Dallara commits to fix their lemon
"As requested by IndyCar, Dallara will design an alternative set of suspensions to move back two inches the front wheels and one inch the rear wheels," said Andrea Toso, head of research and development for Dallara's IndyCar design team. “Both front and both rear suspensions will be available for the teams from the catalog and can be utilized in any combination front to rear at all the events. Teams will take delivery of their cars with the current set of suspensions and, should they decide to start the season with the alternative set, they can get free of charge replacement based on the return of the current set."
Dallara also announced that wind tunnel testing will be conducted in early January comparing data from a 2011 Indianapolis 500 car of Target Chip Ganassi Racing with the new car, in an effort to resolve superspeedway aerodynamic drag issues exhibited in the chassis validation and engine manufacturer development.
“Some of that is in the development of a car and sorting it out," explained HVM team manager Vince Kremer, whose squad was one of 15 teams that picked up their new cars on Thursday. “I've been involved in the sport a long time and we'll get it sorted out." Racer.com
12/14/11 The 2012 Dallara DW12 Indy car has faced ongoing challenges to hit its performance marks on the ovals, but as INDYCAR and the Italian constructor informed its teams on Tuesday, a new and more aggressive round of measures will be implemented to correct the car’s handling and aerodynamic deficiencies.
In an effort led by Will Phillips, INDYCAR’s VP of Technology, Dallara, DW12 transmission manufacturer Xtrac, and Chevrolet and Honda–the two engine manufacturers currently conducting private testing, the group has been working to resolve the rear weight distribution and excessive aero drag issues that have limited the car’s overall performance during oval testing at Iowa, Indianapolis, Fontana and Homestead.
Modest improvements were made at Homestead through the use of lightened gearbox parts, but the biggest shift forward in weight distribution came with the addition of ballast to the front of the cars.
Although the parties involved with the Homestead test reported those changes went at least halfway to cure the DW12’s sizeable oversteer on corner entry and understeer on corner exit, Dallara has agreed to produce all-new suspension for the car to further mitigate its balance problems.
A number of drivers and engineers suggested the use of rearward-swept suspension to shift the DW12’s weight forward, and after the latest round of oval testing delivered positive gains when the series moved the car’s 41 percent front/59 percent weight distribution closer to 43/57, Dallara decided to take the next step by manufacturing new suspension.
With little weight left to pare from the Xtrac unit and a significant amount of nose ballast already in place, altering the DW12's wheelbase through new a-arms was the next logical step to take.
The DW12s that are scheduled to be delivered over the next month will arrive with the first-generation suspension, and Dallara will soon provide updated front a-arms with a two-inch sweep and rear a-arms with a one-inch sweep for its customers. Speed.com