2024-spec 2.4-litre IndyCar engines given track debut at Indianapolis
The next generation of IndyCar engines, due for the 2024 season were in action on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course today, albeit without their hybrid component attached.
Photo by: Honda Racing
The Honda-powered car was driven by Chip Ganassi Racing’s six-time IndyCar champion, Scott Dixon, while Team Penske’s two-time champion Josef Newgarden drove the Chevrolet machine.
Chevrolet driving duties are expected to be taken over by Will Power as testing continues on Tuesday.
Monday's test was conducted on a 13-turn 2.6-mile version of the road course that incorporates the Speedway’s Turn 1 onto the front straight, in order to reduce any advantage that could have been garnered by either team involved.
Neither engine was fitted with the Mahle-built hybrid unit, which will be part of the specifications when the new 2.4-litre engines are introduced in 2024.
They instead ran alternators from the current-spec 2.2-litre V6 twin-turbo engines, which have been used in IndyCar since 2012.
Difficult cold track conditions minimised running early on in the day, but matters improved in the afternoon.
GM’s IndyCar program manager Rob Buckner confined his comments to, “We were very happy with our first day on track with the new engine.
David Salters, president and technical director of HPD, was more expansive. An official statement read: “This is an important step for HPD, Honda and IndyCar as the series moves into the electrified era, and it was a successful day. But there are many more steps to take before the full, hybrid power unit debuts in 2024.
“The 2.4-litre engine is an all-new design, that has been fully developed, dyno-tested and manufactured by the great men and women at HPD.
"There is still a very, very long list of things to be accomplished before the power unit is tested in competition, but this is certainly a milestone for everyone at Honda and HPD.”
Despite the low temperatures, HPD stated that “Dixon and the Ganassi team completed the full list of opening-day test items prepared by HPD engineers without any issues.
"A second day of running is planned for tomorrow (Tuesday), with slightly warmer temperatures in the forecast for Indianapolis.”
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