IMSA: Delta Wing from Experiment to Contender
In an exclusive interview with Delta Wing driver Katherine Legge and Team Manager Tim Keene, we talk about how the Delta Wing has gone form an experiment to a contender. A Garage 56 participant in the 2012 24 hours of Le Mans, the Delta Wing has evolved into a contender in the P1 class looking for wins in 2016.
After the test at Sebring, in preparation for this weekends 12 hours of Sebring, I had a chance to talk to Kathering Legge and Tim Keene about the surprise performance of the Delta Wing at Daytona. We also talked about what to expect going forward with what could be the last season for the Delta Wing in the P1 class.
Anyone who follows IMSA racing will tell you that the most unique car on the track for the last several years has been the Delta Wing. A concept by Panoz intended for Indy Car, it was eventually developed for the IMSA series. Originally developed to be a test bed for a lower horsepower race car, with higher fuel mileage and lower tire wear for endurance. It has evolved into what we saw at the 24 hours of Daytona, a high speed machine that passed the entire field in less than an hour.
It came as a surprise to most observers that the Delta Wing was at the top of the speed charts at the season opening 24 hours of Daytona. Two people who were not surprised, Legge and Keene, said after the work in the off season that is exactly what they expected. Team Manager Tim Keene told me that they finally got a rear differential to match the transmission they were using in the car. Gearbox issues have plagued the team over the years, finally getting the components to work together might be the missing piece to getting the Delta Wing podium finishes in 2016.
The season opener in Daytona gave us a glimpse of what we should expect in 2016 from this team. Katherine Legge piloted the red, white and blue machine from last place to overall first in less than an hour. Even after losing a few spots on pit stops, the car rocketed back to front twice before getting tangled up with a disabled car after the sun has set in Daytona. When asked if she was surprised by how quickly she passed the entire field Legge confidently said “we knew we had the speed to get by them”. When asked the same question Keene said “we anticipated it, we were letting the field come to us and not forcing the issue”.
It appears that a corner might have been turned in this program. Katherine Legge said “We have defiantly turned a corner, the entire team has worked so hard to get to this point and we are proving what the Delata Wing is capable of”. After what the car has shown at Daytona and the testing at Sebring, where there were less than a second off top times, I tend to believe her. The team ran 900 miles at Daytona in testing verifying the reliability improvements made over the winter.
"“We have defiantly turned a corner, the entire team has worked so hard to get to this point and we are proving what the Delata Wing is capable of” Katherine Legge"
When Tim Keene came to the Delta Wing team and Panoz from Chip Ganassi Racing, he bought experience from many classes in road racing. When asked how hard it was adapting to the handling characteristics of the Delta Wing design he stated “It handled more like a race car than I expected”. The reduced grip from the smaller front tires creates a challenge in rougher surfaces, such as street circuits.
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I asked if he hoped to take the car back to Le Mans with the advances that they have made and he told me that sadly, this looks like the last year for the Delta Wing in the P1 class. There are major rule changes coming in 2017 and that they don’t think they are going to be grandfathered in. Don’t fear though, the Delta Wing has always been a test bed for the street version that Panoz expects to release soon. With the street version available, Tim Keene is looking for ward to developing the GT class version of the car for future seasons.
For now we get to enjoy watching what Keene said “is the only true prototype on the track”. He is right, the Delta Wing harkens back to the days where exotic cars graced the track with unique designs you could name as they passed. This weekend in Sebring Katherine Legge, Sean Rayhall and Andy Meyrick will pilot the Delta Wing and try to finish what they started at Daytona.