New Chevy Indy V8 Is Hot !

The Olds and Infiniti engines that have been the mainstay of Indy Racing League action since the beginning, now have a challenger and it appears to be a tough one to beat. The new Chevrolet Indy engine was recently tested at California Speedway by Buddy Lazier and it came through with flying colors. The engine was developed by Speedway Engine Development in Indianapolis and the GM Racing IRL team. Speedway Engine Development is one of the premier independent engine builders that assemble and test engines for Indy Racing League teams.

The engine consistently ran laps at over 223 mph and topped out at 225.15 during the two days of testing. During the tests, Lazier ran a total of 570 miles at speed and the engine showed no signs of problems. According to Joe Negri, GM Racing IRL/Road Racing Group manager, "That duty cycle simulates the demands the engine will encounter at the Indianapolis 500, and it came through without a problem. Now that we have validated the engine's reliability on the dyno and on the track, we will continue to work on developing more horsepower and speed. We are simultaneously producing parts so that other teams can begin testing programs with the Chevrolet engine."

Of course, the spokesman for General Motors may be a bit biased but Buddy Lazier shouldn't be. As the driver, he depends on the engine, and all the hype in the world will not make a bad engine run well. According to Lazier, "In my entire racing career, I've never seen a brand-new motor run so well right out of the box. The Chevy engine exceeded all of my expectations. The motor feels lighter and that helps the car handle better, but it's the power that is really impressive. Horsepower is a driver's best friend, so this Chevy engine and I are going to get along just fine." Sounds like a good recommendation to me and I'm sure that other teams will have similar comments after they head for "The Test in the West" at California Speedway in Fontana on February 5 and 6, 2002. This is in preparation for the opening of the 2002 IRL season, scheduled for March 2nd in Miami.

California Speedway in itself is a new track for the IRL and will host its first IRL event on March 24th, so the teams heading to the coast for will have some great experience to draw on when they return to the two mile Fontana oval for the actual race. It's not known at this time how many teams will actually switch to the new Chevy engine for the 2002 season, but you can be sure that most teams are looking seriously into making a change, and with the results at Fontana, the Chevy Indy V8 is sure to get some serious attention.

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