In order to reduce costs, the IZOD IndyCar Series is looking at ways to attain this objective and it is finalizing a testing plan for 2013 with a reduce number of testing days.

Series’ officials now believe that after having had an impressive number of testing days in 2012 in order to develop and learn more about the new DW12 and its different engines, it is now time to reduce the number of testing days, each day costing more than $50,000 to a medium size team.

In addition to reducing the number of test days permitted for each entry, which could be in the range of 50% less, the series is also looking at ways to save money by deciding the best time to hold those testing sessions.

Photo: LAT for IndyCar

IndyCar is considering using the same formulae as the American Le Mans Series or, even MotoGP, where testing is held at the same venue the day before or after the race week-end.

Under the new testing framework, teams would eliminate three of those four cross country treks in 2013, saving a significant amount of travel- and car-related costs as a result of rolling a one-day test into the race weekend.

For the time being, only road courses are considered to be part of the new scheme but the scenario of using a racetrack that has both type of circuit road/oval and used both in the span of two or three days is also a possibility.

If allowed, teams could do a road course testing and, then, the next day, test on its oval without having to go anywhere else.