Drivers, officials rave as new car hits track

To hear Oriol Servia tell it, the 2018 Indy car is a “sexy beast.”

Servia, along with Juan Pablo Montoya, was enlisted by the Verizon IndyCar Series to take the latest creation on its maiden voyage Tuesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the 43-year-old Spaniard was blown away.

“The car felt great,” said Servia, who ran 104 laps in the Honda body kit and hit speeds of about 219 to 220 mph, according to Indi

anapolis Star estimates. “It didn’t have any malicious movement out there. My second long run was, I think, one of the most consistent runs I’ve done at this track in all my years. It felt really good, and it still looks sexy, fast and safe.”

Servia, who raced with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at the Indianapolis 500 and the Detroit Grand Prix, was not the only one smiling after about seven hours of testing. IndyCar officials, including vice president of competition Bill Pappas, were so thrilled with the results they saw on the track after more than a year of work on development that they canceled Wednesday’s test session.

“Just seeing the car running,” Pappas said when asked about the most satisfying part of this long journey of ingenuity. “That’s what we all wanted. There were a few little glitches early on in the morning, but they fixed those and ran a bunch of laps ... and both drivers seemed to feel the car was comfortable. To me, it (was) a little like having a child.”

Montoya, who drove Chevrolet’s body kit Tuesday, also reached 219 to 220 mph. The Colombian and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was most encouraged by the benefits the design will afford drivers. Montoya, 41, is confident that discarding the rear pods and shrinking and lowering the wings will make racing in traffic easier and encourage more passing and closer racing.

“Getting rid of the rear pods is a huge plus for the drivers,” he said. “I think none of us were huge fans of them, to be honest.”

The car will generate 60-70% of its downforce from the bottom of the car, as opposed to the 40-45% generated by the current car.

“I also think going back to a (universal kit) makes it really exciting,” Montoya said. “I think for the engine manufacturers, this is definitely a plus, because it’s not about the aero kits anymore. Going back to one chassis and having the manufacturers fight against each other — not with aero kits, but with power — that’s what it’s all about. I think it’s great.”