For those of us who are concerned about the future of American open-wheel racing the big story from this year’s month of May in Indianapolis was the announcement two days before the race that the IMS has entered into an agreement with the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena to produce a series of design exercises aimed at formulating an all-new Indy car for 2011.
The Art Centre College was founded in 1930 and has worked over the years with many major automobile manufacturers and other industrial giants. The Indy car project is led by Stewart Reed, the design centre’s chair of transportation design who has thirty-five years experience in the field. Seven faculty members and thirty design students from the Art Center College attended the 91st running of the Indy 500. Included were students specialising in transportation design, product design, environmental design, graphic design and entertainment design.
Terry Angstadt, who was recently named president of the IRL’s commercial division, credited Honda Performance Development boss Robert Clarke with making the introductions and getting the ball rolling on this project.
“We really want to thank our friends at Honda,” Angstadt said. “They have worked with the design school in the past and Honda made the introduction. As soon as you walk in the place you get this unbelievable sense of energy and innovation. It’s an unbelievable environment, so we’re very happy to have this opportunity to work with them.”
IMS president Tony George exuded unbridled enthusiasm about working with the Art Centre College. “When I first went out there I was really blown away by what I saw,” George said. “When I came back I was pretty enthusiastic about what I’d seen and I shared it with quite a few people.
