damn... could be interesting!
Posted on 01/10/2016 9:15:54 AM PST by MtnClimber
DeltaWing Prototype is second-quickest at Daytona on Saturday
Saturday was a day for emerging storylines at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway, starting with the surprising sprint to the top of speed charts by the revolutionary DeltaWing Prototype, driven by former IndyCar Series regular Katherine Legge.
The exotic-looking DeltaWing has been in competition since 2012, with limited success. But Saturday was a day for optimism after Legge led the first of three Rolex 24 at Daytona practice sessions on the 3.56-mile road course with a fast lap of 1 minute, 40.137 seconds (127.985 mph) in the No. 0 DeltaWing DWC13. It marked the first time a DeltaWing has topped a practice chart. In the process, it edged Friday’s fastest entry, the No. 60 Honda HPD Ligier JS P2, which ended the first session with a second-best 1:40.182 (127.927) lap.
"It's exciting to be back at Daytona and be fast," said Legge, who is co-driving with Andrew Meyrick, Sean Rayhall and Andreas Wirth. "Being on pace and up with the leaders shows just how much we're improving. And the great news is that I still feel we have more to give."
The three-day Roar Before the Rolex 24, which wraps up today -- sessions run from 9 a.m. until 3:40 p.m. -- is the first action of the year for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, enabling preparation for the season-opening Rolex 24 on Jan. 30-31.
Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/imsa/roar-24-deltawing-shocks-field-fast-time-imsa-rolex-24-daytona#ixzz3wrYH1uxz
(Excerpt) Read more at autoweek.com ...
That wacky looking Delta Wing is fast this year in the prototype class. The two Ford GTs are doing pretty good in the GTLM class with 2nd and 3rd fast in the last practice Saturday.
I wonder what the rear vs front tire track widths are?
http://scoring.imsa.com/
damn... could be interesting!
That’s very nearly a trike, which are prone to lifting the inside rear wheel and overturning when making a sharp turn. I’m surprised it’s been so successful.
Isn’t that the pet carrier behind the tire?
![](http://s27.postimg.org/45r8vma03/serveimage_url_http_media_cache_ec0_pinimg_com.jpg")
23.6"F 66.93"R
The front tires are pretty narrow. The GTLM class cars like the Ford GTs are about 5 seconds a lap off the time of the fastest prototype cars.
![](http://s1.postimg.org/6448qffnj/serveimage_url_http_cdn_9_motorsport_com_stati.jpg")
The Deltawing has not been successful in the past. That is why it is so surprising the speed is competitive in this practice session.
That might make for some interesting mash-ups.
In GTLM class the two Corvette C7s were fastest. They have picked up speed since yesterday. The third place GTLM car was a team Rahal-Letterman BMW M6.
Three wheelers are fun to slide around. This car might as well be a 3 wheeler. Less air drag and since you’re basically sliding it around it probably won’t tip over very easily. Just basing this on my 3 wheeler mtorcycle days. I could be way off.
Look how much smaller and lower to the ground the car is, compared to the corvette right behind it!
With comparable horsepower and so much less frontal area, the delta should have a much higher top speed. That's what Daytona's all about, right?
Now other tracks, road race tracks, where cornering is more important than top speed? Not so dominant. Upside, there's always the salt flats...
Putting headlights on the rear fenders contributed to a crash at LeMans. IIRC, another driver (Audi?) thought *that* was the nose of the DeltaWing and then clipped the actual front end, which was obscured in his mirror view.
Appears to have a very low center of gravity.
They run the road course for the Daytona 24 hour race. It uses sections of the oval track plus slower road course sections. The prototype cars have average lap speeds of around 127 mph, but are hitting top speeds of around 200 mph on the two sections that each use half of the oval track.
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