Delta Wing Discussion ONLY

[Simmi]

Top Gear are building their own version of the DeltaWing to take down to the race in support of the project!

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/del...ica-2012-05-17

[GT6]

It will make a change for TG to actually cover Le Mans, hardly gets a mention since the days of Tiff

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Top Gear are building their own version of the DeltaWing to take down to the race in support of the project!

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/del...ica-2012-05-17

I trust they've approached the ACO and asked to enter the car in the drivers parade. Could make for good television methinks.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

I trust they've approached the ACO and asked to enter the car in the drivers parade. Could make for good television methinks.

......and would confuse the hell out of the French!

[GT6]

I think top gear is shown in france now

[Simmi]

Would be some great PR and shows the ability of the 56th garage to inspire people. Reading the article it isn't really clear whether the three amigos will be there or whether it is a stunt for the magazine or website?

On a slightly different note I'm wondering if the ACO will use the race weekend to reveal the 2013 candidate like last year. I remember reading that announcement on my phone in the campsite and just thinking WTF!!! Now I couldn't be more excited to see it run.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Would be some great PR and shows the ability of the 56th garage to inspire people. Reading the article it isn't really clear whether the three amigos will be there or whether it is a stunt for the magazine or website?

On a slightly different note I'm wondering if the ACO will use the race weekend to reveal the 2013 candidate like last year. I remember reading that announcement on my phone in the campsite and just thinking WTF!!! Now I couldn't be more excited to see it run.

Recall sharing the fusion of skepticism and curiosity about the DW last June, and to see it come to fruition the way it has is really encouraging.

From a promotional perspective giving next year's Garage 56 the kick from an announcement in June makes a lot of sense, especially in the current climate when any project will need a lot of help to prove its bona fides to get onto the track in the sort of timescale the Deltawing's achieved.

[TME45]

front engine is wrong for DW >.<!!!!

p.s. is the front end from Caterham?

[Simmi]

In the least surprising story of the day Panoz wants the DW to continue beyond LM in the ALMS.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99764

[gwyllion]

The full interview is available at http://www.deltawingracing.com/news/...deltawing.html

Panoz wants the DeltaWing to race against LMP1 or LMP2. With its minimal tyre wear, the DeltaWing can probably do an ALMS race on a single set of tyres. That is going to be messy to balance.

[R4z3rw33n]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Panoz wants the DeltaWing to race against LMP1 or LMP2. With its minimal tyre wear, the DeltaWing can probably do an ALMS race on a single set of tyres. That is going to be messy to balance.

Seems a pretty strange position for the series' competitors. I'm aware there's a precedent for similar happenings (e.g. any of the multiple Panoz efforts). This seems a slightly different scenario.

There's no precedent for the series' owner competing for overall wins against solely privateer runners, with a package that isn't designed (by any means) to category technical regs.
Introducing BoP in any capacity seems even more troublesome.

[MulsanneMike]

Originally Posted by R4z3rw33n

Seems a pretty strange position for the series' competitors. I'm aware there's a precedent for similar happenings (e.g. any of the multiple Panoz efforts). This seems a slightly different scenario.

There's no precedent for the series' owner competing for overall wins against solely privateer runners, with a package that isn't designed (by any means) to category technical regs.
Introducing BoP in any capacity seems even more troublesome.

And the sole motivation? To monetize and recoup his investment in DW. He's the primary money backer ("managing partner"). Hmmm, conflict of interest anyone?

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by MulsanneMike

Hmmm, conflict of interest anyone?

Just a bit!

Think it will serve to drive a bigger wedge between the regs of the ALMS and the FIA/ACO. This could eventually end up being the biggest hurdle for a Sebring joint race.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by MulsanneMike

And the sole motivation? To monetize and recoup his investment in DW. He's the primary money backer ("managing partner"). Hmmm, conflict of interest anyone?

Indeed. The plot is so far lost on these people. New Ownership couldn't come soon enough in North America.

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Panoz wants the DeltaWing to race against LMP1 or LMP2. With its minimal tyre wear, the DeltaWing can probably do an ALMS race on a single set of tyres. That is going to be messy to balance.

The Don, him nuts!

