NASCAR teams believe that the new fuel-injection system will offer a chance to gain a competitive edge when it is introduced into the Sprint Cup next year.
Fuel injection will replace carburettors for the first time in 2012, and the McLaren-developed system was given its first track test by five cars at Kentucky last week. Andrew Randolph, who is working on Earnhardt Childress Racing's fuel-injection project, told AP that he was excited by what he'd seen.
"The system has considerable room for invention, for science," he said. "Certainly there is room for people to do it better than other people."
Two Chevrolet teams and one each from Dodge, Ford and Toyota took part in the fuel- injection test, with Roush Fenway Ford driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr going quickest. His 176.71mph lap placed him 16th out of the 52 cars on the track.
"The motor is really smooth," Stenhouse said. "It almost feels a little flatter compared with the other Cup motor. So far, so good. It has got some speed, too."
With the technology having been widespread for nearly 30 years, work is focused on ensuring that the system can stand up to the rigours of racing.
"The injection thing, particularly at the level we're doing it here, is something we have three decades of experience with," said Lee White, Toyota Racing Development president. "There is nothing that we've seen in terms of performance on the race track that worries us at all."
Testing is scheduled to continue at Phoenix this week.
Article taken from Autosport Magazine
