Detroit Feb. 6 — More drivers will be powered by Ford-Cosworth XD engines than by any other make of engine in the 1997 PPG CART World Series. The XD returns for its second year of competition within CART as the powerplant of choice for all six Ford-Cosworth teams and 10 full-time drivers. Available on a limited basis in 1996 as it continued to be developed during its first year of competition, Michael Andretti and the XD won a series-best five victories. The XD also claimed its first pole position behind Scott Pruett in Detroit.

The XD and its predecessor, the Ford-Cosworth XB, have combined to win one CART Manufacturer's championship (1995) and two PPG Cup driver championships (1993: Nigel Mansell, 1995: Jacques Villeneuve).

Sophomore XD teams include lead factory team Newman-Haas Racing and Patrick Racing, now known as the new Brahma Sports Team. Payton-Coyne Racing and Della Penna Motorsports also return, but with the XD engine for the first time.

New CART additions to the Ford-Cosworth family are Team Rahal, Project Indy and Davis-Craig Racing.

Key Points of the Ford-Cosworth XD:

— It is lighter than the Ford-Cosworth XB, with a lower center of gravity — It is smaller, particularly around the lower end and crank area, than the XB — It is higher revving and therefore produces more power — It is the highest output engine currently made by Ford-Cosworth, even more than the new Ford Zetec-R V10 Formula One engine — A more robust cam drive design is used, now at the rear of the engine for reduced torsional vibration and greater reliability — With more than 3,500 parts (5,000 including ancillaries), it has four times as many parts as a production car engine — The unique Cosworth Casting Process makes stronger heads and blocks for both the XD and Duratec production car engines — Fuel consumption is two gallons per minute, or like a domestic faucet on full — The piston accelerates at 5,000 g — the same as a rifle bullet — and has an effective weight of two tons at the end of the stroke. 8 Cylinders 2650 cc Displacement Cylinder Block — Aluminum, cast by Cosworth Castings

Crankshaft — Steel

Pistons — Aluminum, forged and machined by Cosworth

Other materials — Titanium, Carbon

Engine Management System — Cooperative effort between Cosworth and Ford Oil System — Dry Sump

New for 1997: Cylinder heads, intake manifolds and plenum and electronics package. Ford-Cosworth has also produced horsepower gains so that 1997 output nearly equals 1996 output despite a boost reduction of 5 inches of manifold pressure (often called turbo "boost").

Source: CART News Service