Because the machine by which he achieved his best profession successes, Ryan Hunter-Reay’s choose for his favorite automotive comes as no shock. The extra pertinent query is establishing the 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner’s most well-liked specification of the stalwart Dallara DW12.
So named after the late Dan Wheldon, who accomplished a lot of the growth work on the automotive and was slated to be Hunter-Reay’s team-mate in 2012 earlier than his demise at Las Vegas in 2011, the DW12 will be thought of as a household of automobiles that share the identical title in an identical vein to Audi’s R18. The unique guise was utilized in 2012-14; manufacturer-specific aerokits spanned 2015-17; a revised spec bodykit given the IR-18 designation appeared in 2018, whereas the arrival of hybrid earlier this yr represented one other ‘new’ period.
PRIME: The lengthy evolution of Dallara’s Indy 500 winner
Hunter-Reay picks the Chevrolet-powered model he raced in 2012-13, above the Honda-propelled iteration he drove to victory lane on the Brickyard, as his favorite instance of the DW12. That Hunter-Reay’s ongoing Indy 500-only cope with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing means he’s making ready for a 3rd straight yr utilizing Chevy engines in 2025 is merely circumstantial when expressing his desire.
“I actually received on properly with the DW12 when it got here out,” he says. “I’ve received such an ideal reminiscence of that DW12 when it was producing plenty of downforce; it was means lighter than it’s now and that basically suited my driving fashion.
“I would like plenty of entrance aero, a really constructive entrance finish, and that automotive allowed me to develop my set-ups to swimsuit me. It was one thing that we began with a clear sheet of paper and that basically benefited us.”
Hunter-Reay factors to 2012 being “such a particular time in IndyCar” as the primary time since he’d arrived on the pinnacle of the US open-wheel scene in 2003 that he’d been concerned with creating a brand-new automotive. The DW12 additionally ushered in a brand new period of two.2-litre V6 turbos and Hunter-Reay, who had joined Andretti Autosport in 2010, was closely concerned with take a look at and growth work for the GM model.
Hunter-Reay relished being a part of the event programme of a brand new IndyCar for the primary time in his profession
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photographs
“It was the primary time I had ever executed something like that, the place I used to be one of many lead growth drivers with Chevy in creating not solely the powerplant, the drivability facet of it, however all the things else that went together with making an attempt to get probably the most out of that new chassis,” the 43-year-old explains. “That was a giant not solely studying level in my profession, however an enormous maturation course of for me.”
A driver who had gained twice in his first two seasons in Champ Automotive had struggled to discover a persistently aggressive journey earlier than touchdown at Andretti. Wins at Lengthy Seashore (2010) and New Hampshire (2011) adopted, however Crew Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing had come to be the dominant forces difficult for titles with the venerable Dallara IR-05. As such, Hunter-Reay welcomed the DW12’s arrival as “a brand new automotive re-stacked the deck, it was a possibility to make the most of. As soon as we have been in a position to begin over again, it levelled the taking part in area”.
Hunter-Reay believes DW12 “got here at precisely the precise time” in his profession as “I used to be simply beginning to hit my stride”. And an ideal mixture of things helped yield the crown, beating Penske’s Will Energy.
“Penske additionally had Chevy energy, so it was tight competitors, however I simply was in a position to hit it off with it” Ryan Hunter-Reay
“I used to be firing on all cylinders, the group was as properly,” he displays. “Chevy additionally had a bonus, in particularly the primary half of the season, and it’s a must to strike whereas the iron’s sizzling. Penske additionally had Chevy energy, so it was tight competitors, however I simply was in a position to hit it off with it.”
It additionally helped that Hunter-Reay didn’t waste alternatives after they got here his means. “His knack for stepping up on crunch weekends paid off in a giant means,” remarked Motorsport.com’s season evaluation.
Hunter-Reay’s first win didn’t come till June, in spherical eight at Milwaukee, the place he ran on the entrance all day and the group made the precise tyre calls to get him forward of Helio Castroneves (Penske). However that started a sizzling streak of three on the spin, throughout as many alternative configurations of monitor (flat oval, banked oval, avenue monitor).
