The DeltaWing, the most original and exotic racing car design introduced in the past several years is right on track—according to the latest press release from constructors All American Racers.
The DeltaWing, brainchild of veteran designer Ben Bowlby was originally proposed as the replacement for the current generation of IndyCars.
When the radical design was rejected by Indycar, it was proposed for the experimental 56th grid spot at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, by a consortium including racing legend Dan Gurney’s All American Racers, Duncan Dayton’s multi-championship-winning Highcroft Racing team, veteran designer Ben Bowlby, and American Le Mans Series founder Dr. Don Panoz.
The DeltaWing was designed to be half as heavy as a modern race car, with half the drag, this needing half the power, thus being twice as fuel-efficient. Its unique tricycle shape, with a long pointed nose and very small front wheels, plus its rearward weight bias and electronically-controlled differential, would supposedly allow the car to corner as fast as a conventional car while being more stable under braking.
The car’s body will be made from a revolutionary material called REAMS, Recyclable Energy Absorbing Matrix System, developed by Dr. Panoz out of bullet-proofing materials created for the military at his Elan Motorsport Technologies factory.
REAMS, according to Dr. Panoz, can be 50 percent lighter than the carbon fiber currently used in race car construction, can be made using less energy, and is recyclable.
Dr. Panoz said in a press statement that the DeltaWing “could be a great leap forward for the sport. If you can build a car that is lighter and needs less horsepower then that provides significant ‘green’ improvements
“When you throw REAMS in the mix it makes things even better—particularly for the tracks. One of the biggest problems you have with on-track impacts is the pieces of shattered carbon fiber littering the track and causing tire punctures. This doesn’t happen with REAMS.”
According to the latest DeltaWing press release, everything is on schedule and looking good.
Designer Ben Bowlby said, “The progress so far has actually been far better than I dare hoped—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.”
That press release includes a photo of the new tub—and offers some explanation of why drivers might feel right at home.
