Topic: Is The IRL Going Wingless?

[MG]

Had a nice article all queued up and ready to go for today when I stumbled across this story thanks to Twitter. Interesting stuff. If the IRL does this, would that have any impact on that "other" open wheel series?  Probably not. Those boffins would never adopt anything that came from America. Would they?

Wingless IRL Design

[TheItalianJunkyard]

As they don't need as much downforce, let alone as much adjustable, as in F1, it makes sense to work only with the undertray you need only one design, integrated into the main design, even if as far as I know it isn't cheaper to do. It surely gives a cleaner air flux behind the car, so reducing the turbulence for the following cars and allowing for more competition. Sort of what F1 tried to do this year, even if they claimed it didn't work because of the "double decker" design, while it was possible to see both Brawn running hot laps quite close each others in the first races. What killed the competition are the usual pointless rules, horrible tires, and a lot of other reasons.
F1 could even consider it, even if that would significantly drop their performance as only wings can provide such a high downforce with the current F1 cars' design.

What they would never adopt is the unstressed engine, which I wouldn't consider for IRL cars either. Leave that for GT and Touring cars.

[MG]

Its odd that that none of the articles I read about this mention the reduced turbulence issue, but it seems clear that cleaner air would result and thus promote more passing.

I am all in favor of ANY proposal that reduces or eliminates the profusion of aero devices we see in racing today. The DTM cars in particular look ridiculous with all the little winglets and thingamabobs that are stuck on all over the place. Formula One is going to have to face the fact that their racing really is incredibly boring these days. They absolutely MUST come to grips with the need for actual racing - with passing!  People LOVE to see one driver struggling to stay ahead and another fighting for the lead on the last lap. THAT's what we fans want to see. We could care less about diffusers, doodads and difugulties. We want to see RACING, dammit!  Formula One's belligerence and pig headed insistence that the series is all about the pinnacle of technology is a steaming pile of meadow muffins. They have spec tires and spec engines now, for all intents and purposes. But no racing, as such.

That has to change or Formula One will die. Hell, the swamp buggy races from South Florida are more entertaining to watch than Formula One.