IndyCar’s first race with hybrid engines set in July at Mid-Ohio
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — IndyCar will have its first race with engines that have regenerating hybrid technology in July at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the series announced Tuesday.
IndyCar’s hybrid introduction has faced a myriad of delays in recent years. Details for the first race using the technology came during the rain-shortened Indianapolis 500 practice on Tuesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Chevrolet and Honda produced the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines with hybrid technology for IndyCar racers. Since the testing began in August at Sebring International Raceway in Florida, 28 IndyCar drivers have tested the engines over 23,518 miles on ovals at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Milwaukee Mile and World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois; road courses at IMS, Road America in Wisconsin and Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama; and the street circuit-like surface at Sebring.
IndyCar said Tuesday that, for competition, options will be available for automatic “regen” via braking or throttle position and manual “regen” via selected steering wheel paddles and buttons.
“Deployment of stored energy will only be available manually through a latching button, similar to the existing Push to Pass system,” IndyCar said in a news release, nothing that the technology will enhance “the on-track competition and excitement.”
One additional plus for fans wil be the potential for fewer yellow flags.
The hybrid system also will allow drivers to restart the cars themselves if they spin and stall the engines on the track, allowing races to have more “green-flag action” and a lesser need for safety teams to go on the track, IndyCar says.
Fans can see a full-field test of the engines in action on June 11 at the Milwaukee Mile, a one-mile oval at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis. The goal is to give all teams a change to run the updated engine before its debut.
The Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be July 7 at the road course near Lexington, Ohio.
Statements
“The strength of this uncharted partnership between Chevrolet and Honda has pushed this innovative project to the grid in 2024. The INDYCAR-specific hybrid power unit will bring a new and exciting element to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with additional energy and overtake options. We cannot wait to see the start of this new era at Mid-Ohio.”
Jay Frye, president of IndyCar
“The introduction of hybrid technology provides an opportunity to integrate electrification technologies into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. During the development of any new technology, extensive analysis and testing are done to identify as many issues as possible. We support INDYCAR’s decisions throughout this process to study testing data carefully and make sure that when the hybrid technology is integrated, the operation and performance are exactly what is expected.
Eric Warren, executive director of the motorsports division of General Motors
“Hybrid technology is playing an ever-increasing role in both our racing programs and the production vehicles created by Honda and Acura. More than a quarter of Honda’s total sales in 2023 – nearly 300,000 vehicles – were Honda CR-V and Accord hybrids. Introducing electrification to INDYCAR at Mid-Ohio further aligns our racing efforts with Honda’s passenger car production as we operate multiple manufacturing and R&D facilities in central Ohio, employing more than 13,000 associates there.
“This is exciting new technology and, like all things new, has presented challenges to us at HRC as we have stepped in with our competitors to help INDYCAR make the hybrid system compact enough, powerful enough, light enough and reliable enough to work within the highly-restricted confines of an INDYCAR chassis. We are proud of our associates’ work to develop the supercapacitor pack and control software for the system. We look forward to hybrid tech adding another dimension to the great racing spectacle and entertaining our great Honda and INDYCAR racing fans.”
David Salters, president of Honda Racing Corp. USA