Built in Braselton, GA!!
Panoz to Supply Champ Car’s New ’07 Chassis
Written by: Cassio Cortes Indianapolis, Ind. – 10/11/2005
Champ Car has confirmed that American race car maker Panoz will be the
Champ Car World Series’ sole chassis supplier beginning in 2007, when
the championship will also debut a revised, more powerful version of
its turbocharged Cosworth engines.
The 2007 Champ Car, as previously confirmed by co-owner Kevin
Kalkhoven, is a "lighter, nimbler" approach to the current Lola
B2K/00 that has effectively dominated the series since Cristiano da
Matta’s 2002 title. Lolas have comprised the entirety of the
series’ field this season, as the Walker and Conquest teams finally
ditched the uncompetitive Reynards they had campaigned in 2004.
The 2007 package is designed to reduce operating costs for both teams,
with a new rolling chassis set to cost approximately 35 percent less
than the current car while the costs of spare parts are expected to
yield a savings to teams of nearly 50 percent. Champ Car says the
design will also allow exploration new technologies such as carbon
brakes, which will allow for even more cost savings over the life of
the car.
"The reduction in cost of the Panoz DP01 and Cosworth engine will
benefit Champ Car’s teams immensely," said Tony Cotman, Champ Car vice
president of operations. "The design and cost will keep our current
teams in the series but will also attract new teams to the series.
Combined with the reduced cost, the new design also makes the Champ Car
World Series even more of a driver’s series. The lighter, smaller car
means teams will rely even more on the drivers to achieve maximum
performance."
The venerable 2.65-liter Cosworth turbo will soldier on, but with 25
extra horses to pull a car relieved of one full Paul Tracy’s worth of
weight, the ’07-spec Champ Car should be a significantly faster
machine.
Yesterday, Panoz was confirmed alongside Dallara to continue as one of
the Indy Racing League’s official chassis suppliers. No American
chassis makers have been involved in the Champ Car World Series since
Swift Engineering withdrew after the 2000 season.