IndyCar analyzing aero, tire and boost changes for short ovals

Pappas told Motorsport.com: “It’s not about making substantial changes; just trying to address some of the small problems we incurred, and trying to enhance what we had this year.

“When we were looking back at the Phoenix race – and even preseason testing – there were several different theories about what could be done to enhance the competition. So whether it was aero, turbo boost, tires, we needed to try them all out. So we piggy-backed on a Firestone test.

“We stuck to 2016 aero and power regulations at first, exactly how we raced in the spring, so there was no confusion there. Then we had three cars helping us look at power alterations and also some aero testing, and Firestone tested different tire compounds. Everything was assessed independently.”

On the subject of power, Pappas confirmed that as Helio Castroneves explained after the test, the series is looking at reducing standard turbo-boost on short ovals from 1.4-bar [as run at Iowa and Phoenix this season] to 1.3-bar – as run on the Indianapolis, Texas and Pocono speedways – but with 1.4-bar as push-to-pass boost.

The series has not used push to pass boost for ovals since the pre-2012 normally-aspirated V8 era, which two veteran drivers recalled as not making much difference apart from hurting fuel mileage.

Asked if having a more substantial push-to-pass surge of turbo boost had proven effective in testing, Pappas responded: “We need to look at the data and talk to the drivers about whether they thought it was effective. We’re basing this on feedback from various teams and drivers, and it may be part of an overall package of changes.”

That package may include aerodynamic alterations such as altering maximum rear wing angles, in a manner that should not favor one manufacturer’s aerokit over another.

“The aerokits are frozen for next year,” stated Pappas, “but IndyCar is able to make changes, such as altering the z-height [maximum angle] of the rear wing flaps.

“Does that perhaps open up another lane and make it a little more racy? Does reducing the downforce reduce the drag and enhance the effect of the push-to-pass, and also make the tires go off quicker so you get more variation from team to team, driver to driver?

“So those are the variables we’re looking at, and we can utilize some of these findings – from Phoenix and Gateway test last week – for those two ovals and Iowa, even though each track is unique in their geometry.”

The test also provided IndyCar with a data-gathering exercise for the 2018 universal aerokit, which explains why Carlos Munoz and Ryan Hunter-Reay tested without rear wheelguards (commonly referred to as “bumpers”).