DeltaWing Racing Forward to 2013 in ALMS: IMSA Confirms Radical Racer Will Be Eligible for Future Championships
(American Le Mans Series) Next weekend’s Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda will be the first race in North America for the Nissan DeltaWing. The good news is that it certainly won’t be the last.
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and sanctioning body IMSA revealed today that the revolutionary new prototype would compete as a fully classified car in the 2013 ALMS season. As it did at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nissan DeltaWing is set to run unclassified at Road Atlanta as a factory-backed entry. The unique car features half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodynamic drag but all of the performance of a typical Le Mans prototype.
…The goal? IMSA will collect and analyze race data at Petit Le Mans to create the rules for DeltaWing to compete as a championship-contending car in the ALMS for customers. That is expected to come less than a year from the car’s worldwide debut that occurred in June at Le Mans.
The 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans will provide a stark contrast for designer Ben Bowlby and the DeltaWing team – including drivers Gunnar Jeannette and Lucas Ordonez. The 2.54-mile Road Atlanta is dramatically shorter, tighter and features more elevation changes than the 8.5-mile Le Mans circuit.
“Seeing the car compete at Petit Le Mans will provide us with an important comparison to the current prototype competition,” said Scot Elkins, ALMS and IMSA COO. READ MORE
