IndyCar Gives Update On Long-Awaited New Cars, Slated For 2028 Debut

The NTT IndyCar Series is at the iconic Road America circuit in Wisconsin this weekend, and the weekend has already produced a big piece of news that a new chassis is expected to debut in 2028, with on-track testing hopefully starting early next year.

If you weren't aware, unlike in Formula 1, where teams develop all (or most of) their own cars, all IndyCar teams use the same chassis, which is made by Dallara, an Italian company that also builds cars for Indy NXT and Formula 2. This sometimes leads to IndyCar being described as a "spec series" (which is not exactly true since teams do have two engine options they can pick from) since teams are racing with the same equipment.

However, the current IndyCar chassis — known as the DW12 — is getting pretty old, having debuted back in 2012, which makes it practically ancient by motorsports standards.

For reference, the NASCAR Cup Series has updated its cars twice in that time, Formula 1 has undergone several major technical and engine overhauls in that time, while all-electric single-seater series Formula E — which only started in 2014 — is on its third chassis.

So, it's well overdue for IndyCar to make a change, and it sounds like it's finally coming.

A new chassis to replace IndyCar's current Dallara DW12 is on the way and slated to debut in 2028. (Photo by Jake Galstad/Lumen via Getty Images)

"The time has come for a new NTT INDYCAR SERIES chassis," series president Doug Boles said in a statement. "The DW12 served the series so well, as it provided a combination of phenomenal, wheel-to-wheel racing and critical enhancements to safety. But recent significant updates to the car – from the aeroscreen to the hybrid power unit – have helped advance the need for a completely new car."

The Aeroscreen — which has proven time and time again, as recently as last weekend, to be an important piece of kit when it comes to keeping drivers safe — debuted in 2020, which means it was retrofitted onto the DW12 chassis. This means the next car will be the first incorporating the Aeroscreen as well as the series' hybrid engines, which debuted last season.

"We are pleased by what our engineers and Dallara have collaboratively designed and believe it will appeal to the fans and paddock while also upholding our standards of safety and enhancing INDYCAR’s on-track competition well into the future."