Racecar looks at the safety upgrades made since
Of the 70 monocoques supplied to teams in that first year [2011], 27 of them are still in service and being raced
When Dallara landed the contract to provide IndyCar with its spec car for the 2012 season, the Italian manufacturer could not have dreamed that over a decade, and more than 125 monocoques, later, it would still be providing pretty much the same design to the premier US single-seater category.
That is not to say that the design, originally labelled IR12 and later changed to DW12 after the unfortunate passing of British driver, Dan Wheldon, who was instrumental in the development of the car, has gone unchanged. A series of accidents in racing conditions have resulted in real world lessons learned, and they have led to some significant safety upgrades.
During that time, the chassis has weathered major changes in the sport, from the first aerokit that was designed by Dallara, to the manufacturers’ own designs from Chevrolet and Honda, back to the Universal Aerokit of 2018. Shortly afterwards, after extensive testing and development by Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the Aeroscreen was added to the chassis in order to provide further protection for drivers in the event of an accident. While the Aeroscreen was designed to reduce the chance of shrapnel entering the cockpit, the fitment process also added torsional strength to the chassis around the cockpit opening.
The chassis is now known as the IR18, although chassis that were originally supplied to teams more than 11 years ago are still eligible to compete with the required updates. Of the 70 monocoques that were supplied to teams in that first year, 27 of them are still in service and being raced. In fact, the only ones that aren’t are those written off in crashes, or 11 that have been retired by teams after winning big races such as the Indianapolis 500, or championships.
It’s an extraordinary achievement for the manufacturer, but there is more to come. As the hybrid era comes in, now in 2024 following delays, the chassis will continue to be the spec product for the series, with only minor upgrades for additional cooling.
Real-world learnings
It should not be a surprise to learn that the car has been updated following learnings from major crashes on track. After all, while crash testing provides the basic protection
