Lotus / Cosworth....Back in Indy!

[Martin]

http://www.internetcp.com/gallery/data/500/Lotus-Cosworh_IndyCar_Series_2010_Rendering_Small.jpg

Lotus Press Release
March 13th 2010

Lotus and Cosworth have entered into a new technical and commercial partnership with established IndyCar competitors KV Racing Technology to run in the 2010 IndyCar Series.

The Lotus-Cosworth IndyCar will use the classic Racing Green and Yellow livery used on Lotus Racing cars in the 1950s and 1960s and this new livery will debut at the first USA round of the IndyCar Series.

Driving the Lotus-Cosworth IndyCar will be the former F1 driver Takuma Sato.

Lotus competed for a number of years in the IndyCar Series in the 1960s, winning the Indianapolis 500 race outright in 1965 with the pioneering Lotus Type 38, driven by Jim Clark, and narrowly missing victory to come second in 1963.

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus plc said, “Racing has always defined Lotus and on many occasions in motorsports history Lotus’ numerous innovations have re-defined racing. It’s only fitting that as the Lotus Racing name re-enters Formula 1, we will also race and innovate again in IndyCar. The Lotus name will, once again compete in the top two open-wheel racing series for the passion and enthusiasm of car fans around the globe.”

Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser, owners of KV Racing Technology said, “We are delighted to be part of Lotus and Cosworth’s return to the IndyCar Series, and with Takuma at the wheel of the classic racing green and yellow Lotus Cosworth race car, we expect to be formidable competitors this year.”

Takuma Sato said, “This is fantastic news for everyone. It is exiting for me to be a Lotus driver and I’m really looking forward to great success with this new project.”

The return to the IndyCar Series follows on from the recent announcement by Lotus and Cosworth are to become closely associated through a strategic partnership looking at the opportunity to develop high performance engines for Lotus cars.

The 2010 IndyCar Series starts with the Sao Paolo Indy 300, Brazil on the 14th of March 2010.


http://www.internetcp.com/gallery/data/500/Lotus-Cosworh_IndyCar_Series_2010_Rendering.jpg

http://www.internetcp.com/gallery/data/500/Lotus_Indy_500_Team_picture_1965_Low_Res_FOR_EDITO RIAL_USE_ONLY_CREDIT_TO_IMS_PHOTO_.jpg

http://www.internetcp.com/gallery/data/500/Jim_Clark_Type_38_at_Indy_1965_Low_Res_FOR_EDITORI AL_USE_ONLY_CREDIT_TO_IMS_PHOTO_.jpg

[Martin]

Brian, I hope you were sitting down when you read the headline of Lotus back in Indy. :thumbup::icon15:

[mario]

Great news:yes:

[Autocross7]

I know it has become a spec seriese... but I am still thrilled to see the badge back in the Indy game just the same. Who knows, maybe this will start some pressure to change the seriese to a non spec one in the future... (prob. not... but still)

[WayneB]

I agree with Tim Engle on this one, its a faux Lotus with a Honda engine and a Dallara chassis.

They (Lotus)are just sponsoring a race car like any other business can.

I dont think Mr.Chapman would be impressed with this sort of thing at all, it's making a mockery out of the company , but it honestly doesnt suprise me now the company has a marketing type at the helm and not an engineer:no:

[Autocross7]

I agree with Tim Engle on this one, its a faux Lotus with a Honda engine and a Dallara chassis.

They (Lotus)are just sponsoring a race car like any other business can.

I dont think Mr.Chapman would be impressed with this sort of thing at all, it's making a mockery out of the company , but it honestly doesnt suprise me now the company has a marketing type at the helm and not an engineer:no:

I do not disagree... but the days of real racing and, well, let's face facts... business men and not accountants running any business seem to be over. Hence, the crap world economy. But, I can still fantasize that this spec crap may one day end... one day... (prob. after the revolution)...

[Brian Skeoch]

I am doing my impression of Frd Sanford as he holds his heart , walks backwards saying " I am coming to you Elizabeth "..

Finally my letters mean something !!!!

Is Cosworth an appoved engine builder. ?

