| The Indy Racing League, better known as
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| | The current generation chassis however,
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| IRL, is the sanctioning body of a
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| | are designed to accommodate the added
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| predominantly American based open-wheel
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| | requirements of road racing. Drivers
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| racing series. Its centerpiece is the
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| | report that the cars are particularly
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| Indianapolis 500. The IRL is owned by
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| | demanding to drive on road courses,
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| Hulman and Co., which also owns the
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| | especially when compared to GP2 and Champ
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| Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex. The
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| | Car chassis.
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| IRL was founded in 1994 by Tony George
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| | Indy Racing League officials have
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| and began racing in 1996. It was created
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| | confirmed that the series will continue
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| with a breakaway group of drivers from
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| | to use the current batch of Dallara and
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| CART, which had sanctioned Indy car
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| | Panoz chassis for the balance of this
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| racing since 1979, who incidentally, had
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| | season (2006). Both manufacturers have
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| broken away from USAC. George blueprinted
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| | served as chassis manufacturers with the
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| the IRL as a lower-cost open-wheel
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| | IndyCar Series since 1997 and their
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| alternative to CART, which had come to be
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| | current three-year chassis suppliers'
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| technology-driven and dominated by a few
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| | agreement was signed in 2003. The series
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| wealthy multi-car teams, much like
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| | currently has no confirmed chassis
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| Formula One. Ironically, the IRL has come
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| | contracts for 2007. By the end of the
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| full-circle and is much like the CART
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| | 2006 season, all full-time teams were
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| series it sought to separate from. The
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| | using Dallaras for oval races.
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| IRL is, itself, dominated by a few
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| | The Engines
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| wealthy teams, mainly consists of
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| | Starting in 1997, IRL cars were powered
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| foreign-born drivers, and is a mix of
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| | by 4.0L V8, methanol burning,
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| ovals and road/street courses.
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| | production-based, normally-aspirated
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| The IRL developed a consistent engine
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| | engines, produced by Oldsmobile (under
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| package and chassis rules which have
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| | the Aurora label) and Nissan (badged as
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| produced some of the closest finishes in
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| | Infiniti). That engine formula was
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| any racing series. Ironically, the series
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| | replaced by a 3.5L format for 2000, at
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| is now dominated by many of the same
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| | which time the requirement for the block
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| wealthy multi-car teams that once
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| | to be production-based was dropped. This
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| dominated CART.
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| | formula was used through 2003. In 2004,
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| The series initially raced exclusively on
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| | the displacement was further reduced to
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| oval tracks, as the league was founded
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| | 3.0L, in an attempt to curb top speeds.
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| partly in response to the increasing
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| | In 2006, the series switched to a new
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| prominence of road and street courses on
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| | fuel blend. For one season, the cars
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| the CART schedule. In 2005, the series
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| | would burn a 90%/10% mixture of methanol
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| abandoned its unofficial ovals-only
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| | and ethanol. For 2007, the engines will
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| stance, and added three road/street
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| | utilize a 100% ethanol fuel, and
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| course events (Watkins Glen, Infineon and
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| | displacement will be increased back to
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| St. Petersburg). For 2007, two more road
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| | 3.5 L.
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| street events (Mid-Ohio and Belle Isle)
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| | Historically, Honda, Toyota and Chevrolet
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| were added.
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| | competed for the engine supply business.
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| In its inception, the series and George
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| | In a major development announced by
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| himself were widely ridiculed by members
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| | Chevrolet on November 4 2004, Chevrolet
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| of the media and some CART competitors.
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| | stated that it would be ending its IRL
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| The IRL's early seasons consisted of
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| | engine program effective with the end of
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| sparse schedules, mostly unknown drivers,
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| | the 2005 season, citing costs that
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| and novice-level teams, even in the Indy
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| | exceeded value, according to then-GM
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| 500. Eventually the schedule expanded,
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| | Racing Director Doug Duchardt. "The
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| and caliber of drivers improved. The IRL
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| | investment did not meet our objectives,"
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| began to draw teams from CART starting in
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| | he was quoted as saying. In November
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| 2000, contributing to the latter's
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| | 2005, Toyota company officials announced
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| bankruptcy in 2003.
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| | the company's withdrawal from American
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| The League consists of two series, the
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| | open-wheel racing and the immediate
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| premiere IndyCar Series (usually
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| | discontinuation of its IRL program. The
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| considered synonymous with the Indy
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| | company in the past stated a
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| Racing League) and the Indy Pro Series,
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| | dissatisfaction with the investment
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| which is a developmental series.
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| | returns in the series, and at the same
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| The Cars
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| | time, Toyota Racing Development is
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| IRL is not an open formula, but neither
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| | preparing for entry into the NASCAR
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| is it a one-make or "spec" series.
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| | Nextel Cup Series in 2007. This has left
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| Instead, chassis and engine manufacturers
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| | Honda as the sole engine supplier to the
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| apply to the League to supply cars for
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| | IRL through 2009. Whether this
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| three year cycles. Currently, Dallara and
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| | constitutes a serious blow to the series
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| Panoz provide the chassis, while Honda is
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| | or just another change remains to be
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| the sole engine provider. A third chassis
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| | seen.
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| manufacturer, Falcon, once held the
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| | Currently, IRL engines are rev-limited to
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| rights to produce a chassis for IRL
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| | 10,300 rpm and produce approximately 750
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| events, but as no orders were ever made,
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| | hp at that revolution regime. The Honda
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| no Falcon IRL rolling chassis were ever
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| | HI5R engine is a normally aspirated,
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| completed, and the company has since
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| | fuel-injected, aluminum alloy cylinder
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| ceased to exist. Riley & Scott produced
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| | block V-8 with a displacement of 3.0
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| IRL chassis from late 1997 to 2000. In
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| | liters (183.1 in3). The valve train is a
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| the series' first season, 1996, old CART
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| | dual overhead camshaft configuration with
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| chassis were used.
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| | four valves per cylinder. The crankshaft
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| Superficially, IRL cars closely resemble
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| | is made of alloy steel, with five main
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| those of other open-wheeled formula
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| | bearing caps. The pistons are forged
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| racing cars, with front and rear wings
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| | aluminum alloy, while the connecting rods
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| and prominent airboxes. Originally, the
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| | are machined alloy steel. The electronic
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| cars were unique, being designed
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| | engine management system is supplied by
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| specifically for oval racing; for
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| | Motorola, firing a CDI ignition system.
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| example, the oil and cooling systems were
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| | The engine lubrication is a dry sump
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| asymmetrical to account for the pull of
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| | type, cooled by a single water pump.
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| liquids to the right side of the cars.
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