Third-generation IRL engine rules

The maximum sale price of an Indy Racing League race engine will be pegged at $120,000 under the US sanctioning body's third-generation engine regulations, which will cover the 2003-05 seasons. The IRL lists Chevrolet, Honda and Toyota as participants, and each will be required to supply up to 60 percent of a 30-car field, should demand exist. The maximum price chargeable for a rebuild is set at $27,500

Aug 12, 2002, 6:52 PM

Teams may also lease engines directly from the manufacturer or from an approved rebuilder, but the terms of the lease must conform to IRL principles of minimising costs to the teams. No maximum lease price is specified, but it must be on "economically equivalent terms" to the sale price.

Engine manufacturers will only be permitted to use full-time IRL teams for their development programmes, and must use more than one team for this purpose. As before, developments will be allowed only for specified engine components. All resulting updates must be made available to all other full-time IRL teams after a specified limited number of uses by the development teams, as determined by the IRL.

The IRL will also reserve the right to mandate the use of engine rebuilders. Under this rule, an engine manufacturer can be required to approve two or more independent rebuilders, which can be used by teams instead of the manufacturer.

The first-generation IRL engine rules covered the period 1997-99.