How does a company become an IRL supplier?
Any chassis supplier that can build a car meeting the IRL specs can enter the series, but their design must be pre-approved by the IRL. This is done in order to control costs and restrict the use of downforce-producing aerodynamics which would tend to greatly increase speeds. There are deadlines for when a design must be submitted before entering competition; the deadline dates are April 1 and September 1 each year. A design which is submitted by April 1 in a particular year can begin competing in January of the following year; a design submitted by September 1 can begin competing in June of the following year. One other condition is imposed on chassis suppliers, and this is considered one of the most important principles in the IRL: each chassis maker must sign an agreement with the IRL agreeing to sell chassis to any IRL team, at a fixed price ($280,000 as of this writing). The procedure for approval of engine designs is similar, and has the same deadline dates. Engine makers must al
