Dayton Daily News

The Indianpolis 500 is right around the corner, and the cars that run the famous race are fast and technologically unique. They utilize aerodynamic design that creates down force of more than 5,000 pounds, and to say the least, they are expensive. Underneath the brilliant paint schemes and numerous sponsors' names and logos, the cars are all very similar, using identical parts and pieces to maintain a level playing field and to contain costs. Holding down costs is almost an oxymoron, given the price tag just to field one car for the Indy 500. However, the payoff for victory is much more than $1 million, and 33rd, or last place, earns more than $200,000.

We compiled a list of interesting facts and figures:

- Chassis: Most are Dallara, but eight 2005 Panoz chassis are entered.

- Price: $309,000

- Engine: Honda 3.5 liter, fuel injected V-8; double overhead cams,

4 valves per cylinder

- Price: Engines are leased from Honda, $225,000 for the month of May. Engines are maintained and repaired by Honda; the lease guarantees teams fresh engines anytime they are needed.

- Tires: Firestone Firehawk slicks, tread thickness is 3/32 of an inch, and a tire lasts 100 miles.

Front tires are 10 inches wide, rears are 14.5 inches wide

- Price: $64,750 for 35 sets for the month or $462 per tire (includes tires for practice, qualifying and the race. Ten sets are usually used for race alone.

- Fuel: Ethanol. All Indy cars will use 100 percent ethanol, a biodegradable, renewable energy source, this year for the first time.

- Price: $1,500 for the month.

Other expenses:

- Entry fee: $8,500

- Team & driver license: $1,500

- Electronics package: $30,000

Computers and electronics play an integral role in Indy car racing today. On-board telemetry monitors everything from engine function, G-forces, speed, rpms and even tire pressure at speed. Engineers in the pits are glued to laptops, gathering data to find ways to make the cars faster.

Drivers have the ability to adjust the handling of the car from the cockpit using controls to adjust the suspension on both the front and rear of the car.

The standard steering wheel is also a thing of the past. In addition to the two-way radio control button, the limit switch holds the cars at the 60 mph speed limit upon entering the pits, and a digital display can show speed, fuel, engine fuel mixture, rpms and temperatures.

As we compiled all of these figures, the one factor not readily available is the price tag for the personnel. In addition to the driver, a racing team requires a minimum of

10 full-time people to run one car, and all of those salaries and expenses have to be figured into the equation.

While Indy car racing is a sport, it is also a big business for teams with big wallets and high-dollar sponsors.

Skip Peterson is a life-long

Indy 500 fan. He has witnessed every Indy 500 since 1961 and has covered more than 25 as a photographer.