Both NTT INDYCAR SERIES engine manufacturers, Honda and Chevrolet, have used racing simulators over the last decade as a tool to help their respective teams prepare for races.
General Motors opened its technical center in 2020 near Charlotte, North Carolina, with a state-of-the-art simulator available for use by all its teams.
Honda Racing Corporation USA unveiled last May its next-generation Driver in the Loop racing simulator, replacing the first that went into operation in 2013, at the company’s Indianapolis operations center, featuring the latest technology in racing simulation.
“I use it a lot,” Andretti Global Honda driver Kyle Kirkwood said. “The past one was antiqued a bit, but this one is state of the art. Best simulator I’ve ever used.”
The simulator can be set up to replicate a current Dallara-Honda INDYCAR SERIES car, allowing Honda teams Chip Ganassi Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, Andretti Global, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Dale Coyne Racing and its drivers access to this technology.
The new DIL simulator features multibody vehicle dynamics physics simulation software, capable of generating up to 1.5 megabytes of data each second, with approximately 2,000 available channels. The simulator also features multiple cameras recording each session, synchronized to match with the logged data.
Using a modified INDYCAR SERIES car cockpit, the HRC DIL Simulator can rotate a full 360-degrees in yaw, with the driver having a 270-degree view from a screen slightly more than 8 feet high and nearly 30 feet in diameter to project the on-track images.
“The new simulator is superior in every way to our original DIL simulator,” said Ben Schmitt, head of the Vehicle Performance Group at HRC US. “The vehicle physics models have continued to evolve from the original simulator, including the tire models, and our data acquisition capabilities are exponentially higher than previously. The new motion platform, cockpit and vision systems create a vehicle dynamics experience for the drivers that is our closest recreation yet of real-world conditions.”
A DIL Simulator can save racing teams time and money, as extensive test programs can be run through it, with the team's driver at the wheel and engineers monitoring lap times, before going to the expense and time-consuming process of actual on-track testing. Because setup changes can be done quickly, the DIL Simulator allows teams to run through many more chassis geometry and track condition changes than could be performed at an actual on-track test.
That’s a large benefit to Scott Dixon, who said even as a six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion that he learned so much with these functions of the updated simulator. Weather is unpredictable, so having a book of how the car should feel through a flurry of conditions ahead of any upcoming race weekend is a benefit.
The aerodynamic models used include Honda simulation data obtained through the Honda Manufacturing & Development 1:1 scale “HALO” wind tunnel in Ohio, while powertrain models are the result of Honda and HRC simulation technology. A variety of tire technology models are available, including both HRC and third-party models, while laser scanning with high-resolution point cloud road surface measuring is used to develop the individual track models.
HRC offers in-house engineering support for drivers and teams using the DIL Simulator. Customized simulations can be established to meet the specific needs of the teams.
Since its debut, the new HRC-I DIL runs on an average of four days a week, every week, all year long.
Three-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou is a frequent visitor to the simulator, honing his craft in pursuit of becoming the first driver to win three consecutive championships since Dario Franchitti from 2009-11.
He said the DIL played a part in his championships by helping his preparation for the variables of a race weekend.
The HRC simulator also provides an opportunity for drivers and engineers to strengthen their working relationships and understanding of one another, without the expense and time required by on-track testing. In addition, drivers can learn circuits and configurations before arriving at a new track. It can also be used as a coaching tool and aid in driver development programs.
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyffin Simpson is a prime example of that. He used the simulator to help him through his 2024 rookie season.
“The DIL is a very important part of preparing for each race weekend,” Simpson said. “It helps us get into the right mindset of that track and just helps us refresh on that track and remember all the little details you kind of forget over a year of not being there. It’s very helpful for the engineers, too, to dial in some setups and some ideas for setup changes before we get there.”