Brian Barnhardt

By Andrew Cutler
February 7 2010

The anticipation over Wednesday's public unveiling of the Delta Wing car (or at least a drawing & or model of it) is reaching a fever pitch among IndyCar fans. There are even those who are so convinced that this car, which has yet to turn a lap, pass a crash test, etc., etc., etc... will be the 'savior' of the sport that they see conspiracy in the recent release of Dallara's 2012 concept drawings.

The 'villian' in this conspiracy is IRL president of competiton Brain Barnhardt, the man who will most likey get the task of making the final choice - due to happen by late Spring - as to which chassis concept to proceed with.

Newly installed IRL CEO Randy Bernard indicated in his 1st press conference that he will be spending his early months on the post 'learning' about the sport, which doesn't seem to imply that he will be inclinded to override Barnhardt's (or IRL commercial president Terry Angstadt's) decisions anytime soon.

I have previously reported on the difficult choices that Barnhardt faces (see my Jan. 25 article; 'Storm Clouds Gathering?'), but the pro-Delta Wing faction does not appear inclined to acknowledge that there is any option but to choose Ben Bowlby's creation virtually sight unseen - even by over 99% of them!

Thus I come to the following link; to an article written by SpeedTV.com's Marshall Pruett, who sees this past week's release of Dallara's 2012 concept drawings as nothing less than a deliberate attempt by Barnhardt to divert attention away from the Delta Wing car and onto what the pro-Delta Wing faction assumes has already been his choice since day one. 

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/pruett-say-no-to-kee-rock/

The rhetoric is probably only going to get more heated as the week unfolds.