Anatomy of an Indy car

1. Front tire

2. Center spine

3. Anti-roll bar adjusters

4. Refueling adapter

5. Headrest structure

6. Oil cooler

7. Fuel vent

8. Roll hoop

9. Air jack fitting

10. Turbo inlet

11. Oil scavenge tower

12. Rear anti-roll bar assembly

13. Rear damper/spring assembly

14. Transmission/gearbox

15. Rear wing

16. Front wing

17. Front brake disc

18. Brake master cylinder

19. Front spring/damper unit

20. Front air jack

21. Engine Control Unit

22. Water radiator

23. Molded seat

24. Impact lights

25. Exhaust system

26. Turbocharger

27. Rear brake disc

28. Rear attenuator

29. Rear tire

FRONT WING: The front wing (16) works in conjunction with the rear wing to create aerodynamic downforce and balance between the front and the rear of the car. There are two configurations with the new Chevrolet and Honda aerodynamic bodywork kits: one for speedways and the other for road/street courses and short ovals. There are multiple component options that teams can utilize to improve handling.

REAR WING: The rear wing (15) works in conjunction with the front wing to create aerodynamic downforce and balance between the front and the rear of the car. There are three configurations: speedway; road/street course and short oval; and Indianapolis 500.

CHASSIS: The central part of the car, including the driver’s compartment. The chassis is constructed of carbon fiber with an aluminum honeycomb core. As the frame of the car, the chassis houses the center spine (2), anti-roll bar adjusters (3), the refueling adaptor (4), headrest structure (5), fuel vent (7), roll hoop (8), air jack fitting (9), turbo inlet (10), brake master cylinder (18), front spring/damper unit (19), front air jack (20), molded seat (23) and impact lights (24).

SIDEPOD: Also included in the chassis is the sidepod, the bodywork on the side of the car covering the oil cooler (6), engine control unit (21) and water radiator (22). The sidepod and its components aid in engine cooling, car aerodynamics and driver protection in case of a side impact.

FUEL CELL: The fuel cell is made of rubber and is covered with a Kevlar-fitted blanket for extra protection in side impacts. It holds 18.5 gallons of Sunoco E85R.

GEARBOX/BELLHOUSING: There is an assisted gear shift system utilizing paddle shifting. Paddles are located on the back of the steering wheel, with the right paddle moving up gears and the left paddle moving down gears. The bellhousing connects the gearbox to the engine. Key components of the gearbox bellhousing include the oil scavenge tower (11), rear anti-roll bar assembly (12), rear damper/spring assembly (13) and transmission (14).

ENGINE: Chevrolet and Honda supply 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 engines with approximately 550-700 horsepower for the diverse schedule – from street/road courses to short ovals to superspeedways. The engine houses the exhaust system (25) and the turbochargers (26).

TIRES: Firestone Firehawk racing radials are mounted on 15-inch rims with front tires (1) approximately 11 inches wide and rear tires (29) approximately 15 inches wide. The weight of a car at speed is approximately four times the static weight, so the tire sidewalls have to be strong enough to handle the stress, yet thin enough to dissipate heat. Surface contact with the track for each tire at any time is about the size of a credit card.

FRONT/REAR SUSPENSION: The front and rear suspension attach the wheels to the chassis. It is designed to withstand all the braking and acceleration loads in addition to vertical loads. The suspension includes the front brake disc (17) and rear brake disc (27).