IndyCar's Return to Spec Racer Bodies

[cosworth151]

IndyCar announced a while back that they are going to regress to spec racer bodies for 2018. Now it gets even worse. They're going to copy the Champ Car bodies. better known as the "fugly flatbacks."

IndyCar president of competition Jay Frye compares it to the retro styling used on many muscle cars. Someone needs to explain to him why nobody makes a new retro car based on a Caddy Cimarron or a 1985 Chrysler New Yorker. 

http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/135798-indycar-champ-car-style-bodywork-set-for-2018

[Scott]

It will at the very least look a lot more like a proper race car than the fendered go-karts they've been using the last couple of years. 

To be transparent, I am from the CART camp in the Indy-CART meltdown...

[cosworth151]

The jokers in charge of the IndyCar now all need to be shown the door. "Hey, why don't we do all of the things that people hated about the series we blew out of the water? Teeny, tiny turbos in ugly cars!"

Now we get the worst of both worlds - flatbacks with fenders.

[Jericoke]

I liked the flatback cars, it gave CART a distinct look from F1.

IndyCar and the FIA need to get on the same page:  let F1 spec cars race in Indy.  It creates a market for F1 constructors who have to R&D cars for just two racers (engines and tires too).

As much as I'd love IndyCar to be 100% independent of the FIA, it's giving us a spec series.  They don't have to actually join the FIA to use F1 cars, just encourge the FIA to change rules about using F1 designs in non sanctioned F1 events.  Or just have the rule declared illegal in the USA (it's my understanding the designs aren't patented/copyrighted in order to be kept secret).  Teams might even give up running the USGP if they can supply 20 IndyCar races, including the 500.