Dallara DW12
Open-wheel formula racing car built by Dallara From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dallara DW12 (formally named the Dallara IR-12) is an open-wheel formula racing car developed and produced by Italian manufacturer Dallara for use in the IndyCar Series. It replaced the aging Dallara IR-05 chassis in the 2012 IndyCar Series season and was used through the 2017 season, after which it was replaced by the Dallara iR-18 in the 2018 IndyCar Series.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
| Category | IndyCar Series |
|---|---|
| Constructor | Dallara |
| Designer(s) | Tony Cotman Luca Pignacca Sam Garrett Andrea Toso |
| Predecessor | Dallara IR-05 |
| Successor | Dallara iR-18 |
| Technical specifications[1] | |
| Chassis | Carbon fiber monocoque with honeycomb kevlar structure |
| Suspension (front) | Double A-arm, pushrod, with third spring and anti-roll bar |
| Suspension (rear) | As front |
| Length | 201.7 in (5,123 mm) on road/street course, short ovals; 197.33 in (5,012 mm) on 1.5-mile intermediate ovals, superspeedways and Indianapolis 500 (Mk. III) |
| Width | 75.5 in (1,918 mm) minimum (Road/Street), 75.75 in (1,924 mm) minimum (Ovals), 76.5 in (1,943 mm) maximum (measured outside rim to rim) |
| Height | 40 in (1,016 mm) including onboard camera |
| Axle track | Max. 76.3 in (1,938 mm) |
| Wheelbase | 117.5–121.5 in (2,984–3,086 mm) adjustable |
| Engine | Chevrolet Indy V6 (2012-present), Honda HI24TT (2012-present) and Lotus Indy V6 (2012) 2.2 L (134 cu in) V6 90° with 4-stroke piston Otto cycle with efficient combustion process and greater emission engine burning single (Honda in 2012-2013)/twin-turbocharged (supplied by BorgWarner), mid-engined, longitudinally-mounted |
| Transmission | Xtrac #1011 6-speed AGS (Assisted Gearchange System)[2] sequential semi-automatic paddle-shift + 1 reverse |
| Battery | Braille ML7Ti 12 volts |
| Power | 550 hp (410 kW) on speedways, 575 hp (429 kW) on 1.5-mile ovals, 650 hp (485 kW) on short ovals and road/street courses + 50 hp (37 kW) on push-to-pass |
| Weight | 1,650 lb (748 kg) on 1.5-mile speedways, superspeedways and Indianapolis 500; 1,680 lb (762 kg) on short ovals; 1,690 lb (767 kg) road and street courses (including additional of aeroscreen)[3] |
| Fuel | E85 (85% ethanol + 15% gasoline) (2012-2022): Sunoco E85R (2012-2018) Speedway E85 (2019-2022) 100% renewable E85 (85% ethanol + 15% biofuel): Shell V-Power Nitro+ E100 (2023-)[4] |
| Lubricants | Pennzoil (rest of IndyCar Series teams), Ridgeline Lubricants (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Lucas Oil (Arrow McLaren) |
| Brakes | Brembo (2012-2016) later PFC (2017-present) carbon discs and pads. Brembo (2012-2017) later PFC ZR90 (2018-present) 4-piston (all oval races)/6-piston (road/street course races) calipers |
| Tyres | Firestone Firehawk dry slick and treaded wet tires O.Z. Racing and BBS wheels |
| Clutch | AP Racing CP8153-DE03-SN 3-plate carbon with steel housing |
| Competition history | |
| Notable entrants | All IndyCar Series Teams |
| Notable drivers | All IndyCar Series Drivers |
| Debut | 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg |
Since 2012, all IndyCar races are contested with cars built on a common chassis supplied by Dallara,[11] keeping costs to the fixed $349,000 per chassis negotiated by the IndyCar organization.[12] The new specification of chassis also adds safety features, the most prominent being a partial enclosure around the rear wheels. Since 2015, Honda and Chevrolet have offered alternatives to the Dallara aerodynamic kit for the chassis.[13]
The chassis is named after Dan Wheldon, who was the car's test driver, and who was killed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16, 2011, the final race of the previous IR-05.[14] The new front section is designed to prevent similar single-seater crashes such as the one that killed Wheldon.[15] The nomenclature recalls that of the old Formula One team Ligier, whose cars were labeled JSxx after French F1 driver Jo Schlesser, who died in the 1968 French Grand Prix.
Dallara DW12 is currently the longest-serving IndyCar Series car chassis to date despite three different aero kit variants.
