AGR getting special Honda engines?

In his latest column Gordon Kirby writes, The Ganassi IRL team is a little perplexed about the speed demonstrated this year by the Andretti-Green cars on big ovals. "We were close, but not quite there, and we don't really know why, to be honest," Hull said. "If we did, we'd be as good as those guys are. We have standard Dallara parts. We don't have any tweaked or special parts. We're doing everything we can on the big ovals to be equal to Andretti-Green and we're a little confused as to why they're faster than we are on the big ovals.

"In the last two or three big oval races in particular," Hull added, "Kanaan and Dario were faster than anybody else on non-tow laps. Even in the races on the big ovals, their non-tow laps were significantly faster than everybody else, not just Ganassi Racing. We find that to be unusual."

[Editor's Note: In the past Honda has given certain drivers or teams development engines that have a bit more HP. One year the Ganassi team dominates, then Penske and this year it is AGR again. This of course with the same Dallara cars. One might speculate that AGR is getting something extra from Honda. When Buddy Rice won the Indy 500 the rampant rumor in the paddock was that his Honda had 50 more HP.]