Alexander Rossi Shakes Down IndyCar's IR-28 at 2.439-Mile IMS Course

Q: How did engineers manage to widen the cockpit and boost safety while slashing 100 pounds from IndyCar's first new chassis since 2012?

Engineers achieved it by redesigning the car from a clean sheet instead of adapting the 2012-era DW12 again. IndyCar and Dallara built the IR-28 around the Aeroscreen and the hybrid system from the outset, which let them package the safety cell, cockpit opening and surrounding bodywork more efficiently than the current car, where major safety additions were retrofitted later. That redesign created room for a wider, more ergonomic cockpit and improved seating position, while also adding stronger side-impact protection, a new roll hoop, better internal airflow and more stability in nose-up or spinning incidents. The Aeroscreen itself is now integrated into the chassis structure, making it lighter, sleeker and more aerodynamic while preserving its safety role. The weight loss came from taking mass out across the whole car, not by removing safety content. IndyCar has said the IR-28 should be about 85 to 100 pounds lighter, helped by a lighter chassis architecture, a new lighter hybrid package and major component savings from suppliers. One widely cited example is the gearbox, where roughly 25 pounds were cut alone. The new hybrid system is also expected to store far more energy while weighing about 20 pounds less than the current setup. So the trade-off was not safety versus weight. The gain came from better integration, updated materials and more efficient packaging, allowing IndyCar to make the cockpit bigger and the car safer while still trimming substantial mass.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 1

Alexander Rossi became the first driver to test IndyCar’s new IR-28 chassis Saturday, completing an initial shakedown at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the car’s planned 2028 debut.
Wet weather cut into running, but Rossi said the launch went unusually smoothly, with only one sensor needing replacement on the all-new car.
The IR-28 is IndyCar’s first new chassis since the DW12 debuted in 2012 and the first designed from the outset around the Aeroscreen and hybrid system.
About 100 pounds lighter than the current car, the IR-28 will continue two days of IMS testing Sunday with reigning champion Alex Palou next in line.