4
DALLARA LLC
How are the partnerships with Dallara
developing outside the races? How is it
going with the interactive area?
“
At Dallara LLC, we are working to expand
the image of the company beyond just
being a chassis supplier. We are working to
engage the local community, which has
embraced us and made us feel at home.
The interactive area is now open to the
public, so our neighbors have the
opportunity to learn about the history of
the company and the technology behind our
success. Fans can take a tour of the
workshop area. Our partners, The IndyCar
Experience, host parties and social events
several times per week in the space adjacent
to the interactive area. The Lino’s Coffee
shop is located in the front corner of our
building, so we interact with the community
every day as we have lunch. And the Dallara
LLC employees are customers of the shops
and restaurants on Main St in Speedway.
We are also working to expand our business
outside of racing. Consultancies are a
significant part of the business for Dallara,
and we want to branch out and engage
other business sectors. Up to now, we have
been primarily engaged in the support of
the 2012 IndyCar Series chassis, but we are
also busy making contacts in the aircraft
and aerospace industry, which are very
strong in the US. We are optimistic that
these contacts will lead to new business
opportunities for Dallara”.
Let’s talk about two different motor racing
worlds, the European and the US one: in
which aspects are they similar and in
which they differ?
“
I think that the largest difference
between motorsports in Europe
and the US is that the major racing series
are managed by a single sanctioning body
(
FIA) in Europe but through fragmented
sanctioning bodies (INDYCAR, NASCAR,
ALMS, Grand-AM, SCCA, USAC, ARCA, etc.) in
the US.
The participants in motorsports are all very
competitive individuals, each seeking to
gain an advantage for themselves, and often
overlooking the big picture of what is good
for the series overall. A “benevolent
dictatorship” works best to keep everyone in
line and working towards a common goal
and, from a US perspective, it seems that
the situation in Europe is much better in
that respect.
In the US, there is a constant debate
between the teams and the sanctioning
body, and the situation in the IndyCar Series
is a good example. The teams spend as
much effort maneuvering for gains off the
track as they do preparing for the actual on-
track competition. I suspect that this is
somewhat true for European motorsport as
well, but the difference is that the FIA is
more powerful, and therefore more
successful at forcing the teams to a
consensus”.
A souvenir picture from Indianapolis 2005:
From left: Gian Paolo Dallara, Caterina Dallara,
Stefano De Ponti, the winner Dan Wheldon,
Sam Garrett and Elisa Bonzani
Checking the hub-bracket
Some members of Dallara's team at 2012 Indy: from left, Alex Immermans,
Sam Garrett, Mark Dallara and Antonio Montanari
