10-4 Magazine May 2023

10-4 Magazine / May 2023 35 a turbocharger, making use of the “free” energy contained in the engine exhaust stream, to drive a turbine wheel, that was connected to a centrifugal blower. Also, the 1952 Cummins Diesel Special was the first IndyCar to be tested in a wind-tunnel for aerodynamic design. While the 1952 #28 Cummins Diesel Special racer did not win the 1952 Indy 500, retiring after just 180 miles due to a piece of debris clogging the turbocharger intake, the famous IndyCar is the only diesel powered entry to ever sit on pole position at the Indianapolis 500. The diesel IndyCar is still owned by Cummins, and it can be seen in the Cummins Museum in Columbus, IN. While times have changed (along with the Indy 500 rule book) and diesel powered race cars do not compete at the Indianapolis 500 any longer, you can still find plenty of diesel powered vehicles parked on the grounds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May. While the fast race cars and their daring drivers get most of the glory, the tractor-trailer combinations that move the teams of the NTT IndyCar Series are just as impressive as the cars they haul. These haulers travel more than 50,000 miles during the course of the racing season. From the season opening Firestone Grand Prix on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, to the finale at Weathertech Raceway in Laguna Seca, California, and everywhere in between, the trucks that move the teams of the NTT IndyCar Series crisscross the North American continent multiple times a year. And these haulers are some of the most impressive and expensive rigs that roll up and down the highways of both the United States and Canada. IndyCars are some of the most amazing automobiles in the world. As purpose-built race cars, they require extreme care when being transported, and to achieve this without damage, these cars are hauled in some of the fanciest, most high-tech tractor-trailers to ever be seen on the road. No expense is spared in outfitting these specialty trailers used by the race teams. Spotless stainless steel and team/sponsor colors and graphics adorn these big rigs, and hydraulic lifts and well-appointed work areas are the norm for each race team, which must be self-sufficient, to survive the rigors of being on the road while maintaining, altering, and repairing cars for the eight month racing season. Many of the race car transporters are customized with aerodynamic, as well as cosmetic, alterations, providing a streamlined, modern, and commanding look. In the mid-late 1980s, legendary racer and auto designer Bruce Canepa and his company, Canepa Designs, began modifying Kenworth T600As (and later the T600Bs and Peterbilt 377s), giving these trucks an even more impressive look and stance. Taking Kenworth’s industry changing design, refining it with an even more streamlined look, the Canepa designed trucks provided teams power and custom styled efficiency from an already amazing rig. Now known as Concept Transporters, this Canepa owned company still customizes and builds tractor-trailers for racing teams and multiple racing series. When it comes to IndyCar racing though, Team Penske is considered to be the gold standard, or the “New York Yankees of Motorsports” as many media outlets have referred to the organization. Team founder and owner Roger “The