IndyCars will be driven across the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next Wednesday with an eye toward a possible series race over the layout.
The test session, to be done by American driver Graham Rahal, was organized by the famed track to gather data about the course as owners consider $100 million in upgrades and changes to the layout, now used for a Motorcycling World Championship race.
The course, which once played host to a Formula One race, might be modified so it could host an IndyCar road course event in the future, although no decision about hosting such a race has been made.
The Speedway’s famed 2 1/2-mile (4km) oval track is host each year to the classic Indianapolis 500.
“The goal is to make changes to the road course that provide the most flexibility for its potential use and create a layout that is entertaining for our fans and enjoyable for our drivers — whether it is for IndyCar testing or racing, sports cars, MotoGP or other uses,” said Speedway president Douglas Boles.
IndyCar competition president Derrick Walker plans to have Rahal test several configurations, some including the turn one area of the famed oval as part of the course.
“It is important to look at all possibilities that we have in the existing layout to gain as much information as we can about how the car will perform and what changes we can offer to make it more competitive,” Walker said.
The only other prior IndyCar test on the course came in 2011 when the late Dan Wheldon, a time-time Indy 500 winner, tested the current IndyCar chassis design. The Englishman drove the 13-corner layout in clockwise direction for car development not track information.
Indy road course gets test for possible race
