Background/History
IndyCars with Ford engines first competed in 1935 using a production-based Ford V8 in the Miller-Ford racer. [10] [11] A pushrod Ford V8 raced with Lotus in 1963, and Ford's first Indy win was in 1965 with a DOHC V8. [12] [13]
| Ford Indy V-8 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Production | 1963–1971 (Ford engine) 1972–1978 (Foyt-badged engine) |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | 90° V-8 |
| Displacement | 159–320 cu in (2.61–5.24 L) [1] [2] |
| Cylinder bore | 3.76–3.80 in (96–97 mm) |
| Piston stroke | 2.87 in (73 mm) |
| Valvetrain | 32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder [3] |
| Compression ratio | 10.2:1-12.5:1 [4] |
| Combustion | |
| Fuel system | Mechanical fuel injection |
| Fuel type | Gasoline |
| Oil system | Dry sump |
| Output | |
| Power output | 375–800 hp (280–597 kW) |
| Torque output | 269–525 lb⋅ft (365–712 N⋅m) [5] |
| Dimensions | |
| Dry weight | 350–406 lb (159–184 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Ford-Cosworth Indy V8 engine |
The Ford Indy V8 engine is a naturally-aspirated, DOHC, V-8, Indy car racing engine, initially specially designed by Ford for use by Team Lotus (but later used by other teams as well), to compete in the Indianapolis 500; from 1963 to 1967. [6] [7] [8] This is the engine that gave Jim Clark the victory in 1965 with his Lotus 38 chassis, Graham Hill victory in 1966 with his Lola T90 chassis, and A. J. Foyt the win at Indianapolis in 1967, in his Coyote 67 chassis.
A smaller Garrett turbocharged 159 cu in (2.61 L) engine was introduced in 1968, and gave Mario Andretti the win in his Brawner Hawk chassis at the 1969 Indianapolis 500. This engine was used throughout the 1969 and 1970 seasons, until 1971 (their last season), after which Ford pulled-out and withdrew from the series for 1972. They would not return to Indy car racing until 1976, with the Ford-sponsored Cosworth DFX engine. [9]
IndyCars with Ford engines first competed in 1935 using a production-based Ford V8 in the Miller-Ford racer. [10] [11] A pushrod Ford V8 raced with Lotus in 1963, and Ford's first Indy win was in 1965 with a DOHC V8. [12] [13]
Because the previous 56 had a gas turbine engine, Lotus decided to build a new engine for the 1969 Indianapolis 500. The project was funded by Ford who supplied a V8 turbo engine, and by STP. The biggest difference was the new engine; a 2.65-liter turbocharged Ford engine, making more than 700 horsepower. [14] [15]
| Ford 406 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Production | 1966 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | 90° V-8 |
| Displacement | 3.0 L (183 cu in) |
| Valvetrain | 32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder |
| Combustion | |
| Fuel system | Mechanical fuel injection |
| Fuel type | Gasoline |
| Oil system | Dry sump |
| Output | |
| Power output | 315 hp (235 kW) |
| Torque output | 221 lb⋅ft (300 N⋅m) |
The Ford 406 was a 3.0 L (180 cu in) Formula One engine, and was essentially a downsized variant of the Ford Indy V8 engine. It was used in the McLaren M2B Formula One car in 1966, prior to the introduction of the highly successful Ford-Cosworth DFV engine in 1967. [16] [17] [18]
With Ford Motor Company pulling out of Indy car racing after ten years of competitive domination, A. J. Foyt obtained the rights to Ford's DOHC Indy engine, and it was rebadged as a Foyt. A.J. himself managed to win the 1977 race in his Coyote chassis with a 161 cu in (2.64 L)Foyt-badged engine. [19]
The Ford GT40 is a high-performance endurance racing car designed and built by the Ford Motor Company. It grew out of the "Ford GT" project, an effort to compete in European long-distance sports car races, against Ferrari, who had won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race from 1960 to 1965. Ford succeeded with the GT40, winning the 1966 through 1969 races.
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industries. Cosworth is based in Northampton, England, with facilities in Cottenham, England, Silverstone, England, and Indianapolis, IN, US.
The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of Double Four Valve, the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had four valves per cylinder.
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The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson-McLaren Engines. This helped push the DFV's horsepower output to around 490 bhp.
The Lotus 38 was the first rear-engined car to win the Indianapolis 500, in 1965, driven by Jim Clark. It was run by Lotus at Indianapolis from 1965 to 1967; a total of 8 were built, most for use by Lotus, but several were sold for use by other drivers, including A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.
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The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies since 1920 after two initial attempts in 1905 and 1916. The series is self-sanctioned by its parent company, INDYCAR, LLC., which began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL) and was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as a competitor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series and the history and statistics of both series, as well as those from its predecessors, were unified.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is an automotive museum on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, which houses the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. It is intrinsically linked to the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400, but it also includes exhibits reflecting other forms of motorsports, passenger cars, and general automotive history. In 2006, it celebrated its 50th anniversary. The museum foundation possesses several former Indianapolis 500 winning cars, and pace cars, and they are regularly rotated onto the display floor exhibits.
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The Ford-Cosworth Indy V8 engine is a series of mechanically similar, turbocharged, 2.65-liter, Indy car racing V-8 engines, designed and developed by Cosworth in partnership with Ford. It was produced for over 30 years. It was used in U.S.A.C. Championship Car, C.A.R.T., and later Champ Car World Series; between 1976 and 2007. The DFX engine was the Indy car version of the highly successful 3-liter Cosworth DFV Formula One engine developed by former Lotus engineer Keith Duckworth and Colin Chapman, with financial backing from Ford for the Lotus 49 to campaign the 1967 season. This engine had 155 wins between 1967 and 1985 in F1. The DFX variant was initially developed for Indy car use by Parnelli Jones in 1976, with Cosworth soon taking over. This engine won the Indianapolis 500 ten consecutive years from 1978 to 1987, as well as winning all USAC and CART championships between 1977 and 1987. It powered 81 consecutive Indy car victories from 1981 to 1986, with 153 Indy car victories total.
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