INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Just before qualifying began in Indianapolis, series officials announced the IndyCars will be going significantly faster.
Under new rules that will take effect in 2021 and are expected to last through 2026, each car will use a 2.4.liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. Current rules require cars to use a 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6.
The change will give drivers a boost of about 100 horsepower. When drivers were given a boost of about 50 horsepower for this weekend’s qualifying, the top speeds increased by roughly 5 mph.
Testing on the more powerful engines will begin in 2020.
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“It’s been a long process the last year,” IndyCar president of competition and operations Jay Frye said. “The drivers over the last couple of years have talked about horsepower gains, what we need — this will certainly get it to where we need it to be, the plus-900 (horsepower) range.”
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