Wilson likens new IndyCar engine performance to Champ Car

Newly signed to Dale Coyne Racing, where he enjoyed his most recent IndyCar win at Watkins Glen in 2009, Justin Wilson is enjoying getting back to business – and getting to know the new Dallara-Honda DW12 IndyCar Safety Cell chassis and brand-new specification Honda engine that he'll be using in 2012.

Wilson said that the 2.2-litre V6 turbocharged engines made him think of the last time that he was racing with turbos, back in his Champ Car days before the series combined with Indy Racing League to create IndyCar in 2008.

"Converting back to turbos is like driving an improved Champ Car," he said, adding that the lag in the turbo power kicking in had been reduced but was still very appreciable.

When it comes to the handling of the new car, Wilson said that the handling could still be pretty tricky especially if the tire selection wasn't spot-on: "There's still so much scope to adjust the handling, it's about who's smart and discovers all those things first".

That means there's an opportunity for Dale Coyne's small operation to tap the potential of the car first and take the fight to the big teams like Ganassi and Chevrolet. "Sure, we'll have our bad days, but I think we'll have a lot of good days," he suggested.

Wilson was writing in his latest blog entry for Racer.com, which also covered his part in the winning Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona entry at the end of January. "It's good to be back and it's great to be back with a win," he wrote of being able to claim victory with the #60 Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian team. Crash.net