More on the Engine That Could

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Apr 17, 2001

We're still nearly two weeks away from another CART/FedEx series race -- mark your calendar for April 29th and find a ride to Fort Worth, Texas where the gang will be challenging the 1.5-mile Bruton Smith oval The Firestone Firehawk 600 Presented By Pioneer -- and most interest among serious fans continues to center around The Engine That Could.

There's no two ways about it, the Toyota decision to go IRL on the rest of the CART gang has set things in motion toward the long-awaited merger of the two series.

Okay, now, fasten your seat belts. The rumors are flying hot and heavy, of course. And there's even a few facts within press announcements. But the major stumbling block now seems to be opposition from Ford rather than Honda.

You'll remember, of course, it was Honda that trotted out some jive about not wanting to take a step backward in technology by going to a normally-aspirated (read: fuel-injected) engine formula.

Somehow the honchos at Honda have been able to convince themselves that the current turbocharged engine is more sophisticated than, say, building something like that being used in F-1. Apparently, if you know your mechanical engineering (which, admittedly, I don't), the current boost allowed in CART is approximately 1.5 atmospheres. The one advantage to the turbo-technology is to allow a fairly solid degree of control to the sanctioning body in specifying power levels.

It's Ford's opposition that's puzzling to a lay observer. Of course, Ford is big-time into every other series running, except perhaps the NHRA. Why wouldn't you, as the seminal USA auto manufacturer, want to have a major (preferably winning) presence it what's touted to be the nation's premier open wheel racing series?

As usual, you're going to get some clear-eyed, logical thinking from the guys at the Autoextremist site.

The CART/IRL Engine Mess Just Won't Go Away.
by Methanol Boy

Detroit. Just when we thought it was clear as to what was going to be happening with the CART engine formula for the 2003 racing season and beyond, Dan Davis, Director of Ford Racing Technology, shook up the troops at Long Beach over the weekend with his comments about the whole engine situation. He made it quite clear that if there is a 3.5-liter V8 for CART without rev limits - then that is an entirely different animal from a 3.5-liter IRL V8 with rev limits. So different that it would require two distinctly separate engine designs (technical experts agreed with him completely, by the way). But the real cold slap of reality to the face came when Mr. Davis made it quite clear that Ford had no interest in the IRL and was quite content to stay in the CART FedEx Championship series.

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