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INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE IndyCar SERIES
IS WE RACE ON STREET COURSES,
AND THEN WE RACE ON PERMANENT-ROAD COURSES
WHICH ARE MUCH SMOOTHER
AND GENERALLY MUCH FASTER SWEEPING CORNERS.
AND THEN WE RACE ON OVALS.
THERE'S HIGH BANKING, LOW BANKING,
SMALL TRACKS, BIG TRACKS.
THE SPEED DIFFERENCE IS HUGE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, AT INDY,
WE'LL BE GOING 245 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THE STRAIGHT,
WHEREAS RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT PHOENIX,
AND AT PHOENIX, WE'LL BE GOING 190 DOWN THE STRAIGHT,
SO IT'S A DRAMATIC SPEED DIFFERENCE
THAT WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH EVERY WEEK.
THE ENGINEER/DRIVER RELATIONSHIP IS, BY FAR,
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MOTORSPORTS.
Smith: MY MAIN DUTY IS BASICALLY JUST TRYING TO OPTIMIZE
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR.
THERE'S A LOT OF PARAMETERS ON THE CAR THAT WE CAN ADJUST.
WE HAVE A DATA LOGGER,
AND WE LOG ALL OF THE LOADS FOR EVERY CORNER,
THE DAMPER POSITIONS, STEERING, THROTTLE, BRAKE,
AND THEN WE HAVE ACCELEROMETERS
FOR LATERAL, LONGITUDINAL, VERTICAL.
AND THEN, THROUGH THOSE, WE DO LOTS OF MATH CALCULATIONS
TO COME UP WITH LOTS OF OTHER PARAMETERS.
BUT SINCE THERE'S A HUMAN INVOLVED
AND THERE'S A FEEL THAT THE HUMAN HAS...
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...ALEX WILL COME IN FROM A GIVEN RUN
AND GIVE ME HIS THOUGHTS.
THERE'S MANY CASES WHERE THE CAR IS SAYING "A,"
BUT ME, I'M FEELING "B."
Smith: YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE CHANGE
THAT'LL FIX THAT PROBLEM AND GIVE HIM THE FEEL HE WANTS.
Rossi: THEN YOU HAVE TO KIND OF FIND THE LINE
BETWEEN WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG.
Smith: [ CHUCKLES ] IT'S EVERYTHING.
IT'S JUST MAKING THE CAR COMFORTABLE.
IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT.
Rossi: THE CAR IS CUSTOM-BUILT TO YOU IN TERMS OF THE COCKPIT.
THE SEAT'S FULLY MOLDED TO YOU,
AND IT'S DESIGNED TO BE AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY SO COMFORTABLE
THAT IF YOU'RE IN PIT LANE FOR A WHILE,
YOU CAN ACTUALLY DOZE OFF AND FALL ASLEEP A BIT.
Smith: IF THE DRIVER'S COMFORTABLE, HE CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF IT.
LIKE, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE ULTIMATE FASTEST CAR,
BUT IF HE CAN DO MULTIPLE ROUNDS,
HE CAN QUALIFY MUCH BETTER,
WHEREAS IF THE CAR IS JUST A LITTLE BIT QUICKER
AND HE MISSES ONE CORNER, WE'RE OUT.
Rossi: SAY JEREMY COMES ON THE RADIO AND HE'S LIKE,
"HEY, MAN, WE'RE LOSING 0.02 IN THIS SECTION OF THE TRACK,"
I CAN THEN BE LIKE, "OKAY, WHAT AM I DOING THERE?
MAYBE I CAN, YOU KNOW, BRAKE A BIT LATER,
GET OFF THE BRAKE SOONER, CARRY MORE SPEED,"
AND THEN YOU TRY IT THE NEXT LAP.
Smith: HE HAS MORE ADJUSTMENTS INSIDE THE CAR THAN I HAVE IN PIT LANE.
THERE'S A LOT OF DECISION-MAKING THAT GOES INTO IT
WHILE YOU'RE STILL, YOU KNOW,
ACTIVELY PERFORMING AND DRIVING THE RACECAR.
Smith: INSIDE THE CAR, HE CAN ADJUST HIS ANTI-ROLL BARS,
WHICH ADJUST THE BALANCE OF THE CAR
OF HOW STIFF THE FRONT IS AGAINST ROLL
OR HOW STIFF THE REAR IS AGAINST ROLL.
HE CAN ADJUST THOSE.
HE'S GOT BRAKE BIAS.
Rossi: THE STEERING WHEEL WEIGHS CLOSE TO 45 POUNDS OF TORQUE
YOU HAVE TO PUT INTO IT, WHICH IS BASICALLY HOLDING
A 45-POUND PLATE OUT IN FRONT OF YOU
AND TURNING AND FIGHTING WITH THAT.
SO, THE HIGHER THE NUMBER IS, THE MORE UNDERSTEER,
MEANING THE LESS THE CAR WANTS TO ACTUALLY TURN.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE JUST IN THESE RED ZONES
IS WHERE A CORNER SEGMENT IS,
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT JUST TRYING TO GET THE BALANCE
TO GET ALL OF THESE LINES TO BE THE SAME IN EVERY CORNER
IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS.
SO, AT THIS CORNER, THE CAR'S REALLY BALANCED,
IT'S REALLY NEUTRAL,
BUT IN THIS CORNER, IT HAS LOTS OF UNDERSTEER.
AND SO THE CAR IS ALWAYS A COMPROMISE,
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING
THE BALANCE OF ALL THOSE CORNERS TOGETHER.
A LAP IS 18 SECONDS,
AND THE AVERAGE SPEED IS 185 MILES AN HOUR,
AND THE TRUST THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE
BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND ENGINEER
AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU FORM
IS VERY CRITICAL TO MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION.
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