[WayneB]

Doesn't look like it to me.
http://racing.honda.com/about/engine.aspx

[clockwork]

It`s just wrong on so many levels,even if they won the series they would end up picking up a cup ahead of a team mate sponsored by someone else,one team four different sponsored cars? It`s a recipe for unhappy people surely ?:mad:

[Brian Skeoch]

its great to see the Lotus colors again going on an Indy car. they beat Ferrari to the idea. Ferrari has never competed in the 500. They built a car called the Ferrari 500 " special " but during practice at the speedway the wheens couldnt take the pounding from the briks and the wire wheels came apart.

I am thrilled to see the Lotus colors on an Indy car .. even tho Lotus has nothing to do with the Dalarra chassis or Honda motor its still cool to see.

they will get some good PR out of it too becaus there are still fans up there that remember Jimmy Clark and that day in 66.

I wonder if the Woods Brothers racing team in NC will come see the car. The Woods brothers were the pit crew to the Lots team in 66 because they could refuel a car and change tires like nobodies business.

I will check with Leonard Wood and see if they know about the news of Lotus going to Indy. .

[WayneB]

This is no different to me buying a green Mazda Miata and installing a yellow stripe and Lotus logos ,entering a Miata one make race and saying its a Lotus.:mad:

If this is the way things are going to be I am just glad I witnessed the REAL Lotus era.

So to me anyways Lotus arent back at Indy, but a green car with Lotus decals is, which is something I wont be travelling to watch and support.

[Brian Skeoch]

good point. But, they will be sure to get loads of PR out of it because the tupe 38 is in the museum and they will use that for pics and junk like that.

[WayneB]

Here is a link to the Indycar website to see all the teams.
http://www.indycar.com/teams/

KV Racing make no mention of the Lotus sponsorship, but they did have a JPS type treatment on one of the cars.
http://www.imscdn.com/gallery/indycar/barber/2010/20100225-rmcqueeney/med/1MCQ4914.JPG

Myself, I like the Target/Chip Ganassi team, Scott Dixon is a good driver and a class act.:)

[WayneB]

And I dont like their choice of driver in Takuma Sato who had a pretty lackluster F1 carear.

What kind of bloody Lotus representative/ spokesperson will he be, I cant see North Americans warming to him at all.

[Autocross7]

And I dont like their choice of driver in Takuma Sato who had a pretty lackluster F1 carear.

What kind of bloody Lotus representative/ spokesperson will he be, I cant see North Americans warming to him at all.

Well, I do not have an opinion of personality... but driving an Indy car is a bit different than an F1 car. And given the BS politics of F1... he might do better. Certainly Indy cars are faster and a hell of a lot better looking and driver's are required to race on all surfaces (as it should be). If they would dump this spec crap Indy would be by far THE race series IMO.

[WayneB]

I cant imagine Ferrari sponsoring an indy car with a Honda motor and a Dallara chassis, it would cause a riot.

Are Lotus enthusiasts in North America so starved of a Lotus involvement in "big time racing" that they are willing to get all excited about this sham?

I find it quite insulting myself that the Lotus PR/management people seem to be comparing it in some way to the Lotus 38/Jim Clark 1966 winning effort.

Personally I would have preffered to see the company field a competitive road based car in ALMS or some other class that would effectively showcase their current product line.

[Brian Skeoch]

I checked with with Wood Brothers in NC and they dont have a desire to go see the new Lotus car. leonard and the other Wood Brothers remember crewing for Team Lotus but that was no big deal to them.

they are nice guys. I wonder how their southern culter interacted with the Lotus guys..

[WayneB]

Heres a nice article from Popular Science Magazine from 1966 in which Jim Clark himself talks about how Lotus won Indy, and mentions the importance of the Wood Brothers pit work.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=nSkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&dq=lotus+38+wood+brothers&source=bl&ots=aoYbEE0j4F&sig=jpO9K_BBkB0SUdFa_pgVChQjhBs&hl=en&ei=-pufS8iKO86WtgeT4umFDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=lotus%2038%20wood%20brothers&f=false

http://www.woodbrothersracing.com/images/images/wood-brothers-indy.jpg

[clockwork]

1`m not rising to Cameron`s bait that a car powered by an I-pod can be fast.:)

[Autocross7]

1`m not rising to Cameron`s bait that a car powered by an I-pod can be fast.:)

WAAAhahaha! :lol:

[WayneB]

Cant wait to see who he will wreck when the car is painted like a Lotus:crying:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET7nVjt2GVQ

[clockwork]

If only he hadn`t lost traction on his helmet he would have made the move stick.:lol:

[eurosport]

Cant wait to see who he will wreck when the car is painted like a Lotus:crying:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET7nVjt2GVQ

:banghead:

[WayneB]

Derek Daily would have been proud of that move:yes:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/1980_18_F1_Monaco_Daly_07Custom-1.jpg?t=1268841523

[Brian Skeoch]

not many cars are entered so he should be able to qualify as long as he doesnt wreck the car in practice..

