2009 Dallara IR06

Dallara, an Italian chassis manufacturer, built chassis for numerous motor racing series including Formula 3, IndyCar, Indy Lights, Formula E, and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (among others). From 2007 to 2011 nearly all IndyCar teams used the Dallara chassis, with a few using a Panoz/G-Force chassis for the 2007 Indy 500. Some teams used the slightly older IR-03 chassis while others used the IR-05.

2009 was the 14th season of the IndyCar Series, a 17-race season that included the 93rd Indianapolis 500, contested by 33 drivers all using Dallara chassis, all-aluminum Honda engines, and Firestone Firehawk tires. Long Beach and Toronto were new to the schedule while Nashville removed from the list of races.

Dario Franchitti won his second IndyCar Series championship, who drove his Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda to victory at Long Beach, Iowa Speedway, Toronto and Infineon Raceway. His teammate, Scott Dixon had led the series heading into the final round, but Franchitti's win at Homestead earned him enough points to claim the season title.

Team Penske's driver Ryan Briscoe scored three wins and Helio Castroneves won the all-important Indy 500 (his third) before taking a win at the Texas Motor Speedway a month later.

The 2009 season was dominated by Ganasssi and Penske teams with only two race victories going to other drivers. Part-time Penske driver Will Power won at Edmonton and Justin Wilson won at Watkins Glen, the first victory for team Dale Coyne Racing.

2009 supposed to be the final year Honda supplied engines to the IndyCar series, but the contract was renewed and Honda remained the single-engine supplier until the 2011 season.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020