Barnhart Serious about 3-wheeled IndyCar?

Few seemed to notice when Roger Penske said that IRL Operations Division President Brian Barnhart was considering adopting a three-wheeled machine as the new IndyCar spec for 2012. I have since heard from more than one credible source that Barnhart is in fact serious about the idea.

Barnhart told Dave Lewandowski of IndyCar.com that one of two specs under consideration, "...is so radically different it will entail significantly more in terms of R&D, cost and time. It's kind of out there."

Apparently, three-wheeled racers are not a new idea. Who knew they race ovals (clockwise) in England? That might go a long way toward reinvigorating short track racing, but it hardly seems appropriate for the World's Greatest Race Course.




Something like a modified Volkswagen GX3 (photo at right) might be appropriately artful. Landing the resurgent German automaker would certainly be a feather in the caps of Barnhart and Terry Angstadt. Manufacturers do seem to be considering adding 3-wheelers to their product lines.




Frankly, I would prefer a 3-wheeler to this uninspired puffball that was served up by Honda.


So Crazy that it just might...

When I first heard that Barnhart was thinking about a 3-wheeler, I was appalled. But I must admit that the more I think about it, the more I warm to the idea. For the sake of argument, let's assume the following.

1. Safety is comparable to that of the present cars
   
2. Teams will be responsible for manufacturing a significant portion of the car
3. The supply chain will be allowed to evolve from below rather than being dictated from above
4. Manufacturers will not be granted concessions that add inefficiencies to the supply chain
   
5. The 3-wheeler will cost less because fewer parts (and tires) must be replaced
6. It will pose a greater challenge to IndyCar drivers
7. A small team can run the entire season for $2.5 million or less
   

In my view, these objectives are fundamental and essential. If they are satisfied, then my concerns diminish considerably. We know that IndyCar teams do not generate $2.5 million in promotional value per season. But the present, uninteresting spec is central to the equation.

IndyCar Shock Therapy

A 3-wheeler would, at the very least, provide some shock therapy. Does it border on gimmickry? Probably, but even that might not be such a bad thing. The wow factor would likely increase television tune-in viewership for a period of time. Recall that each additional television viewer generates $0.09 of additional promotional inventory that each team can sell to sponsors. If IndyCar were to have its economics under control, then it might be able to convert the short-term bump into long-term vitality.

A 3-wheeler might also solve an additional problem. It is no secret that a large majority of racing drivers in the United States cut their teeth in series that feature front engine, tube frame cars that race primarily on oval tracks. Alternatively, racers from most other countries graduate from go-karts to lower level single-seaters that race almost exclusively on road courses.

I know of no country where drivers work their way through the ranks driving 3-wheeled cars on circuits of any type. Might this be the middle ground that IndyCar so desperately needs? Might it appeal to not only those who clamor for technology, but also those who want to tear off the wings? Is it possible that racing nirvana is within reach?

Approving of a 3-wheeled IndyCar is something that I normally would have expected to do on the same day that I purchase my first Bette Midler album. But these are not normal times for IndyCar racing. I am beginning to sense the wind beneath my wings.

Roggespierre