I caught up with Mark Sibla, IndyCar’s senior vice president of competition and operations, to talk about why the sport needed a new racer, and why now? The IR28, Sibla explained, will have a three-year cycle of sorts, which should see “visual updates” to enhance the appearance and on-track action “to keep fans excited.” New track records are another goal IndyCar is betting on. “I think people also love challenging track records,” Sibla added. Jerry PerezOf course, beyond the hope that fans will like the look of the car, that it will break records, and that it will appeal to a currently non-existent third engine manufacturer, there are more tangible reasons IndyCar needed a new race car.