Aero Is An Issue
Mid-Ohio is race number 13 of the Verizon Indy Car schedule. The new aero package has given drivers fits. This weekend at Mid-Ohio is no different. Changes to the aerodynamics of these cars has reduced the downforce on these cars by some 900 pounds. That lack of downforce is pushing drivers and teams to the edge of stability.
Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 14 ABC Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing has called his car “evil”. Kanaan, a fan favorite has forgone a lot of normal weekend stops outside of the garage.
The focus for Kanaan and his team is working a better balance on the No. 14. Kanaan hopes to get his luck turned around as well. 16 starts at Mid-Ohio and a big goose egg in the win column.
On the other side of the specturm, Ryan Hunter-Raey spoke with the media after 2nd practice. Hunter-Raey did lead that practice session with a speed 65.1950 seconds, 124.684 MPH and is pretty happy with his car heading in to the final practice session and qualifying.
The problem drivers are facing with this new package is missing the racing line by the “slightest” margin can throw off everything, and send you spinning. We want to step it up a notch, Hunter-Raey said. But, the aero package on these cars don’t allow much room for error. “You want to challenge the corner entery, and it’s just not letting you get away with it now.
“It’s a very fine line of getting wrong, and getting right.”
Looking For Consistency
Scott Dixon, who has won at Mid-Ohio 5 times said that he has some ideas he would like to give to IndyCar inregards to the aero package. “There are some things that can certainly be done, or changed, but we’ll have those discussions later.”
The whole idea for this change was to take away the “mash it and go” mentality. It seems to be a focus across all forms of motorsports, force the best drivers to drive the car.
During the first two sessions, six red flags for incidents on track. Five of those were for cars that spun off course.
Both Dixon and Hunter-Raey said the track just doesn’t have any rubber on it to get good grip. They hope that warmer temperatures on Saturday will help put the rubber down and they can push the corner entries a little more. The teams and drivers are looking for a little more forgiveness from the track. Right now, Mid-Ohio is eating IndyCars for lunch.