[Martin]

Seems like Lotus wrecking before the race was the common thing over at F1, before Bahrain.

[Brian Skeoch]

its really not that bad of an idea really. the Indy 500 is still the biggest spectator event in the world and the tv viewers probably makes it the highest ratibng tv show for Memorial weekend every year.

Lotus can do some good PR work here. It will cost them what, maybe 350 k for the sponsorship deal ? Thats nothing.. the marketing exposure is good.

Ferrari, Lambo, Maser, Aston , Porsche.. thsy are not on the side of an Indy car so the marketing idea isnt that bad.

its a good PR move really.

win on Sunday, sell on Monday;..

the tv exposure will be good but the number of people who attend the race is huge.

[WayneB]

I dont really agree Brian.:no:

As a Lotus owner, I have always classed Lotus as the marque of the well informed car enthusiast who likes good value and innovative engineering in a sportscar.

We are willing to put up for some of Lotuses short comings (fit and finish mostly) to obtain a car that goes and handles great, is rare,distinctive,affordable and looks good.

The kind of person who will buy a Lotus purely because the name is on decals on an Indy car is not really what the company needs longterm, they are the ones that will piss and moan about minor things and will sell quickly to move on to other flavour of the month brand(s) IMO.

In North America Lotus should have spent the money that will be wasted sponsoring this Indy Car effort to field a couple of Evoras in events that will showcase their current product line to enthusiasts better.

What will this Dallara/Honda KV Racing IndyCar showcase about what Lotus is capable of realistically and how does it actually relate to a company that has its bread and butter in engineering and designing vehicles?

I believe the reason Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar,Aston-Martin and Lamborghini arent sponsoring Dallara/Honda Indy Cars is that those companys have inherent pride in their products and wont sink so low as to attempt to pass off anothers manufacturers product as thier own just to gain a bit of publicity.

I guess this is a result of putting a fellow in charge of Motorsports at Lotus who doesnt appear to be a true Lotus Enthusiast.

He wears the shirt, but I suspect wont bleed green and yellow only red.

http://media2.paultan.org/w/Claudio-Berro.jpg

[Brian Skeoch]

good points.

for 500 k Lotus can field an Evora in the Koni series and get great exposure but I dont think Lotus wants to race it yet.

just imagine the spanking an Evora would do in the Koni series.. they would kick the snot out of those Mazda;s, Mini;s , GTI's and such,.

Lotus needs to get back in to sports car racing..

there is a great team based here at Road Atlanta ( Dick Barbour Racing ) that would really get results by developing and engineering the Evora and get it some great podium time..

[Autocross7]

I must agree with Wayne. I really would like to see REAL Lotus cras in the ALMS, Rolex, or Grand Am. Grand Am is begging for it. Last year at Barber I had Gran Am officals come up to me in my Lotus Racing shirt and want to know when "we" were going to get into the field again. I had tell them... this was only a shirt. While I would jump at a PR job with Lotus... I do not expect to much out of this new Ferrari board of directors.

[WayneB]

There is a bit of a Lotus connection with Dallara, apparently they developed the aero kit for the Evora cup car.

Dunno If that involved bolting on a big wing or If the car was in Dallaras facility in Italy having the full monty done.

One thing that puzzles me is how did Dany Bahar lure Claudio Berro away from Ferrari If he was doing such wonderfull stuff there?

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/6278830/2/istockphoto_6278830-wheel-barrel-full-of-money.jpg

[clockwork]

The figures I have heard are that Honda charge $2.9 mill. per car,this for an engine that does so little work it has a near perfect reliability record. I think the big winner in the series has to be Mr Honda.