IndyCar facts for kids
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| Sport | Auto Racing |
|---|---|
| Category | Open-wheel cars |
| Jurisdiction |  United States Canada |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Affiliation | ACCUS-FIA |
| Affiliation date | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| President | Doug Boles |
| CEO | Mark Miles |
| Official website | |
IndyCar, LLC (also called INDYCAR) is a group that organizes and manages auto racing events. Its main office is in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States. IndyCar is in charge of two main racing series. The most famous one is the IndyCar Series, which includes the well-known Indianapolis 500 race. They also run a training series called Indy NXT for new drivers. IndyCar is part of a bigger international racing group called the FIA.
This racing organization started in 1994. It was first known as the Indy Racing League. The company that owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex, Hulman & Company, created it. Races began in 1996. The name INDYCAR became official on January 1, 2011. Open-wheel car racing, sometimes called Indy car racing, has a long history, going back to 1905. IndyCar is the fourth major group to manage this type of racing. Before IndyCar, groups like the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC) were in charge.
Today, Penske Entertainment Corp. owns IndyCar. This company is part of the Penske Corporation. Penske bought IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in November 2019.
Contents
History of IndyCar Racing
How the "IndyCar" Name Started
The name "Indy car" was first a nickname. It was used for the special open-wheel cars that raced in the United States. This name came from the sport's most famous race, the Indianapolis 500. People started using "Indy car" more often than the official name, "championship car."
Later, another racing group called CART used "IndyCar" in their series name. This was even though they didn't organize the Indianapolis 500 race. In 1992, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway officially registered the name IndyCar. They then allowed CART to use it.
In 1996, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway started a new racing series called the Indy Racing League. This led to a legal fight over the IndyCar name. CART wanted to keep using the name, but the Speedway wanted to stop them.
They eventually reached an agreement. CART agreed to stop using "IndyCar" after the 1996 season. The Indy Racing League agreed not to use the name until after 2002. So, CART went back to just being called CART. They started calling their cars "champ cars" again.
After six years, the Indy Racing League announced a change. Their main series would be called the IndyCar Series starting in 2003. CART faced money problems and many teams left. They went out of business that year. A new group bought CART's assets and started the Champ Car World Series. In 2008, the two racing series joined together. The combined series kept the IndyCar Series name.
After they joined, the Indy Racing League name was slowly phased out. The focus was on "IndyCar." On January 1, 2011, the company officially changed its name to INDYCAR.
The Split and Unification of Racing Series
For many years, there was a big disagreement in American open-wheel racing. It was between CART and the Indy Racing League (IRL). The main issue was about the Indianapolis 500 race. This race was seen as the most important event in the sport.
Tony George, who owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, felt that racing costs were too high. He also thought that a few rich teams had too much power. So, in 1994, he created the Indy Racing League. This new series was meant to be a cheaper option. It focused on racing only on oval tracks. This was to help American drivers from smaller racing series move up to IndyCar.
In 1996, the IRL announced that 25 of the 33 spots in the Indy 500 would be for full-time IRL teams. CART reacted by scheduling their own big race, the U.S. 500. It was held on the same day as the Indy 500.
The IRL also introduced new car rules in 1997. These rules made cars less expensive. But it also meant that IRL cars couldn't race against CART cars. In its early years, the IRL had fewer races and less experienced teams. This made the Indianapolis 500 seem less important for a while.
However, starting in 2002, some top teams from CART began to join the IRL. This led to CART's financial troubles. CART went out of business in 2003. The Champ Car World Series took its place. Finally, in 2008, the Indy Racing League absorbed Champ Car.
After joining with Champ Car, the IndyCar Series became very similar to what CART used to be. Big teams like Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske often win races. Many drivers are from other countries. The cars use more advanced technology. The racing schedule now includes more road and street courses than just oval tracks. IndyCar has also started using hybrid engines in its cars.
Joining Forces: Champ Car and IndyCar
On January 23, 2008, Tony George made an offer to Champ Car. He suggested giving free cars and engine leases to Champ Car teams. This was if they agreed to race in the entire 2008 IndyCar Series. In return, IndyCar would add some of Champ Car's races to its schedule. These races included events in Long Beach, Toronto, Edmonton, and Australia. This plan aimed to bring all American open-wheel racing back together.
On February 10, 2008, Tony George and other IndyCar leaders met in Japan. They discussed moving the Indy Japan 300 race. This was needed to make room for the Long Beach Grand Prix, which was on the same weekend. Everyone felt positive after the meeting.
In February 2008, Tony George and the owners of the Champ Car World Series reached an agreement. They decided to combine the two sports for 2008. As a result, the Champ Car World Series stopped, except for the Long Beach Grand Prix. Many former Champ Car teams then moved to the IndyCar Series. IndyCar provided them with the necessary racing equipment.
Randy Bernard became the new CEO of IndyCar in February 2010. In 2011, the organization officially changed its name from Indy Racing League to IndyCar. This change reflected the combined series. A new race car, the Dallara DW12, was introduced for the 2012 season. IndyCar also worked with DreamWorks Animation for the movie Turbo in 2013. Randy Bernard left in October 2012. Mark Miles took over as CEO.
Driver Safety in Racing
Driver safety has always been a very important concern in IndyCar racing. In the early years of the series, several drivers were seriously hurt. There have been some very sad accidents in the series' history. Oval tracks, with their long straightaways and banked turns, allow for very high speeds. However, they have less space for cars to slow down if something goes wrong. This means there is less room for mistakes compared to road courses.
Early car designs were thought to be a cause of some injuries. So, the series made changes to the car chassis to make them safer. After several big accidents in 2003, IndyCar made more changes. These changes aimed to reduce speeds and make racing even safer.
IndyCar was the first racing series to use the SAFER barrier system. This system uses soft walls to absorb impact during crashes. It first appeared at the Indianapolis 500. Now, almost all major oval racing tracks have SAFER barriers. The Hulman-George family and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway helped fund the research and design of this important safety system.
See also
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
- United States Auto Club
- CART
- Champ Car
- List of IndyCar Series teams
- List of IndyCar Series racetracks
