Audi, maybe VW, to IRL
Angstadt said he was not unnerved by the silence and that the IRL has “a couple other things developing as alternative plans that could be very exciting." Audi, he said, would likely build the German engines. Honda, the IRL’s official engine supplier since 2007, wants new makes against which to compete, especially with the demise of competition the American Le Mans Series LMP1 class.
Perhaps as a sign the engine deal might not happen, The Indy Racing League is again using St. Petersburg as the backdrop against which to woo potential sponsors and race venue representatives. As usual, the wining and dining is occurring on a yacht in the temporary basin facing Turn 10, and in an ironic twist, this year it’s on a black-hulled vessel named “Hope Floats." TampaBay.com
01/20/09 Honda vs. Volkswagen. Now that has a ring to it. And it is looking like that could be the headline act in the 2011 Indy Racing League.
Ulrich Baretzky, Audi Sport’s head of engine technology, told Racecar Engineering magazine recently that his company is interested in taking on Honda in the IRL, when the open-wheel series comes out with new engine specifications for 2011. While Baretzky said it isn’t clear whether the Audi or VW brand would enter the series as an engine supplier, sources close to the on-going talks said it is most likely to be VW. Talks began between Audi and the IRL in June, and have heated up recently. Sources within the league said an announcement could come as soon as April, shortly before the season begins.
Sources with several IRL teams said it appears that series officials will go with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine, despite Honda’s desire for V-6 engines. Honda is so eager to have another engine builder to compete against, series sources said they are willing to bend a bit on their desires. The IRL is expected to announce the new engine formula in the next 60 days.
Part of the negotiations likely include marketing mandates forwarded by the league that will require VW to inject millions of dollars into the series. Audi officials, sources said, are busy talking to teams to see which ones they might line up as customers. VW’s best known product, the Beetle, isn’t exactly a picture of performance. Racing insiders said the German company will have to overcome that perception to lure teams away from the well-established Honda stable. A few financial incentives thrown at teams will surely help. IBJ.com
01/14/09 Audi Sport’s head of engine technology Ulrich Baretzky confirmed to Racecar Engineering that the Volkswagen Group has been actively talking to the Indy Racing League since the engine manufactures’ round table held by the IRL in June 2008. Although nothing has yet been confirmed, it is looking increasingly likely that VW will join Honda as an Indy Car engine supplier when the regulations are changed, in theory in 2011. It is possible that announcements will be made shortly before the season begins in April both on participation and on rule changes. Baretzky did say that it has also yet to be decided which of the Group’s brands would be used if the decision is taken to go ahead although this is more likely to be Volkswagen itself rather than one of the other brands such as Audi. Baretzky indicated that his interests now lie in the area of small powerful petrol engines, rather than the diesels that may become such a factor of Audi’s success both on the track and road. He confirmed that this is the direction he would like to head with the IRL. Most likely scenario is currently a 2.0-litre turbocharged formula allowing both in-line fours and V6s, thus accommodating both the Volkswagen Group and Honda. Racecar Engineering
12/11/08 You can scratch Porsche from the list of possible companies that will supply engines to the IndyCar series in 2001 and beyond – see related article. It now remains to be seen whether sister company Audi says no as well. We doubt they want to race their product with the crickets in the cornfields of Iowa or the dregs of Homestead, Detroit and Richmond.
11/16/08 Interesting tidbit from longtime reporter/editor/publicist Michael Knight, a correspondent for the Arizona Republic, that he first reported on the Racing Roundup Arizona radio show Sunday:
"Porsche, which has built its factory ALMS P2 class program around Penske Racing, will move into the IndyCar Series with the team in 2011. That's when IndyCar specs change and additional manufacturers join the series, which is currently involves only Dallara chassis and Honda engines."
10/28/08 A reader writes, You have to be kidding me right? A company like Audi isn't going to come into a series where the management thinks it's more important to race at a two-bit track in the cornfields of Iowa while they drop a great international event like the Surfers race that gets worldwide coverage. This after signing a TV deal with Versus that ensures the IRL will fade away into obscurity. And they can't figure out why the series sponsors they had lined up are now backing away. Get real people. They haven't a clue. Mordichai Rosen, Los Angeles, CA.
10/27/08 On Wind Tunnel Sunday night, Robin Miller stated that Audi would be in the 2011 IndyCar series "for sure" and the Porsche was "leaning favorably." 2011 is the year the IRL introduces their new IndyCar engine formula, rumored to be a turbocharged 4-cyclinder.