Fuel Settings Removed, Reverse Gear Added for 2010

As a part of the annual winter meeting, the IRL announced a pair of technical changes for the Izod IndyCar Series in 2010, the first being that the four-position fuel mixture setting will be removed, allowing the output from the overtake assist to be doubled.

This is not the first time the IndyCar Series will go through a season without the option to change fuel mixtures; in 2007, the car did not have that setting, before it was reinstated going into 2008.

Les Mactaggart, the IRL's senior technical director, stated that the teams and drivers could still utilize some elements of strategy, even without the multiple fuel settings. "Teams and drivers can still save fuel because they can develop their own fuel strategy, but instead of having a mechanical device to achieve it they can use their right foot. It will allow the drivers more strategy during the event. If they want to save fuel they can by controlling the throttle and equally so the overtake assist will be more effective because they'll have more horsepower. The strategy really is to try to give the drivers more choice."

Additionally, a reverse gear will be available for all drivers during the road and street races. "We've been making updates every year (changing gear size, adding the paddle shift system) and it just happened to be the right time to put the gear in the car," said IZOD IndyCar Series technical director Kevin Blanch. "It doesn't make any of the parts obsolete; you just add the new kit. It's on the drop gear side, so when the crew is making gear changes it doesn't interfere. It just stays in the car the whole time."

Copyright © 2004-2010 OpenWheelWorld.net