The Next Generation of IndyCar Has Arrived
~ by Daniel Demaras
The NTT IndyCar Series released images of the IR-28, the series’ first new chassis since 2012, for use in the 2028 season. The car is expected to smash lap records across the calendar and challenge Arie Luyendyk’s long-standing unofficial Indianapolis Motor Speedway practice lap of 239.260 mph. With lower weight, a revamped hybrid system and improved aerodynamics, these cars will be seriously fast, while still being designed to reduce dirty air and keep IndyCar the most exciting racing in the world.
The car occupies an interesting place in the landscape of modern racing design. There is an obvious similarity to the ground-effect Formula One cars of 2022–2025, with a wide front wing, long nose and curved rear wing. Still, the shape is not too different from the current DW12 and maintains a distinctly IndyCar look.
The current DW12 chassis has been criticised at times for outstaying its welcome, entering its 16th season of use in 2027. However, I’ll remember it fondly. The DW12 solved many issues IndyCar faced with the IR-05, namely the risk of interlocking wheels and sluggish performance on road and street circuits. It gave IndyCar an exciting new look and continued to evolve throughout its lifespan.
The 2015 season saw the introduction of the manufacturer aero kits, giving the cars new complexity and detail. The universal aero kit in 2018 reduced much of the dirty air produced by the manufacturer aero kits and restored the classic IndyCar silhouette. Then, in 2020, the aeroscreen was introduced, creating a new fighter-jet shape and continuing the evolution of safety in open-wheel racing.
The DW12 was introduced when I was only eight years old, and it has been an extremely successful and versatile chassis. IndyCar kept improving it through the manufacturer aero kits, the universal aero kit and, later, the aeroscreen, allowing it to remain relevant for 16 seasons. The IR-28 is unlikely to last that long, but if it continues to provide fans like me with close competition, it will live up to the legacy of the car it replaces.