IRL: Aurora V8 progress update

• Rick Voegelin <72467.3005@CompuServe.COM>
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Thu Aug 22 15:55:34 EDT 1996

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                 IRL AURORA V8 READY FOR TESTING

     Note to Editors:  This is the third in a series of progress
 reports on development of Oldsmobile's Motorsport Aurora V8 for
 Indy Racing League competition in 1997.

     Lansing, Mich. -- While Indy car teams are preparing for the
 start of the 1996-97 Indy Racing League season at New Hampshire
 International Speedway on August 18, GM engineers are gearing up
 for the first dyno tests of the new IRL Motorsport Aurora V8.
 Following the completion of dynamometer and track tests,
 Oldsmobile's advanced Aurora V8 will make its Indy car
 competition debut in January 1997 when the IRL's new 4.0-liter
 production-based engine formula takes effect.

     "The first Aurora V8 designed specifically for IRL
 competition will be on the dyno in a matter of weeks," said GM
 Motorsports engineer Ed Keating.  "All of the major GM-designed
 engine components -- the aluminum cylinder case, four-valve
 cylinder heads, and covers for the dual overhead cams and
 camshaft drive chains -- are being machined for final assembly."

     GM Motorsports is establishing a distribution system for
 assembled engines and complete engine parts kits through
 designated engine builders.  An assembly manual is being produced
 with technical specifications and detailed instructions on
 preparing Aurora V8 competition engines.  This manual will be
 available to professional engine builders and racing teams.

     The success of the Aurora V8 in IMSA road racing gave GM
 engineers a head start on development of a new methanol-fueled
 version for IRL competition.  Aurora V8 engines have already won
 four IMSA Exxon World SportsCar Championship
 races -- including the Daytona 24-hour and Sebring 12-hour
 endurance races -- and six Exxon Supreme GT events in 1996.
 Oldsmobile leads the Manufacturers Championship standings in both
 IMSA divisions.

     While the new IRL Motorsport Aurora V8 has been specifically
 designed to withstand the demands of high-speed Indy car racing
 and to meet the IRL engine regulations, it retains a close
 kinship with the 4.0-liter/250-horsepower DOHC production version
 that is available exclusively in Oldsmobile's performance luxury
 sedan.  The IRL Motorsport Aurora V8 is engineered specifically
 for use as a stressed member in a single-seat racing car, with a
 strong emphasis on compact size, light weight, and high-rpm
 reliability.

     The following are technical features shared by the
 production Aurora V8 and the new IRL racing version:

 Displacement:                 4.0 liters (244ci)
 "V" Angle:                    90 degrees
 Cylinder Bore Spacing:        102mm
 Camshaft Drive:               Chain
 Valves per Cylinder:          4
 Valvetrain:                   Dual overhead cams
 Cylinder Head Material:       Aluminum
 Cylinder Case Material:       Aluminum
 Cylinder Liners:              "Dry" iron
 Crankshaft Design:            90 degrees
 Fuel System:                  Sequential EFI

  The following are some of the differences between the
 production and Indy car versions:

 Feature             Production Aurora V8     IRL Aurora V8
 Maximum rpm:        6,000                    10,500
 Fuel:               Unleaded gasoline        Methanol
 Bore Diameter:      87mm                     93mm
 Deck Height:        8.84"                    8.1"
 Compression Ratio:  10.3:1                   13-15:1
 Throttle System:    Throttle Body            Individual Runner
 Lubrication System: Wet Sump                 Dry Sump

     As previously announced, Oldsmobile will conduct initial
 track tests of the IRL Motorsport Aurora V8 with four teams when
 IRL-spec chassis become available.  Treadway Racing and Team
 Menard will test the Aurora V8 in the G Force chassis, while A.J.
 Foyt Enterprises and Team Scandia will utilize Dallara chassis.

     "The Aurora's sophisticated V8 powertrain gives it a strong
 competitive advantage in the marketplace," commented Aurora Brand
 Manager John Gatt.  "Aurora owners enjoy the smoothness,
 responsiveness and performance of a multi-valve V8 for about the
 same price our competition charges for a six-cylinder engine.  We
 are eager to showcase the capabilities of the Aurora V8 by
 participating in the Indy Racing League with a production-based
 powerplant in 1997."


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  E-mail from: Rick Voegelin, 21-Aug-1996