After months of debate and anticipation, the Delta Wing group has finally unveiled what it hopes will be the next-generation IndyCar chassis.
The Delta Wing concept car, designed by Ben Bowlby for a consortium of team owners and investors including Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi, is supposed to answer all the faults of the existing car, while improving safety and efficiency.
“Today marks a fundamental shift in how race fans and the general public will view all racing cars in the future; this is a game changer” DeltaWing CEO Dan Partel said on the IndyCar Web site. “This radical prototype takes open-wheel racing to a new level from both an engineering standpoint and the overall spectator experience.”
The new chassis, unveiled for the first time at the Chicago Auto Show, is a radical departure from previous open-wheel designs. The car features a rocket-like fuselage, a narrow front track, a very wide rear end, and no wings, front or rear.
The wheels are almost entirely enclosed, which drastically reduces drag and also increases safety. Open wheel cars in traffic sometimes launch in the air after their tires collide, because the tires spin with so much force.
The tires on the Delta Wing are only half as wide as on the current car, which will also reduce drag, but will also affect traction.
The car supposedly generates all the downforce it needs through underbody ground effects, and is designed to be able to follow closely in traffic, a problem with the old chassis which prevented close racing.
The Delta Wing concept car, designed by Ben Bowlby for a consortium of team owners and investors including Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi, is supposed to answer all the faults of the existing car, while improving safety and efficiency.
“Today marks a fundamental shift in how race fans and the general public will view all racing cars in the future; this is a game changer” DeltaWing CEO Dan Partel said on the IndyCar Web site. “This radical prototype takes open-wheel racing to a new level from both an engineering standpoint and the overall spectator experience.”
The new chassis, unveiled for the first time at the Chicago Auto Show, is a radical departure from previous open-wheel designs. The car features a rocket-like fuselage, a narrow front track, a very wide rear end, and no wings, front or rear.
The wheels are almost entirely enclosed, which drastically reduces drag and also increases safety. Open wheel cars in traffic sometimes launch in the air after their tires collide, because the tires spin with so much force.
The tires on the Delta Wing are only half as wide as on the current car, which will also reduce drag, but will also affect traction.
The car supposedly generates all the downforce it needs through underbody ground effects, and is designed to be able to follow closely in traffic, a problem with the old chassis which prevented close racing.
