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Lotus Considering IndyCar Involvement

The officials of the Indy Racing League (IRL, also known as the IndyCar) have yesterday announced the plans for a Dallara-spec chassis from 2012 onwards. The new platform to be used by the Italian manufacturer will benefit from an enhanced driver safety cell and an anti-wheel lock design, among other innovative elements as compared to the current IndyCar machines.

The big news about this announcement is, however, the fact that any manufacturer will be able to produce aero kits for the chassis – from aero kits of front and rear wings to sidepods and engine covers. Apart from reducing the costs of developing a racing machine, this move is part of IndyCar's strategy to attract multiple manufacturers to produce parts of the car.

It’s our goal to reach out and challenge the automotive industry as well as aerodynamic companies. So come on Ford, GM, Lotus, Ferrari. Come on Lockhead and General Electric,” said Tony Purnell, former FIA consultant and member of the ICONIC Advisory Committee who picked Dallara for this project.

Considering this invite, it seems that Lotus has already started to think about a potential involvement in the sport (more serious, that is). The Malaysian-backed company currently supports Japanese driver Takuma Sato in the IRL, but its racing boss Tony Fernandes hinted that an increased involvement in the North American series may be on the horizon.

“Lotus Racing congratulates the IndyCar Series on this exciting news and supports the revolutionary concept of a standard safety cell with various manufacturers producing aero kits. We look forward to seeing more details on this future car strategy, and hopefully, allow our involvement in the series,” added Fernandes, whose Lotus Group is the first one to publicly show interest in joining the series in 2012.
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