New IRL car decision shortly after the 500

William Looney, the retired Air Force general who has been asked to lead the car search for the Izod IndyCar Series, expects a decision on the new equipment shortly after the Indianapolis 500.

Looney said today his mission is to bring together people from different open-wheel constituencies in an advisory board, hear and study five chassis proposals and make a recommendation to Indy Racing League officials.

“This is not something that will drag on," Looney said during a two-day visit to the IRL’s Indianapolis headquarters. “We need to replace a car (in 2012) and time is of the essence. It wouldn’t surprise me if there is a (final) decision sometime in early June."

Dallara, Panoz, DeltaWing, Swift and BAT Engineering have submitted written requests to build cars. Picking an engine platform is a separate, although related, decision. Indianapolis Star