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IndyCar reveals test guidelines for 2018

IndyCar’s testing regulations have been set for the 2017-18 offseason and the 2018 season, as teams, manufacturers and tyre supplier Firestone seek to accumulate data from the universal aerokit-equipped cars.

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

Uncredited

Each Verizon IndyCar Series entrant is permitted five team test days - three in the offseason window which begins Jan. 8 2018 and runs through March 29, and two during the in-season window, which runs from March 30 through Sept. 16.

Teams with rookie drivers are granted an additional three days of testing - one offseason and two in-season – and any full-time IndyCar team is permitted one additional offseason day to test a current approved Indy Lights driver.

Entrants operating full-time teams in both IndyCar and Indy Lights are granted an additional test day to be used between May 12 and Sept. 16, while teams new to the series in 2018 are permitted two additional test days – one to be used in the offseason window the other in season.

Besides the team test days, Chevrolet and Honda are each granted five days between now and Dec. 17 to conduct testing with the universal aerokit. No more than two cars are permitted for a manufacturer at each aerokit test and the manufacturer is not required to allow its other teams or the competing manufacturer to attend. 

IndyCar has already stipulated one of those aerokit test days each – Chevy at Phoenix Raceway on Oct. 17 and Honda at Texas Motor Speedway on Oct. 23.

Each engine manufacturer may also conduct two days of offseason engine testing (Jan. 8 through March 29) and must permit any team using its engines to attend the test, even if a team is not invited by the manufacturer as an engine test team.

Teams attending an engine test day when not at the behest of the manufacturer will not be charged a team test day, but each team is limited to attending one engine manufacturer test day. Teams of the opposing manufacturer may also participate in the test, but those teams will be charged a team test day.

In addition, Firestone is allotted four tire test days, two in the offseason and two in-season, utilizing two teams at each test. All teams, including those providing a tire test car, may be approved by IndyCar to have one car participate in team testing to run concurrently with the tire test. Teams will not be charged a team test day for participating in any tire test day.

Four open test days have been designated for 2018, with all Leaders Circle entrants required to participate unless approved by IndyCar. They are Feb. 9-10, Phoenix Raceway; March 20, Barber Motorsports Park; March 27, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Testing blackout windows are: Nov. 20-27, 2017; Dec. 16, 2017-Jan. 7, 2018; and within seven days of the start of any on-track activity for a race event. If the first practice of a race weekend is on a Friday, testing must be completed by the Thursday of the week prior. The exceptions to the blackout windows are for open tests and on Sept. 11-12, 2018.

Teams and manufacturers may test at any permanent racetrack on the IndyCar schedule within the United States, with other approved tracks including Auto Club Speedway (Fontana), Chicagoland Speedway, Circuit of The Americas, Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval and road course), Kentucky Speedway, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Sebring International Raceway.

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