The first meeting, with representatives from over a dozen engine and chassis suppliers, was held in July to get a feel for what sorts of options seemed attractive to the most potential suppliers going forward. The next meeting is set for mid-September, when both sides will start trying to reach more specific details. Naturally, the IRL expects that in each step of this process more of these companies will bow out, leaving only a few dedicated firms in the end to help shape the future of the series.

The decision to take the turbocharged approach was one of the clearest messages that the IRL got from the first meeting. "We're down to two [options], and at this time, both of them include turbos," said league competition president Brian Barnhart. "One of them even includes double turbos [on a V-block 6 cylinder engine], so turbos are looking good." The other option appears to be a single turbo 4 cylinder engine.

The IndyCar Series currently uses a normally asperated, 3.5 litre V-8 engine. Honda is the only supplier. Honda remains committed to it's IndyCar program &, as it already makes a number of turbocharged 4 & 6 cylinder powerplants, is likely to stay in the series once the new specifications take effect.    

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