The ICONIC Project
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Perspective
The 2012 season saw the implementation of the Indy Racing League's new ICONIC Plan (Innovative, Competitive, Open-wheel, New, Industry-relevant, Cost-effective), the biggest change to the sport in recent history. The car used through 2011, a 2003/2007-model Dallara IR-05, and naturally aspirated V8 engines (required since 1997) were permanently retired. The ICONIC committee was composed of experts and executives from racing and technical fields: Randy Bernard (INDYCAR CEO), William R. Looney III (military), Brian Barnhart (INDYCAR), Gil de Ferran (retired Indy 500 champion), Tony Purnell (motorsport), Eddie Gossage (Texas Motor Speedway), Neil Ressler, Tony Cotman (NZR Track Consulting) and Rick Long (motorsport).[16] IndyCar accepted proposals from BAT Engineering, Dallara, DeltaWing, Lola and Swift for chassis design.[17] On July 14, 2010, the final decision was made public, with organisers accepting the Dallara proposal.[17]
New chassis
Under the new ICONIC regulations, all teams will compete with a core rolling chassis, called the "IndyCar Safety Cell",[17] developed by Italian designer Dallara. Teams will then outfit the chassis with separate body work, referred to as "Aero Kits", which consist of front and rear wings, sidepods, and engine cowlings.[17] Development of Aero Kits is open to any manufacturer, with all packages to be made available to all teams for a maximum price. ICONIC committee member Tony Purnell gave an open invitation to car manufacturers and companies such as Lockheed Martin and GE to develop kits.[18]
The IndyCar Safety Cell will be capped at a price of $349,000[19] and will be assembled at a new Dallara facility in Speedway, Indiana. Aero Kits will be capped at $70,000.[19] Teams have the option of buying a complete Dallara safety cell/aero kit for a discounted price.[19]
On May 12, 2011, Dallara unveiled the first concept cars, one apiece in oval and road course Aero Kit configuration.[20]
On April 30, 2011, IndyCar owners voted 15–0 to reject the introduction of multiple Aero Kits for the 2012 season, citing costs.[21] Owners expressed their desire to introduce the new chassis/engines for 2012, but have all participants use the Dallara aerodynamic package in 2012, and delay the introduction of multiple aero kits until 2013. On August 14, 2011, IndyCar confirmed that the introduction of multiple Aero Kits would be delayed until 2013 for "economic reasons",[22] and furthermore, it was put off for 2013 as well. Chevrolet and Lotus had already announced their intention to build aero kits.[23][24][25][26]
2011 Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon carried out the first official test of the Dallara chassis at Mid-Ohio in August 2011.[27] Following Wheldon's death at the season-ending race in Las Vegas, Dallara announced that the 2012 chassis would be named the DW12 in his honor.[28][29]
Dallara aero kit (2012–2014)
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The first official test of the Dallara IR-12 chassis was carried out by Dan Wheldon at Mid-Ohio on August 8, 2011.[27][30] Phase I of testing involved Wheldon, and was planned to involve three road courses and three ovals, over a total of about twelve days. The second test was held August 18 at Barber,[31] and the third was held on the USGP road course at Indianapolis on September 1.[32] Oval tests took place in September at Iowa[33] and Indianapolis.[34]
Honda (Scott Dixon) and Chevrolet (Will Power) began Phase II of on-track testing at Mid-Ohio in early October.[35] A scheduled test at Las Vegas was cancelled after Wheldon lost his life in the 2011 race held at the track, resulting in Dallara renaming the chassis, a practice adopted from Ligier, which named its race cars "JS" for Jo Schlesser. Testing resumed in late October and continued through February at several venues including Sebring,[36] Fontana,[37] Homestead,[38] Phoenix,[39] and Sonoma.[40] Lotus first took to the track on January 12 at Palm Beach,[41] and testing by individual teams began on January 16.[42]
A full-field official open test took place on March 5–6 and 8–9, 2012 at Sebring International Raceway.[43]
The Dallara DW12's race debut was at the 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25, 2012. Team Penske's Will Power won the inaugural pole and Hélio Castroneves won the first race with the DW12.
Full-field oval open tests also took place on April 4, 2012, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway[44] and May 7, 2012, at Texas Motor Speedway.[45]
The car's Indianapolis debut came in the 2012 Indianapolis 500. In its first three 500s the car saw 136 lead changes, including a track-record 68 in 2013.
Manufacturer aero kits (2015–2017)
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For the 2015 season, the universal aero kit provided by Dallara was retired, and replaced with individual manufacturer's aero kits.[46][47] Honda and Chevrolet introduced their own in-house designed aero kits, in partnership with Wirth Research (Honda[48]) and Pratt & Miller (Chevrolet[49]), respectively.
The first official test of Chevrolet's aero kit was conducted at COTA by Will Power on October 17, 2014, followed by preseason testing at NOLA on March 14, 2015. The manufacturer's aero kits race debut was at the 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 29, 2015. Team Penske's Will Power won the inaugural pole and Juan Pablo Montoya won the first race with the DW12 Chevrolet aero kit.
In the first season of use, the Chevrolet aero kits had an edge over Honda, with Chevrolet teams winning all but six races during the season.[50] However, at Indianapolis, three Chevy entries experienced frightening flip-over crashes, prompting a delay in pole qualifying, tweaks to the qualifying rules, and a safety examination during the offseason.
Midway through the season, both manufacturers introduced updates to their aero kits, with Honda losing its front wing endplates on safety grounds, and Chevrolet introducing an additional winglet.[51]
In 2016, in response to the flipping incidents of Chevrolet-powered cars at the 2015 Indianapolis 500, domed skids were introduced.[52][53] Zylon bodywork tethers were also added to the cars, to prevent loose bodywork from leaving a car, and striking another competitor, following the death of Justin Wilson, who was struck by loose bodywork.[54] In addition, bodywork updates were issued by both manufacturers to their aerokits. Compared to the Chevrolet aero kit, the Honda kit saw numerous changes, with the front wing being altered from a stacked triple element, to a simpler dual element section, with a new endplate section introduced. In addition, new sidepods were introduced on the road course kit, while a new tyre ramp was introduced with it, and vents were added to the rear wing endplates.[55] The Chevrolet Aero Kit was less dominant, compared to the previous season.[56]
For the 2017 season, a developmental freeze was implemented, ahead of a planned introduction of a new car in 2018.[57]
Fatal accidents
The DW12 was the second Dallara IndyCar Series chassis to suffer a fatality in IndyCar Series to date. At the 2015 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, Justin Wilson died after being hit on his helmet by the nose cone of Sage Karam's crashed car, as of the end of the 2024 season this was the last fatality to occur in the IndyCar series.
References
External links
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