Racing for the green

Changes are coming to Indy Car and Formula One to focus on green technology that applies to production vehicles.

In a tight financial environment and with relentless focus on environmental impact, automakers have shown understandable interest in production-derived racing series, as technology developed for racing can be applied to products for sale. Now thoroughbred top-level open-wheel racing series aim to apply some of these practical plow-horse attributes as Indy Car and Formula One each adopt specifications that appeal to manufacturers seeking to feature road-car technology in racecars.

New Indy Car rules for the 2012 season take American open-wheelers back to the future, with normally aspirated V8 engines being replaced by small-displacement, direct-injected turbo motors-the kind companies expect will soon power the bulk of their production fleets. Additionally, the series and its flagship Indy 500 Memorial Day event, which recently switched from methanol fuel to ethanol, will convert to the E85 ethanol that flex-fuel production cars burn.