DETROIT - Racing legend Mario Andretti jokes the only downside to IndyCar's new race car is the fact he doesn't have one he can drive in 2018.
Andretti, 77, joined team owner Roger Penske and Josef Newgarden, Penske's 2017 championship driver, at the North American International Auto Show on Tuesday, Jan. 16 to introduce the latest race car.
Designed to make racing closer and passing more frequent, the new car has a universal aero-kit designed to level the playing field between engine manufacturers Honda and Chevrolet.
The American open-wheel racing series is trying to regain its audience after NASCAR's sedan-based series stole the appeal that IndyCar enjoyed when Andretti ruled the sport in the 1970s.
Andretti, who has won races in IndyCar, NASCAR and Formula 1, gave the new car his vote of approval, saying it struck the right balance between downforce and drag.
"It goes back to what a pure open seater should be," he said. "From here, I think we really have something to work with."
As Newgarden explained it in a press conference, the new car will rely on its underside to create more aerodynamic downforce, rather than the fussy front and rear wings that tended to disturb the air around competitors and shatter when touched in close racing.
"It looks more like a race car should," said Newgarden of the chassis that has been in development for more than a year. He predicted the car will hit speeds of 240 to 245 mph at the Indianapolis 500.
Penske, IndyCar's winningest car owner who also fields cars in other series like NASCAR, said the new chassis will give the series an opportunity to showcase the driver's talent.
Coming off a year when the television audience and race attendance began picking up, IndyCar officials are hoping the new car, new teams and drivers like the 27-year-old Newgarden will bring fans back to the sport.
The 22-race IndyCar series kicks off on March 11 with a street race in St. Petersburg, Fla. The signature Indianapolis 500 will be held on May 27, followed by two races on June 2 and 3 at Belle Isle Park in Detroit.
This year's Indianapolis 500 will be the final race for driver Danica Patrick, the most popular female driver who has competed in IndyCar and NASCAR.
Before the 2018 NAIAS opens to the public from Jan. 20 to Jan. 28 at the Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit, automakers show off new models and make world debuts in scheduled press conferences.
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