IndyCar reduces testing for 2013 season

With an eye toward reducing costs, IndyCar announced Monday new testing regulations which will reduce the number of total tests for the coming 2013 Izod IndyCar season.

“We listened to the owners talk about the need to reduce the cost of participation, and one of the ways of doing that is to examine the testing rules that were allowed and necessary in 2012 and revising them for 2013,” IndyCar’s Brian Barnhart said in a statement.

The new guidelines will limit manufacturer off-season and preseason testing to two days. Off-season testing will run through Dec. 31, with preseason testing to be held from Jan. 4 to March 24 (the day of the season-opener in St. Petersburg). And in-season testing has been reduced from six to four days, with a restriction of two manufacturer days per team.

Teams will also be limited to two private off-season, preseason and in-season testing sessions, in addition to four total engine manufacturer test days per team. Previously, teams were allowed to test for a total of six days.

In conjunction with the new policies, IndyCar will limit by half the set of tires teams will have to test with, as teams will now be allocated 16 sets of tires. This, however, does exclude manufacturer and open tests, as those participating will be allocated three sets of tires per day per entry.

Open tests have also been scheduled during the race week at Barber Motorsports Park in April, followed by a test later in the month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and then for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Sonoma Raceway, which will both be conducted in August.

Furthermore, teams will be restricted to two full-sized wind tunnel sessions, with four days per engine manufacturer.

“With the car performing as well as it did and the competition at a high level, there simply isn’t the need for as much testing,” Barnhart said. “Teams will benefit from a sizable cost reduction through this more restrictive testing plan.”