24 Hours of Le Mans
DeltaWing on target for debut
© Project 56 Group
Over the past 46 year’s Dan Gurney’s All American Racers organization in Santa Ana, California has produced 157 individual racing cars which have won in Formula 1, the Indy 500 plus major international sportscar events.
But for Gurney, the latest machine to come out of his facility has the 80-year-old American racing legend feeling like a kid at Christmas again.
The revolutionary DeltaWing sportscar is being designed and built at Gurney’s facility and will hit the track for the first time later this year with 2-time American Le Mans Series champions, Highcroft Racing
Not only are two race cars being built, the extensive “to do” list also includes two wind tunnel models and a show car.
“When I was growing up as a young boy I used to really look forward to Christmas morning when all the presents would be downstairs under the tree,” Gurney said.
“I now feel the same about this project – we’ll need a lot bigger living room and a significantly larger tree!
“It is a great challenge ahead but all of us have ‘been there and done that’ when it comes to building racing cars.
“Now we are well underway on the DeltaWing, everyone has a great sense of anticipation about seeing it run for the first time.”
The DeltaWing project was awarded the 56th entry for next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – a place on the grid reserved for technologically advanced technologies.
The new car features all the performance of a traditional LMP1-spec sportscar but with half the weight, half the aerodynamic drag and half the horsepower.
“We’re very pleased with the way things have been unfolding and guys can’t wait to get more and more into the project,” Gurney said.
“It is a tremendous effort which everyone is very proud of.
“All of us love to lead the pack and this car has a great opportunity to re-shape the industry. That is a great motivating force for everyone.
“Ben (Bowlby) and the other design guys have fitted in exceptionally well with our existing people. There is a lot of trust and confidence already.”
The DeltaWing brings together Gurney’s All American Racers group, who will build the new machine; Ben Bowlby and DeltaWing Racing Cars handling the car’s design and engineering; Highcroft Racing to run, test and race and the new machine; and American Le Mans Series founder Don Panoz as a key advisor and as a provider of the unique recyclable REAMS bodywork material.
“The progress so far has actually been far better than I dare hoped,” Bowlby said.
“The guys working on the design are doing an outstanding job and everything is coming together exceptionally well.
“The details of the front suspension/nose module are complete and we have been working with the ACO and the FIA on arranging the crash testing for those components.
“The tub itself actually conforms to full LMP1 chassis regulations. From the drivers’ perspective, their “office” will be the same whether driving the DeltaWing or another LMP1 car.
“The rear suspension chassis module is a space frame which cradles the engine and gearbox and supports the suspension itself – its design is also complete and we’re now tooling up to building parts.”
Bowlby is enjoying the opportunity to work with Gurney’s organization – a group whose race credits feature 78 total victories, including three Indianapolis 500s, a Formula 1 win, 83 pole positions and eight championships.
“It’s great to be here at AAR, they are an amazing group of racing people,” Bowlby said.
“Everyone is so excited about bringing this project to fruition, getting the car on track and surprising the world.
“The level of commitment and ‘get it done’ factor is extraordinary. Dan and Justin (Gurney) have provided an amazing design office for us and they have tremendous manufacturing capabilities here.
“Dan himself comes up to the drawing office to check on progress, to talk about the car and always brings perspective from projects they have done in the past.”
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I’m sorry but I just don’t get it with this vehicle. It looks like something we raced at a slot car track back in the 60′s. It’s ugly and represent no vehicle that’s out there now. Run this car in a class along with totally electric cars and see how crowded the stands will be.
Hope it’s a massive flop. Sorry.
Anyone got a spare nuke laying around?
In an industry muted with spec cars, I think this car is absolutely awesome and the group 56 rule is the perfect fit. I can’t wait for it to hit the track. God bless everyone at AAR!
I hope it does ok, at least fast enough to not cause problems for the rest of the cars. I just cant see it getting around the slower corners at any kind of speed.
Dear lord……
I still don’t see whats so technologically advanced about building a light car with a small engine. Racecar builders have been doing that since the early 1900s, probably even earlier!!! Especially when you consider that the Audi R18 for example, is far lighter than the rules allow, they then just ballast it out. The ACO should have picked one of the electric cars, at least they are going to work when the petrol runs out. The Delta Wing is just more of the same, in a very ugly body…
To the Bat mobile Robin!
I say give it a try. If it works, cool! Technology is moving forward, faster than many of us prefer cuz we are 1, not comfortable to change and, 2, it is way different! Remember back when Indy went to the Mid-Engine’d Car? People were flipping out. Any one seen a Front Engine’d car at Indy since?
Thanks Duncan Dayton. You ditch a perfectly good Acura car for this…thing.
What does it signify, what does it prove?
It doesn’t look like it would corner too well.
Bring back the Panoz if you want a real Bat mobile eh
We’ll see how well it performs at Le Mans, the toughest testing ground for new technology.
@all the above comments, surely it’s interesting and different to see new cars? I agree it looks like it’ll corner like a Robin Reliant but I’m sure they’ve thought it through.
Regarding the electric engine issue, I was at SIlverstone for the 6hrs, and obviously the petrol cars sound awesome, especially the Vantage V8 and the Corvette, but the planet’s f*cked already and building more, fossil fuel burning petrol engines is a rubbish idea.
F1 used to go through engines like they were nothing, and Ferrari once did 30,000 test miles with Schumacher, what a total waste of resources
This thing was an “I Am Indy” Still Birth…. If the IRL rejected it…. Sorry to see so much time, money and effort spent on such an aesthetically unpleasing vehicle…. Just my two cents from the stands….
I have never ‘gotten it’ with this project. Other than it’s ungainly shape, there’s nothing bleeding edge about.
Pluse, according to the latest from Murphy, it doesn’t sound like this thing is on schedule for LeMans 2012.
‘The ACO should have picked one of the electric cars, at least they are going to work when the petrol runs out. The Delta Wing is just more of the same, in a very ugly body…’
Manufactuers are working on cars to increase fuel efficinecy to ensure petrol stocks last much longer. The electric proposals are quite basic and will only be brought to the track at a high enough level by Audi, Peugeot, Porsche and so.
‘If the IRL rejected it’
The IRL went with a dull spec car that hasn’t moved the game on or brought publicity. They may as well stuck with the old car for all the good the change has done.
Highcroft is my home team. Their factory is on the very street as my school!! I’m dying for a factory tour and I know this spectacular car is being prepared there.
@mA66
“Manufactuers are working on cars to increase fuel efficinecy to ensure petrol stocks last much longer”
Giving a car a small engine and light body may improve its fuel efficiency, but that isn’t a technological advancement, just common sense. As I already said, they’ve been doing that since the very begging of motor sport.
Sure electric cars are boring, but petrol powered cars will be worse when they don’t have any petrol to power them. All alternatives should be encouraged through this 56th entry, but not more of the same.
What a bunch of whiners. Someone is thinking outside the box and all you can do is whine! FWIW this looks more like a LSR car except it has to be able to take corners! I, for one, can’t wait to see how it does and wish it all the best!!