When is the IRL slated to go to a new chassis?

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Originally Posted by grungex

Yeah, I'm sure he's the only one that knows anything about the subject. Why is it so darn difficult for you folks to accept that the DP01 was designed with BOTH road and oval capabilities and safety considerations in mind?

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Please reread my post.

I was not making a statement about the capability of the DP-01.

I was asking about your comment, made without any study so far, that it was/will be easier to convert the DP-01 to ovals than it was to convert the current IRL car to road specs.

I'm not sure that is a true statement. I'm not sure that it isn't.

Since NOTHING but the prototype has even been on the track yet, I'm just not so sure how you can make that statement.

Walker has already said some of the suspension parts on the DP-01 need some modification before they will be acceptable for the planned schedule this year, i.e. road courses. How much more modification will they need for a high speed oval where g-forces are much higher much more consistently? And that's just one area that may need study.

We don't yet know how the DP-01 will react in the dirty air traffic will bring. We sure don't know what aerodynamic changes well be required when a couple dozen cars are running together at 220 mph.

I didn't say the DP-01 wasn't capable. Just like putting the IRL cars on a road track, I have no doubts it can be done. I did question your claim that we know it will certainly be easier to convert the car to run effectlively on ovals.

I just don't think we know that yet.

My statement was NOT made "without any study so far", it was made based on logic, common sense, more knowledge than you evidently possess, and (more importantly) the undeniable FACT that numerous people who would know FAR better than you or even Hoop (you know, the actual DESIGNERS OF THE CAR) have stated repeatedly that the DP01 was designed with ovals in mind. All of your negative insinuations and bluster will do nothing to change that. The IRL car, OTOH, was NOT designed to run on road courses (another pesky FACT), and required a LOT of EXPENSIVE modification to do so.

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Originally Posted by tbyars

Please reread my post.

I was not making a statement about the capability of the DP-01.

I was asking about your comment, made without any study so far, that it was/will be easier to convert the DP-01 to ovals than it was to convert the current IRL car to road specs.

I'm not sure that is a true statement. I'm not sure that it isn't.

Since NOTHING but the prototype has even been on the track yet, I'm just not so sure how you can make that statement.

Walker has already said some of the suspension parts on the DP-01 need some modification before they will be acceptable for the planned schedule this year, i.e. road courses. How much more modification will they need for a high speed oval where g-forces are much higher much more consistently? And that's just one area that may need study.

We don't yet know how the DP-01 will react in the dirty air traffic will bring. We sure don't know what aerodynamic changes well be required when a couple dozen cars are running together at 220 mph.

I didn't say the DP-01 wasn't capable. Just like putting the IRL cars on a road track, I have no doubts it can be done. I did question your claim that we know it will certainly be easier to convert the car to run effectlively on ovals.

I just don't think we know that yet.

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The suspension rockers need revising, (they are just a little thin in some areas), this isn't a big deal as its a machined part, and can be easily re-made.

Right now, the DP01 is being tested for weak points ( god knows Sebring will do that to any race car, that place is a motocross track in spots) and they will fix it. I am sure the oval packages are on the drawing board and ready to be fitted to a test car when the time comes.

Grunge is right, I remember the IRL cars were NOT originally specced to run road courses, and while they do a good job now, the original packages and parts didn't work that well. A Timing and Scoring friend told me that he heard when they first tested at Mid-Ohio, the IRL car was hard pressed to get close to the lap times of an Atlantic. We know now that the car is much improved for road course racing. IF Barnhardt asked Panoz tomorrow for an order 2 seasons for now for an IRL DP-01, Iam sure the car would be ready by the end of this year if not sooner...

With CAD, making changes and planning ahead for different rules is part of the design process, and as it was said, CC likely told Panoz that an Oval package had to be at least thought about.....

The only problem that is of genuine concern down the road is the front of the sidepods are an intregal part of the tub. That part that gets hit first by the front tires and related parts when they fold back in a crash. This area was easily removable and replaceable on the Lola. Hope their is some sort of repair that will work at the track in the works besides sending the tub back.

I suspect the boys at Panoz have already thought of this or are being told of this....