Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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

6 comments:

  1. Now you've gone and done it!!

    Thrown a big rock into a shallow pond.

    The idea of a 3 wheeler is so far out there, I have no idea of how they might race.

    I called my long time friend and Hall of Fame (in three disciplines), driver and asked him about it.

    We both laughed since neither one of us had ever considered such a race vehicle so if Barnhart suggests such a thing--it'll sure make for some crazy thinking. He said, "it'd sure hang it's tail out and you'd have to power your way through the corners". Then he added, "I'd bet it wouldn't spin, but it might raise the inside front wheel just before it rolled".

    I talked to a physic professor and asked him about high speed cornering with 3 wheels (two in front); he professed no knowledge, but would give it to his class to test the theory on a computer.

    I can say two things for sure; one, it has put a smile on my face, and two, I wonder if we've all lost our minds???

    Just what we needed---something to make us think!!

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  2. I don't know of any such racing in the world apart from freakshow Reliant Regal races in the UK. It would be different, but the racing would look positively bush league. How can drivers race a car they have literally zero experience with? It would end up looking like the Nationwide race in Montreal when the rain fell, with Milka Duno playing the part of Steven Wallace, except it would be like that at EVERY EVENT.

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  3. I only took this seriously after I heard Roger Penske mention this in a positive light in a Wind Tunnel interview several weeks ago.

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  4. Does this mean we can borrow the tricycle from our kids and go racing???

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  5. So, Barnhart is ready to go all in, and Penske is "positive"...or, is this some "silly season" stuff to create even a little buzz among those paying any attention at this point?

    Frankly, if this three-wheeler actually hit the Speedway, they could change the name of the game from IRL to DONE the next day. IMHO, neither the general public nor the traditionalists will buy it.

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  6. From Zip Fly
    I have been fascinated with this idea since I read about this in the pages of Automobile Magazine over 20 years ago. The article described how this type of car would need to be built. For superior grip and handling the dimensions would have be wheelbase 1.5 times track. The center of gravity would just behind the front wheels with some sort of mid engine arrangement which would overly complicate the drive train. I prefer not re inventing the wheel when we already have a great system for this weight distribution and CG from Subaru. This has the engine in front of the wheels, the transmission behind the wheels and a adjustable center differential to power the rear end. This naturally lends itself to the superior aerodynamic teardrop body shape. With a well designed suspension dynamic, and loads of power;Yea it would get my heart racing! Bring it on

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