Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/62228
prevent the front wheels of an ap- proaching car from touching the rear wheels of a leading car, which as we saw in the Dan Wheldon tragedy in Las Vegas last fall, often catapults that trailing car into the air. These changes also should make for better front-to-back racing, though it's likely to reduce side-by-side racing. The new cars don't look so bad from the side. But from just about any other angle, the new bodywork takes some getting used to, espe- cially if you liked the sharp angles of previous models. Critics call the new look everything from "swollen glands" to "birthing hips," and it's hard to disagree. IndyCar conducted numer- ous pre-season tests with both variations of the new bodywork, but there is no way to know how effective these big changes will be until a full field zips around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 200-plus mph at the end of May. That should be fascinating. In Formula 1 this year, the changes are as plain as the noses on their, well, cars. The 2012 regulations forced teams to lower the height above the ground of their car's noses from 24.6 inches to 21.7 inches. The move was made for safety reasons — nose heights had risen in recent years to help channel air under the cars to improve downforce, but that also increased the chances a pointy nose could get into the cockpit of another car during the T-bone colli- sions so frequent in F1. The result is that most teams kept their 2011 chassis, but developed new "step-down" or "platypus" noses that look as awkward as they sound. Ferrari went so far as to apologize for the look of its new car! Of the likely 2012 championship contenders, only McLaren chose to redesign its entire front bodywork to produce a more naturally sloping front end. The lowered noses alter the cars' aerodynamics from front to back, and the subsequent recontouring of their sidepods and under trays Circle 302 on Reader Service Card or visit truckersnews.hotims.com MAY 2012 | TRUCKERS NEWS | 27 became even more complex when F1 banned "blown diffusers." Those controversial systems used exhaust fumes to create additional down- force, but now those fumes must be vented away from the cars. Now teams are searching for other tweaks to make up for that lost downforce. It's still early in the season, but I'm positive the racers will get a handle on these changes. Hey, if I can master my smartphone, anything's possible! Kay Bell is an Austin, Texas-based writer. When she's not yelling at her television during NASCAR races, she writes about financial topics and blogs about taxes at Don't Mess With Taxes (www.dontmesswithtaxes.typepad.com).