 | |
| Category | CART IndyCar |
|---|---|
| Constructor | Penske |
| Designer(s) | Geoff Ferris |
| Predecessor | Penske PC-9 |
| Successor | Penske PC-11 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Aluminum Monocoque |
| Suspension | Inboard springs and Fox shocks front and rear, operated by top rocker arm with front and lower rear A arms of streamline tubing |
| Engine | Cosworth DFX 2,650 cc (161.7 cu in) V8 80° Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted |
| Transmission | Hewland V.G. 4 speed manual |
| Weight | 1,550 lb (703.1 kg) |
| Fuel | Methanol, supplied by Mobil |
| Tyres | Goodyear Eagle Speedway Specials - Rear 27.0x14.5-15 - Front 25.5x10.0-15 |
| Competition history | |
| Notable entrants | Penske Racing |
| Notable drivers | Rick Mears Kevin Cogan |
The Penske PC-10 is a CART open-wheel race car, designed by Penske Racing, which was constructed for competition in the 1982 season. Designed by Geoff Ferris, it is considered possibly the most dominant Penske race car design ever and that from a team that typically dominated. Rick Mears has been quoted as acknowledging this was his favorite racecar chassis ever.[1] Twelve total were made (1-12), six raced by Penske (1-6), with four confirmed destroyed (4, 7, 8, 11). They were manufactured at Penske Cars, Ltd. in Poole, England during 1982, and delivered to Penske Racing, Inc., in Reading, Pennsylvania. So outstanding was the PC-10's design, it won the prestigious Louis Schwitzer Award for innovation and engineering excellence in the field of race car design at the Indianapolis 500 in 1982. The PC-10s were active in the years 1982–1984. In fact, the PC-10 was ultimately much better than the following year PC-11, so Roger Penske bought back one of the PC-10s he had sold to another team for the 1983 season, and which then won another race for his team.
The PC-10s were driven for Roger Penske by Rick Mears and Kevin Cogan in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Series in 1982. Mears campaigned the car as the GOULD CHARGE car (red-blue-white), and in which he again won the CART Championship. It carried number 1 when Mears drove it as he was also the previous year's champion in 1981. When Cogan drove the car it carried the NORTON livery (yellow-blue-white) and carried the number 4.
The PC-10s were powered by the 2.6-liter Cosworth DFX turbocharged engine, delivering as high as 840 bhp.[2] The DFX engine was the Indy car version of the highly successful 3-liter Cosworth DFV Formula One engine developed by former Lotus engineer Keith Duckworth and Colin Chapman, with financial backing from Ford for the Lotus 49 to campaign the 1967 season. This engine had 155 wins between 1967 and 1985 in F1. The DFX variant was initially developed for Indy car use by Parnelli Jones in 1976, with Cosworth soon taking over. This engine won the Indianapolis 500 ten consecutive years from 1978 to 1987, as well as winning all USAC and CART championships between 1977 and 1987. It powered 81 consecutive Indy car victories from 1981 to 1986, with 153 Indy car victories total.[3]
- ^ "Rick Mears – still the ultimate pro at 65". motorsport.com.
- ^ "Ford Cosworth DFX Turbocharged Indy Car". museumofamericanspeed.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-23.
- ^ "Indy 500 - 100th Race". cosworth.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2016-12-27.