What are the straight-away speeds of Indy cars?

Answer 1

Depends. If you are talking about at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2012, then terminal long straightaway speeds are in the 230 mph range. Cornering speeds at the apex are about 220 mph (during qualifying) and are only lower than straightaway speeds because turning the steering wheel builds up friction on the tires which slows the car marginally. A well-balanced Indy Car is driven flat out all the way around the Speedway. Interestingly, there have been eras where Indy Cars have hit speeds in the 240-plus range---back in 1972 and 1973 when turbo boost to the engine was unlimited but cornering speeds were in the 160 range, and the Penske-Mercedes cars of 1994 are reputed to have been in the high 240 range but a sub-par chassis design forced them to slow down more than other cars at the time in the corners.

Answer 2

135 mph