engine covers

[Mopar]

Sorry not as clued up about IRL this season as i should be (oh the distractions of University!) Anyway whats up with the Engine covers this year is it an aero tweek or just a way of reducing engine power similar to what f1 used post monaco 94?

[Down F0rce]

Yeah, it's to reduce engine power I think. I read that is was only temporary, just untill the new 3.0 litre engines arrive, but I can't be sure of that?

[Tim Northcutt]

That is confirmed....only until the new 3.0 engines

[GP Racer]

So the question now is, will they go back to the old engine covers, or another completely new style?

I'll be hoping for something a little lower, and smaller than the old designs.

[evo]

Thank God those ugly things are only temporary.

[gttouring]

well the design ideas proposed only invole the crank in the engine to reduce the displacement, so i don't think the engine cover will be much smaler, this may be an opportunity to make some aero revision for Dallara and GForce i imagine..

[Weaver]

Originally posted by GP Racer
So the question now is, will they go back to the old engine covers, or another completely new style?

All bodywork has to be homologated Thursday night, Feb. 26, and can not change all season long. This means when teams go to the 3.0 litre engine, they are allowed to close the hole in the airbox horn and the engine cover, but not change the overall shape or profile of the engine cover.

So as of now, the Dallara will be as ugly at Texas 2 as it is today. But, you never know what rules can change come the speedway.

[Testure]

Cheers for the info, Weaver. I think it's good that there's no major changes allowed during the year. Those kind of mid-season aero changes can be problematic. Expense for one thing. Will the teams get the change to close up the hole in the cover for free? Of course, the down side is that the new engine cover is hideous!

[Weaver]

Yea, its pretty ugly. But the reason its so bad is so it works well within both sets of rules, 3.5 and 3.0 litre. When the hole is closed, egineers are thinking it will have as much airbox pressure as last years design. But, with the hole open for the 3.5 litre engine, the position of the hole ( on a flat plane, slightly positive rake ) will keep some of the airbox pressure intact, trying to defeat the purpose of the hole and keeping as much horsepower for the manufactures as posible. See, the IRL messed up when they wrote the rule. They should have made the teams and manufactures keep last years engine cover and cut the four inch by thirteen inch ( I cant remember the exact dimensions ) hole along the sloping section of that cover. We did a test in Nov. and cut the hole in last years engine cover and airbox horn, and the engine had NO power. We were significantly slower.

The current engine cover is ugly, but it works. Wait till you see what GForce comes out with on Thursday.

[Weaver]

Oh, and no. Team will have to pay for new closed airbox horns and either close the holes in the engine cover inhouse, pay someone else to do the repair, or purchase new engine covers.

[Testure]

Actually, when I first read the rule, I assumed the hole would be cut as you describe - along the rear sloping section of the original engine cover. I was a little surprised when I saw what the chassis manufacturer had done and this new shape. Just goes to show how important it is to have smart technical people making rules, coz teams will always find unexpected ways to gain horsepower.