[Speed-King]

Might get the series quite a bit of mainstream attention, though. The general motoring press seems to have fallen in love with the D-Wing and now the Top Gear guys are going to built their own:

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/21/t...wing-race-car/

Like it or not, in terms of mainstream perception this thing is definitely in 'cool wall' territory right now.

[Catingaround]

IMO the ALMS P1 category could use a few Deltawings. I'd like to see Highcroft back with one and maybe a team from Chip Ganassi. It would be quite a spectacle to see them mixing it up with the traditional cars from Dyson and Muscle Milk. I really hope Highcroft shows up to Lime Rock this year, would love to see it run in person.

Would the Deltawing be more of a conflict of interest than the previous Panoz projects?

It would seem to be a very tricky BoP to blend them fairly into P1 or P2, especially with tire wear.

I wonder how Dyson and Pickett feel about competing against Deltawings?

[Speed-King]

Dyson might have to spring for a new car sooner rather than later, anyway, with the Lola being uncompetitive and Lola bankrupt.

[lms]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Just a bit!

Think it will serve to drive a bigger wedge between the regs of the ALMS and the FIA/ACO. This could eventually end up being the biggest hurdle for a Sebring joint race.

I agree. a couple month ago I hated the idea that the alms would move away from the aco rules and thought that joined alms-wec races would be the way to go (and they were awesome in recent years, except maybe the traffic was a bit too "dense" this year) but after reading this **** about the dw i would be really glad if the wec would decide to go its own way, following the aco rules of course and with a separate 12h event in na.
and jesus, the dw guys should be happy that the aco lets their indycar roll around the le mans track with big manufacturers like Toyota and Audi with their hybrid lmp1 cars competing for overall win, yet they want more! If Panoz wants to mess up the American "Le Mans" Series, thats fine. But keep this junk out of the WEC and Le Mans and give the extra spot to someone who deservers it. Like a 918 hybrid or whatever. They havent participated in a single endurance race so far, yet they are already talking about returning to Le Mans next year lol. i hope the aco will politely show them the door.

[miatanut]

Why not have a fuel consumption class, initially set to pace between P1 & P2 and as designers and teams got better at getting more out of that fuel allotment, it would eventually compete for overall wins?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by miatanut

Why not have a fuel consumption class, initially set to pace between P1 & P2 and as designers and teams got better at getting more out of that fuel allotment, it would eventually compete for overall wins?

Because LMP1 will become an energy consumption class from 2014 onwards.

[vincegail]

If somebody would ask me (but why would they?) all classes would be fuel consumption classes. Just give them all a certain amount of fuel, aka a certain amount of energy (xxxx MJ/GJ/TJ whatever) and no limits whatsoever in car design. Just make sure you get to the finish come sunday afternoon with your allocated amount of fuel. Every lesser class gets a little less fuel, so should go slower to make it to the end.

[miatanut]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Because LMP1 will become an energy consumption class from 2014 onwards.

If I understand it, it's more like the Group C approach, where the car is highly regulated but it also has an energy limit, and the DeltaWing would get bounced in technical inspection. This would be to have cars with minimal technical rules, and the energy limit would be a lot lower (like half, as with the DeltaWing), and the energy limit becomes the key technical limit.

Originally Posted by vincegail

If somebody would ask me (but why would they?) all classes would be fuel consumption classes. Just give them all a certain amount of fuel, aka a certain amount of energy (xxxx MJ/GJ/TJ whatever) and no limits whatsoever in car design. Just make sure you get to the finish come sunday afternoon with your allocated amount of fuel. Every lesser class gets a little less fuel, so should go slower to make it to the end.

I would be all for that!

I've been arguing for that in the 'Next Generation of F1' thread, with no takers. Sportscar racing has always been more open to funky new ideas, so really it would be a better venue for that concept.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by vincegail

If somebody would ask me (but why would they?) all classes would be fuel consumption classes. Just give them all a certain amount of fuel, aka a certain amount of energy (xxxx MJ/GJ/TJ whatever) and no limits whatsoever in car design. Just make sure you get to the finish come sunday afternoon with your allocated amount of fuel. Every lesser class gets a little less fuel, so should go slower to make it to the end.

Good, are super bikes eligible?

[vincegail]

Originally Posted by wnut

Good, are super bikes eligible?

OK, I concur! Two tiny rules!
-minimum weight which also gets a little bit higher with lower classes
-4 wheels