An alternative Indy 500?

[Doctorindy]

I'm hesitent to ask this now that the thread has turned so serious and all, but...

Did anyone else on this board actually check out the EV Rally and celebration of emerging technologies held at the speedway on opening weekend?

People may have walked by with a curiosity interest and snapped a few pictures while they were on their way to get hot dogs and sodas....but they were there to watch Opening Day of those "evil" internal combustion engines!

[cornutt]

5 gallons just isn't enough. At the low speed they'd have to run at, none of the cars would finish before dark. Make it 15 gallons and now you're talking. In fact, here's my proposal:

* The allowed fuels are 15 gallons of a specific blended 100-octane gasoline, or the energy-equivalent amount in ethanol, #1 diesel, LP gas, or Jet-A. (And someday hydrogen, if the safety aspects can be worked out.) No additives; no oxidizers.

* Any form of propulsion is allowed, as long as it uses only the supplied fuel for energy.

* The car must be built around a spec safety tub. Stealing an idea from up-thread, I'm thinking the tub from the 2014 Lights car. Certain safety systems are mandatory, such as harnesses, helmets and fire suits, seat liners, fuel cells, engine-cutoff crash switches, and crash recorders. Maybe onboard firex depending on the fuel.

* The car must have at least three wheels, and be driven through the wheels. Three- and four-wheel drive permitted. Any penumatic tires are permitted.

* Any aero is permitted, with the provision that no part of the car may exceed a certain height above the pavement.

* No minimum weight, but all cars are ballasted to the weight of the heaviest driver entered (max 240 lbs.)

* All-weather racing. The race will be stopped only for heavy rain or high winds.

* Pit stops are permitted but no fluids may be added.

* 6-1/2 hour time limit. If no car finishes the race distance in that time, there is no winner.

[bduddy]

5 gallons just isn't enough. At the low speed they'd have to run at, none of the cars would finish before dark. Make it 15 gallons and now you're talking. In fact, here's my proposal:

* The allowed fuels are 15 gallons of a specific blended 100-octane gasoline, or the energy-equivalent amount in ethanol, #1 diesel, LP gas, or Jet-A. (And someday hydrogen, if the safety aspects can be worked out.) No additives; no oxidizers.

* Any form of propulsion is allowed, as long as it uses only the supplied fuel for energy.

* The car must be built around a spec safety tub. Stealing an idea from up-thread, I'm thinking the tub from the 2014 Lights car. Certain safety systems are mandatory, such as harnesses, helmets and fire suits, seat liners, fuel cells, engine-cutoff crash switches, and crash recorders. Maybe onboard firex depending on the fuel.

* The car must have at least three wheels, and be driven through the wheels. Three- and four-wheel drive permitted. Any penumatic tires are permitted.

* Any aero is permitted, with the provision that no part of the car may exceed a certain height above the pavement.

* No minimum weight, but all cars are ballasted to the weight of the heaviest driver entered (max 240 lbs.)

* All-weather racing. The race will be stopped only for heavy rain or high winds.

* Pit stops are permitted but no fluids may be added.

* 6-1/2 hour time limit. If no car finishes the race distance in that time, there is no winner.

I really, really like the way you're going, but I think 15 gallons is a bit too lenient. There are probably production cars that could be lightly modified to do it in under that time limit. (33 mpg @ 80 mph? Easy...) Make it 10 and things might get technically interesting, yet I think you'd still see some racing.

[cornutt]

I really, really like the way you're going, but I think 15 gallons is a bit too lenient. There

You could be right. I had in mind that as time passes, the fuel allotment would decrease to keep the lap speeds under some number, say 140 MPH. This would be both to push the technology along, and to keep the safety requirements from becoming too onerous.

[NaBUru38]

Rather that start at a ridiculous low 5 or 15 gallons (20-60 liters for metric folks like me), I'd decrease IndyCar fuel tanks by 20% every 3-4 years. We are at 18.5 gallons (70L) now. So let's use 15 gallons (55L) in 2016, 12 gallons (45L) in 2019-2020 and 9 gallons (35L) in 2022-2024. That way, cars keep running fast like spectators want, and we halve fuel consumption every decade.

Why on Earth would anyone want to introduce young college kids to the Speedway? They might go and return in May and make the place more crowded than it already is.

Yeah, who would be so stupid! :P

Actually, the point of experimental races isn't to get more fans, but more engineers.

[jcmark611]

We cant even get the owners to buy aero kits, so the idea of them spending money to research a more fuel efficient engine is a little far fetched at this point.

[Neshaminy]

We cant even get the owners to buy aero kits, so the idea of them spending money to research a more fuel efficient engine is a little far fetched at this point.

Indy car owners? I like the college team setup myself. The SAE (Society of American Engineers) already has the groundwork for this, they have drivers attending driving schools to make themselves better in competition, they have a chassis for the Formula SAE series.......now instead of them having to quantify their efforts in 20 other types of competition, or in addition to it as qualifying, the end result would be the 5 gallon fuel tank race.........knowing the engineering guys I wouldn't be surprised to see some interesting tricks, so SAE would have to employ a very astute group of inspection engineers........and if it came down to a last turn event what would Princeton do to keep Yale from the podium, or the trophy?

And if it was deemed not permissible for a college student to drive I believe we'd have no shortage of racing talent willing to show up for such an event. Though there would be no Rog and no Chipster money would be spent. It is indeed mind boggling some of the budgets many teams have. This (Formula SAE) is well supported monetarilly by many alumni engineers and engineering firms.