IndyCar: Dallara creates a new generation of chassis for the series

      Formula 1 is not the only one preparing for reforms and the transition to a new generation of technology – similar changes await the American IndyCar series. This weekend, the next stage of the season is taking place at the Road America circuit in Wisconsin, and there the teams were presented with plans to develop a new car for the 2028 season.

      The process of creating the future chassis continues, and its tests on the track should begin in the first half of 2026. Dallara will produce the chassis, and the task is to ensure that the new generation of cars attracts the attention of the younger generation of fans, but at the same time retains the stylistic features of familiar IndyCar technology and is recognizable.

      Dallara has been producing chassis for this American series since 1997, and in 2008 became its monopoly supplier.

      "It's time for a new IndyCar chassis," said series president Douglas Bowles. "The current DW12 has served our series well, as it has provided a combination of incredibly exciting, wheel–to-wheel racing on the track and critical safety improvements. But significant chassis upgrades, from the Aeroscreen safety shield to the hybrid powertrain, have brought the need for a completely new car closer.

      We like the project developed by our engineers in collaboration with Dallara specialists, and we believe that it will appeal to both fans and the paddock, while also maintaining our high safety standards. and it will make the fight on the race tracks even more interesting." 

      The creators of the new chassis primarily focus their efforts on solving three main tasks: the quality of racing, upgrading the power plant and improving safety. The new car should be more versatile and better able to handle all types of tracks – both ovals with different lap lengths, as well as urban tracks, as well as stationary racetracks. 

      As suppliers of various machine components collaborated with Dallara, a combined weight reduction of about 39-45 kg was achieved compared to the current IndyCar chassis. The series also plans to switch to new 2.4-liter V6 engines, which will provide higher torque and higher power.

      Transmissions for the new cars will continue to be produced by the British company Xtrac, the exclusive supplier of the series since 2000. The new gearbox should weigh almost 12 kg less than the gearboxes currently in use. In particular, it will have a number of common components with Firestone gearboxes, which are used in the INDY NXT youth series cars.

      Special attention is being paid to improving the ergonomics of the cockpit, where the rider will have a more comfortable fit, and the Aeroscreen and the new upper safety arch will be organically integrated into the chassis design.

      More detailed information about it will be made public later.