discretion, should it be decided that we need to change downforce levels again,” he said, “but I don’t know that we will. We’ll listen and hear what the drivers have to say.

“I suspect the teams will practice in race spec and their feedback may be useful.”

Pappas said that despite the extra downforce, the cars should be slightly less physically challenging than at PIR last year.

“The increased wing angle will slow the cars,” he commented, “and with less speed comes less loading. They make their maximum Gs in qualifying.”