IndyCar to land 1 or 2 new engine manufacturers (Update)
In fact, Jay Frye said, the opportunity that presents itself in the next few years arguably has never been better.
The five-year plan that Frye initiated, which began in 2016 and technically runs through 2020, is making the point of entry to the Verizon IndyCar Series simpler and less expensive than it would have been the past couple of years.
The aero kits for Honda and Chevrolet are "frozen" this season — meaning the designs will be the same as they were in 2016 — and at a press conference last week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Frye spoke about how the series will share a universal new body style in 2018 and beyond.
It means original equipment manufacturers — or OEMs, which is industry shorthand for auto companies — won't have to absorb the extra cost of developing and producing an aero kit after this season. Additionally, the perception would be that a new OEM starting this season would be well behind Chevrolet and Honda, because those two already have substantial experience with the aero kits. Having one new body and aero package for all cars beginning next season not only would save a new OEM money, but would allow it to enter INDYCAR in a more competitive environment.
Why does Frye want at least one more manufacturer? Multiple reasons, one of the most important being that the current two engine manufacturers do, too. Each brings its own advertising and publicity initiative, and so would a new OEM, which helps raise the profile of every aspect of the sport.
Another reason: "There's always a risk of someone leaving," he said. Nobody wants a series with only one engine supplier.
So what's ideal? Three? Four? "With four," Frye said, "there would certainly be a 'wow' factor. But three would certainly be manageable — three manufacturers, eight cars apiece, that would be great."
Make no mistake — INDYCAR is on firm ground with Chevrolet and Honda. But interest from others is out there, Frye said.
"We share a great deal of our plans with the OEMs," Frye said. "We tell them, 'If we do this, would this make you interested in coming over? And if not, why not?'
"There is enthusiasm to help us, which is great. At the end of the day, does that mean they're going to sign up? No. But have we eliminated some hurdles for them to come in? Now we've just got to go to work," Frye said. "We're going to take it out to them in the next couple months and see what's possible."
And when might the Verizon IndyCar Series see a new OEM? Frye said 2018 "would be a stretch, 2019 would certainly be possible.
"But again, if somebody wanted to come in, then we would do everything we could to accelerate it as quickly as we could. Again, we have two great partners now with Chevrolet and Honda. They understand it's important to the series and the league to have a third or fourth partner, and they're very actively participating in it with us." Steven Cole Smith/IndyCar
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| Tino Belli |
01/11/17
With renewed interest in the Verizon IndyCar Series from engine manufacturers, IndyCar officials are not only confident of landing a third engine partner but a fourth engine partner is a legitimate possibility writes Bruce Martin of AutoWeek.
Freezing the current aero-kit rules for the 2017 season and then introducing a universal aero kit beginning in 2018 has removed a key hurdle for new production partners to join IndyCar.
"One of the main reasons we wanted to move away from the aero-kit competition is to introduce a third and maybe a fourth auto brand," IndyCar director, aerodynamic development Tino Belli told Autoweek. "Typically, companies that might come in have indicated they did not really want to develop and engine and an aero kit. Current engine manufacturers indicated the costs in developing an aero kit were higher than they expected.
"They (Honda and Chevrolet) both want a third and a fourth engine manufacturer to come in, as well. Our hopes are high that we will attract a third manufacturer, and it could be a fourth if things go well."
IndyCar will discuss aspects of the universal aero kit on Thursday at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit. It's likely a new engine manufacturer would not be able to join IndyCar until the 2019 season in order for the new company to have proper time to design, build and develop an engine.
Mark Miles, the CEO of Hulman & Co. who also serves as IndyCar CEO, visited with several interested international automakers in December. He has been working with IndyCar president of competition and operations Jay Frye on luring new manufacturers to the Verizon IndyCar Series.
"We let prospective OEMs know what we are doing and our thought process," Frye told Autoweek. "The reason we did that was if we came up with a plan and took it to prospective OEMs, they may not like what we have come up with. They are aware of what we are doing, and there seems to be some enthusiasm.
"Part of what we had to do was eliminate some of the hurdles, and one of the hurdles was the aero kit piece. We have eliminated the aero kit with a universal aero kit. Is this a guarantee they will come? No, but is there much more of an opportunity for them to come? Yes."
When a new engine manufacturer joins IndyCar, Frye expects the car count to get back to 28 cars per race, with more than 33 entered for the Indianapolis 500.
"You would hope a new OEM would come in and create new opportunity for ownership," Frye said. "The new engine manufacturer may have an existing team or two, and a new owner comes in. This would be part in parcel with expanding the field by having a third, and even a fourth, engine manufacturer join the Verizon IndyCar Series."
Marvin Riley, IndyCar director of engine development, believes the addition of just one new engine partner would have some tremendous benefits for the sport.
"Once we get a third manufacturer, I think you will see some positive things happen in the series," Riley told Autoweek. "What we are trying to do with our rules package is make it as attractive as we can to new engine manufacturers. We are taking input we have had with them already to listening to the concerns of our current customers and their expertise designing these platforms and where they want to go.
"A third manufacturer could change the game, and it could happen soon. But the answer to that question is much better addressed with Jay Frye. We maintain a lot of conversations with a lot of different partners and a lot of the changes we have made in the last six to eight months to make it more attractive to the teams and series while maintaining the high technology while keeping the costs down is something that is going to help a third engine manufacturer come in.
Taking out the aero-kit equation for 2018 will make it a lot easier for someone to come in. By focusing our strategy for the future on a high-qualify, good-looking car while focusing the manufacturer efforts on the engines, that is going to make it a lot more attractive for someone else to come in.
"That is a big part of our strategy for a third engine manufacturer." Bruce Martin/AutoWeek