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]
Ford Motor Company pulled its factory support out of Indy/Championship car racing after the 1972 USAC season. A. J. Foyt obtained the rights to Ford's turbocharged DOHC V-8 Indy engine, and it was subsequently rebadged and rebranded as the Foyt V-8 engine.
The Foyt team further developed the powerplant, and ran the 161 cu in (2.64 L) Foyt V-8 engine from 1973 to 1978. A handful of other teams bought and ran Foyt V-8 engines during that timeframe as well. A. J. Foyt himself won the 1977 Indianapolis 500 in his Coyote chassis and the Foyt-badged engine. [19]
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.
Lola Cars Limited is a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley in Bromley, England. The company is now owned by Till Bechtolsheimer, which he purchased in 2022. Lola Cars endured for more than fifty years to become one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world. Lola started by building small front-engine sports cars, and branched out into Formula Junior cars before diversifying into a wider range of sporting vehicles. In 2012, Lola Cars stopped operations. Lola is set to make a return to motorsport in 2024 by joining the Formula E World Championship as a powertrain supplier in a technical partnership with Yamaha with Abt as their customer.
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.
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a Colombian-American former race driver. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982, becoming the first Colombian to start a Formula One Grand Prix.
Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, commonly referred to simply as Parnelli or VPJ, was a motor racing constructor and team from the United States. The team was formed in 1969 by former USAC racer Parnelli Jones and his business partner Velko "Vel" Miletich. Parnelli was initially solely concerned with USAC racing, where success came quickly; their driver Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500 race in 1970, driving a VPJ Colt, after leading 190 of the 200 racing laps. Unser went on to win the USAC championship. Unser repeated the Indy 500 win in 1971 with a new Colt built without the left side chassis offset that had been made illegal by 1971 rules, ending the season in fourth place in the USAC drivers points while teammate Joe Leonard won the championship.
John Kevin Cogan is an American former race car driver who drove in Formula One from 1980 to 1981. Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West. He then moved over to Indy cars in 1982 but his career was cut short by a series of accidents.
Chaparral Cars was a pioneering American automobile racing team and race car developer that engineered, built, and raced cars from 1963 through 1970. Founded in 1962 by American Formula One racers Hap Sharp and Jim Hall, it was named after the roadrunner, a fast-running ground cuckoo also known as a chaparral bird.
Judd is a brand of racing car engines built by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Engine Developments was intended to build engines for Brabham's racing efforts, and became one of the first firms authorised by Cosworth to maintain and rebuild its DFV engines, but has since expanded into various areas of motorsport.
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.
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of American open-wheel car 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 McLaren M2B was the McLaren team's first Formula One racing car, used during the 1966 season. It was conceived in 1965 and preceded by the M2A development car. Designed by Robin Herd, the innovative but problematic Mallite material was used in its construction. The car was powered by Ford and Serenissima engines but both lacked power and suffered from reliability issues.
The Penske PC-10 is a CART open-wheel race car, designed by Penske Racing, which was constructed for competition in the 1982 season. Designed by Geoff Ferris, it is considered possibly the most dominant Penske race car design ever and that from a team that typically dominated. Rick Mears has been quoted as acknowledging this was his favorite racecar chassis ever. Twelve total were made (1-12), six raced by Penske (1-6), with four confirmed destroyed. They were manufactured at Penske Cars, Ltd. in Poole, England during 1982, and delivered to Penske Racing, Inc., in Reading, Pennsylvania. So outstanding was the PC-10's design, it won the prestigious Louis Schwitzer Award for innovation and engineering excellence in the field of race car design at the Indianapolis 500 in 1982. The PC-10s were active in the years 1982–1984. In fact, the PC-10 was ultimately much better than the following year PC-11, so Roger Penske bought back one of the PC-10s he had sold to another team for the 1983 season, and which then won another race for his team.
The Ilmor 265-A is a turbocharged, 2.65 L (162 cu in), V-8 Indy car racing engine, designed and developed by Ilmor, for use in the CART PPG Indy Car World Series; between 1986 and 1993.
The Buick Indy V6 engine is a powerful turbocharged, 3.0–3.4 L (180–210 cu in), V-6, Indy car racing internal combustion engine, designed and produced by Buick for use in the CART PPG Indy Car World Series, and later the IRL IndyCar Series; between 1982 and 1997. It shares the same architecture, and mechanical design, and is based on the Buick V6 road car engine. A slightly destroked 3.0-liter V6 engine was also used in the March 85G and March 86G IMSA GTP sports prototypes.
The Alfa Romeo Indy V8 engine is a turbocharged, 2.65-liter, Indy car racing engine, designed and built by Alfa Romeo, for use in the CART PPG Indy Car World Series; between 1989 and 1991. The engine was used in March and Lola car chassis'.
The Ford-Cosworth Indy V8 engine is a series of mechanically similar, turbocharged, 2.65-liter V-8 engines, designed and developed by Ford in partnership with Cosworth for use in American open-wheel racing. It was produced for over 30 years and was used in the United States Auto Club (USAC) Championship Car series, CART, and Champ Car World Series between 1976 and 2007. The DFX engine was the Indy car version of the highly successful 3-liter Ford-Cosworth DFV Formula One engine developed by former Lotus engineer Keith Duckworth and Colin Chapman 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.
The March 85C is an open-wheel race car, designed by Adrian Newey, and built by March Engineering, to compete in the 1985 IndyCar season. March would win 10 out of the 15 races that season, along with taking 12 pole positions. Newey's March 85C chassis would clinch the 1985 IndyCar championship in the hands of Al Unser, and the 1985 Indianapolis 500 with Danny Sullivan, with his famous "spin-and-win." It was powered by the Buick Indy V6 turbo engine, which powered Pancho Carter to pole position, and Scott Brayton to second position at the Indianapolis 500, sweeping the top two spots, and the Ford-Cosworth DFX turbo V8 engine.
The March 84C is a highly successful and extremely competitive open-wheel race car built by March Engineering, to compete in the 1984 IndyCar season. March won 10 out of the 16 races, and took 8 pole positions. Newey's March 84C chassis successfully clinched the 1984 Constructors' Championship, and the 1984 Indianapolis 500 with Rick Mears. It was powered by the Ford-Cosworth DFX turbo V8 engine, but also occasionally used the Buick Indy V6 engine.
The Lola T500 is an open-wheel racing car chassis, designed, developed and built by Lola Cars, that competed in the CART open-wheel racing series, for competition in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 USAC Championship Car seasons. It was powered by the 840 hp (630 kW) Ford-Cosworth DFX. Only 5 models were produced. It won a total of 3 races, all in 1978, including the famous and prestigious 1978 Indianapolis 500, being driven by Al Unser.
The Lola T80 was an open-wheel race car, developed and built by British manufacturer Lola, and designed by Eric Broadley, in 1965. Its best race result and position was a 4th-place finish, at Trenton in 1965; being driven by American Bud Tingelstad. Its best result at the Indianapolis 500 was a 9th-place finish, with Al Unser driving at the 1965 race. It was powered by the Ford quad-cam DOHC Indy V8 engine, developing around 425 hp (317 kW) @ 8,000 rpm. It was used alongside, and eventually succeeded, by the T90.