Drivers excited about new chassis

Champ Car officials formally unveiled the new chassis at a special ceremony in San Jose, and many of the series' competitors believe that the aerodynamic package combined with the power and weight of the car will make racing more entertaining.

"I can't wait," said current title contender AJ Allmendinger. "I've seen a lot of sketches and pictures of the wind-tunnel model of the new car but there's nothing like the real thing.

"It's definitely going to make the 2007 season very interesting. The design of this car will allow for more passing, specially on the street courses, so the biggest winners will be the fans because we'll be putting even better shows for them next year."

The car is smaller than the current Champ Car in both length and width, and weighs 165 pounds less, aiming at providing a more nimble and quicker machine.

It has been designed to improve the ability to pass and follow cars in the dirty air, with smaller wings and bigger tunnels to create less aerodynamic turbulence. There is an on-board starter to reduce yellow-flag time during events.

"It looks like the new 2007 Champ Car is going to be a great car," said PKV racer Katherine Legge. "It is going to be smaller, lighter which should translate into more overtaking.

"That will be a big positive for the drivers and the fans. All of the drivers in the Champ Car World Series are very excited about the new car."

The design also has improved safety features, including upgrades to the head protection and seat back areas and increased leg padding. It incorporates a collapsible steering column, new side intrusion panels and a two-stage nose crush and a rear crash structure for any oval events.

Series veteran Paul Tracy believes the new chassis will shake up the current order and put everyone on an equal footing.

"It's a really exciting time for Champ Car, the momentum just keeps building race after race and the new car will be a huge factor in ensuring the long-term success of the series," Tracy said.

"Not only will it be faster, but it will also make for much better racing. It is also going to level the playing field since everybody will be starting from zero, if you are going to win you are going to have to bring your A-game and stay ahead of the curve with the development of the car."