Yes. The differences are not blatant, but they ARE there.
My *opinion* is that Goodyears are stickier for a while, but generally
Firestones wear better. The Lola chassis tends to be much looser for a
given setup than Reynards and Penskes. The Penske is slower at top speed
than the other chassis (important at Michigan, Indy, Talladega, probably
Pocono). The Reynard seems to have somewhat better grip in the rear than
P or L. The Honda seems to have the advantage at the top end of the
power band, and I am told that the Mercedes is better at lower speeds.
The Cosworth seems to be a good middle ground.
In general, my opinion are that driver ability, then setup are more important
than which chassis or engine you use, especially at road courses. At the
superspeedways, it's easier to tell.
--
Brian Wong Systems Engineering Group (Servers)