He went unbeaten throughout Iowa – heading team-mate Marco Andretti – and Toronto, the place a well-timed early cease earlier than a warning that scuppered Energy helped vault him into victory rivalry, and duly usurped Energy because the factors chief till engine failure at Mid-Ohio swung the needle again within the Australian’s route.
Hunter-Reay loved a sizzling streak throughout mid-season in 2012, pictured right here main team-mate Marco Andretti to victory at Iowa
Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photographs
Hunter-Reay then responded properly to being rotated by Alex Tagliani and ending 18th at Sonoma, a consequence that left him 36 factors behind Energy with two races to go. His fourth victory of the yr within the penultimate spherical on Baltimore’s bumpy avenue monitor was “large” for his championship: “Successful that race is what actually put us within the title battle going to Fontana,” he says.
When rain hit, Hunter-Reay caught with slicks whereas chief Energy opted for wets that he later ditched. The impressed name put Hunter-Reay into rivalry for victory, which he grasped by passing Ryan Briscoe (Penske) at a late restart.
The consequence nonetheless left him with work to do heading to the 500-mile Fontana finale. However dealing with a 17-point deficit, Hunter-Reay says “we simply by no means gave up”, even within the data that Energy would want a foul day. That’s precisely what transpired.
Learn Additionally:
He inflicted Energy’s third straight slender defeat in a nail-biting conclusion after an early crash for the Australian, whose spin whereas battling Hunter-Reay practically eradicated each automobiles. A courageous effort from Energy to return to the monitor in his rapidly repaired automotive and achieve another place meant Hunter-Reay wanted to complete fifth, which was removed from sure till attrition hit within the closing laps.
He was operating fourth, battling Takuma Sato, with Castroneves closing quick on new tyres within the closing laps, when Sato too shunted. That froze the order and topped RH-R as champion after a race that “felt prefer it went on for 4 days”. He provides the expertise of “working underneath that stress additionally ready me and set me up for the 2014 Indy 500 win” when combating tooth and nail with Castroneves.
“I’ve at all times thought inside the trade, a season championship is revered multiple race consequence,” he considers. “The Indy 500, nevertheless, transcends motorsports, so from a eliminated perspective, the Indy 500 carries extra weight and worth to a driver’s profession. Nevertheless, inside the racing trade and inside that paddock, amongst groups and all the things else, the general championship is the true mark of respect.”
It additionally meant Hunter-Reay had the possibility to run #1 on his automotive in 2013. Though issues hardly ever went to plan as elements typically past his management restricted him to simply two wins at Barber and Milwaukee, the Dallas native is proud that the chance was there to alternate along with his common #28, chosen to signify the 28 million individuals worldwide combating most cancers.
Hunter-Reay survived nervy remaining race at Fontana to clinch 2012 title, which stays the final IndyCar crown not taken by a Ganassi or Penske driver
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photographs
“You have labored your whole profession to have the ability to put one quantity in your automotive, and that quantity’s #1,” he says. “We went backwards and forwards on ‘ought to we simply preserve the #28?’ However after I thought in regards to the historical past of that custom of the champion taking the #1, it was too important to go up.”
It was additionally the final time an Andretti Autosport [now Andretti Global] driver carried that quantity. The group continues to be ready so as to add one other IndyCar title to its roster, with Ganassi (seven) and Penske (5) resuming hegemony.
Immediately the DW12 options “the identical security cell, the carbon fibre monocoque, the bathtub is similar”, however has little else in frequent with its 2012 spec. Hunter-Reay is obvious {that a} automotive by which his most up-to-date win got here within the 2018 Sonoma finale is to date faraway from the unique package deal – with extra weight ensuing from the halo, aeroscreen, hybrid items and anti-intrusion panels – as to be “a totally completely different automotive”.
“The automotive drives fully completely different, not even near the place it was previous to the producer aerokits,” he factors out. However like Hunter-Reay himself, for whom the eagerness for racing burns as brilliant as ever, it has no finish in sight.
The present iteration of the DW12 is so completely different from the unique that Hunter-Reay regards it as a unique automotive
Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photographs
On this article
James Newbold
IndyCar
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Be the primary to know and subscribe for real-time information e mail updates on these subjects
Subscribe to information alerts
