Frequently Asked Questions

What is the schedule of the points awarded?

Points are awarded to both the Driver and the Entrant according to the Firestone Indy Lights™ Series rules:

Two points per race are awarded to leader of most laps.   One point is awarded to pole-position qualifier.

What makes the car able to take turns so fast on the Ovals?

A combination of its systems: mostly from the aerodynamic downforce from the wings and undertray, its body shape, and by biasing the suspension's weight distribution and geometry.  Much is gained from the camber angle-- lots of positive camber on the left-side wheels and negative camber on the right side, as much as three degrees or more.
Don't forget that the Firestone Firehawks make a pretty awesome contribution too!

Then there's the talent and determination of that guy sitting in the seat!

What's the difference between the car's Oval setup and its Roadcourse setup?

Why does the car weigh more in the Roadcourse configuration than for Ovals?

Much of the weight difference comes from the larger Roadcourse brakes and suspension uprights.  The brake rotors are thicker to manage the greater heat build-up on the roadcourses.  There are cooling air ducts on all four brake assemblies for Roadcourses which are unnecessary and removed for the Ovals.  The ducts are carbon fiber, so, functionally important for the Roadcourse, are insignificant weight-wise. The Roadcourse differential is heavier than the Oval spool rear-end.
  

What are the mechanical differences between the two configurations?

The steering rack-and-pinions are different:  the Roadcourse R&P has a higher rate for quicker turning than its Oval counterpart.

The Roadcourse also requires a differential type rear-end to allow the outer wheel to travel faster than the inner around the tight Roadcourse turns. For the Ovals, the car has a "spool" rear-end which is essentially a simple posi-traction type lock-up device.


Can the driver adjust the engine's fuel settings for more power?

No, the engine's settings can't be adjusted from the cockpit.

How much work and tuning can the team do to the engine?

They can clean the air filter.   :-)

The Indy Pro Series engines are sealed units and the rules prohibit any work on the engines.  This helps to keep the playing-field level and hold costs to a minimum.

How does the driver use the transmission in the race?

Being a sequential 6-speed transmission, it can quickly shift up and down.  Typically, one particular gear is installed to optimize for the engine's speed to reach maximum RPM at the end of the straightaway and that gear is designated as the race gear.  For Oval tracks, the next gear might be set slightly lower and used as a passing gear.  For Roadcourses, the gears might be installed to be spaced evenly between the slowest corner speed and the top straightaway speed to allow the driver to keep the engine in its maximum powerband as much as possible while accelerating.  Or not.
Different teams and drivers have different tactics, and data might suggest a gear change if it shows the engine out of the powerband too much, and this can be targeted so specifically as to optimize exiting a particular corner on a Roadcourse.

Each gear, or gearset as they are known, because each gear of the transmission is physically composed of two gears, can be swapped to increase or decrease the RPM by as little as 50 RPM.

The TMR team can pull the transmission, change the gearsets and reassemble in about an hour or less, and frequently do so at the track to optimize for present conditions.

Does the car have Reverse?

Yes, sometimes!  There's a small "reverse idler gear" that links it all together.  It is considered a valuable asset on the Roadcourse but most teams leave it out for Ovals.

What instruments does the driver monitor?

RPM with sequential LEDs, engine coolant temperature, oil pressure and fuel pressure.  The driver also can see his lap times.