Deltawing's Return
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
News From The American Le Mans Series - Petit Le Mans 2012 DELTAWING’S RETURN www.michelinalley.com 2 THE MERGER THE ROAD AHEAD The recently announced merger of the American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM series opens an exciting new chapter in North American sports car and endurance racing. Each series will maintain its respective schedule and rules for the 2013 season, as preparations are made for the two series to combine into a single series beginning with the 2014 season. Leaders and staffs of the two series are already working with manufacturers, teams and promoters to build that platform with announcements of classes, rules and the 2014 schedule all expected by mid-2013. Here are some of the areas to watch. Key Players permitting greater manufacturer relevance, including open Chaired by GRAND-AM founder Jim France, with ALMS tire rules, and other classes being more limited and cost founder Dr. Don Panoz as vice chairman, the board of controlled. the new series includes representatives of both series and the acquiring NASCAR-related holding company. As 2014 Schedule the two series end their respective 2012 seasons, look for With 19 different race tracks on their respective 2012- appointments of key executive, operating, marketing and 2013 schedules, the new series will have an excellent pool of technical and competition leaders to create and implement prospective venues from which to draw. the plan. Early indications are that the series will roll out a powerful 12-race schedule for 2014 comprised of the best of the best Classes and likely opening with a terrific 1-2 punch: the Rolex 24 The ALMS currently has five classes ranging from the P1 Hours of Daytona followed by the Mobil One Twelve Hours and P2 prototypes, to the ultra-competitive GT class and a of Sebring. pair of challenge classes in PC and GTC. GRAND-AM has Think of a 2014 season that includes Watkins Glen, Road two classes, Daytona Prototypes and GT, with a new GTX Atlanta, Road America, Indianapolis, the new Circuit of class slated for 2013. Initial indications are that virtually all the Americas, Mid-Ohio, Mosport and Monterey together will be included in the early years of the new series with with street circuits like Long Beach, Belle Isle (Detroit) and a gradual narrowing to two or three classes over the next Baltimore - just half of the prospects. several years. Officials of the new series have already met in France with Key Partners the organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and it appears Sponsorship and broadcast partners will be important some linkage will be retained to permit teams to participate pieces of the new series with GRAND-AM’s marketing and with the same cars at Le Mans in the future. broadcast horsepower from NASCAR expected to help deliver an improved package for fans, series, team and event The Rules sponsors. Balancing the performance of the different Prototype classes and defining the costs and levels of technology are The Ultimate Question among the most sensitive pieces of the big, new puzzle. The Will fans, sponsors, promoters, manufacturers, teams and two series have traditionally chosen opposite approaches media support the new series? to racing, as ALMS follows a Le Mans-style higher-tech With considerable upside if successful, there is at least one approach and GRAND-AM operates on a lower-cost, lower- point on which virtually all involved agree: “We’ve got one tech NASCAR-style model. shot to get this right.” Many expect a combination of the best of both, with Follow developments on the ALMS/GRAND-AM Merger at perhaps the P2 and GT classes remaining open tech, www.michelinalley.com. TITLE RACE 3 On theLINE Petit Le Mans race wins and ALMS GT’s Big Brawl for Second And, lurking just one point further championships are both on the line While the #4 Corvette of Oliver Gavin back at 98 is BMW Team RLL’s Dirk for top contenders in the P1 and P2 and Tommy Milner has locked away Mueller. prototype classes as the final race of the the GT class drivers title and Chevrolet Meanwhile, Porsche (141) and 2012 American Le Mans Series season and Corvette Racing have cleared BMW (138) are locked in a battle for unfolds here at Road Atlanta. spots on the trophy case for the GT Manufacturer runner-up honors. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Honda’s manufacturer and team titles, the battle Corvette (4), Porsche (2), BMW (2) and Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf have for second is fully joined. Ferrari (1) all have 2012 victories. six wins in nine races, but need to Their Corvette Racing teammates, complete 70 percent of the race Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia Tires Matter distance to take the 2012 ALMS P1 stand second with 101 points with That bunching in the GT driver manufacturer, team and driver titles. four bridesmaid finishes and a major standings reflects just how incredibly The defending champion Dyson appetite for a win here to close the tight the GT competition has been in Racing team, drivers Chris Dyson and season. the ALMS in 2012. Guy Smith and Mazda will be looking A win at Lime Rock Park and a trio Six different cars from five teams for a win and, perhaps, a little break, in of runner-up finishes in the past four and four manufacturers – Chevrolet, the 10-Hour/1000-Mile race. races have vaulted former American Porsche, BMW and Ferrari – have In the P2 class, a pair of upstarts, Le Mans Series champions Joerg claimed victories in what many David Heinemeier Hansson and Bergmeister and Patrick Long of the consider the toughest class in Martin Plowman from Eric Bachelart’s Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche international sports car competition. Conquest Endurance Racing, have kept team to within just two markers of The competition extends all the way the pressure on Scott Tucker’s Level them at 99 points. Things don’t end to the contact patch as three of the four 5 Motorsports. Tucker and co-driver there. tire makers competing in the GT class Christophe Bouchut are looking to That 99-point score is matched have wins this year. repeat their 2012 championship titles. by Johannes van Overbeek and The Corvette Racing, Flying Lizard Level 5 has brought in Scott Sharp. Sharp’s Extreme Speed Porsche, ESM Ferrari and SRT Viper reinforcements in the form of the Motorsports Ferrari has run a break-out entries are all Michelin technical fabulous flying Franchitti brothers, as season that has delivered the team’s partner teams. A race finish by any one Marino Franchitti and IndyCar star, first pole, first win and five podium of them will secure another GT tire Dario, join the team in the #95 car. finishes in nine races. manufacturer title for Michelin. 4 NISSAN DELTAWING DELTAWING CHANGING THE FACE OF SPORTSCAR RACING NISSAN DELTAWING 5 THE MOST RADICAL, exciting and in recent years, but zero miles with a polarizing race car of the past 40 years, a configuration remotely similar to the design that turns conventional thinking DeltaWing. on its head and captured the imagination The Delta Wing team needed four-inch of fans and media in its debut at the 24 wide front tires at the same time that Hours of Le Mans, the Nissan Delta Wing, Audi, Toyota and others were racing 14- will make its second ever race start here inch wide fronts and looking for more. at Road Atlanta for Petit Le Mans. Relying on Bowlby’s data and extensive Designed to compete with just half simulations of its own, Michelin began the power, weight, fuel and tire use the task of simulating, designing and of current P2 cars while delivering building molds and creating tires for a car comparable performance, the Delta Wing unlike any other. also generates just half the downforce of Meanwhile, Bowlby and his small current prototypes. crew of true believers headed west to As at Le Mans, the car will compete California to encamp with Dan Gurney DELTAWING here “Unclassified,” meaning it is and his team at All American Racers to CHANGING THE FACE OF SPORTSCAR RACING ineligible for points or awards. build the actual race car. That downforce part will be tested here There were still a number of major at Petit Le Mans as the car competes in Le hurdles, not the least of which was Mans trim on a shorter, more aggressive securing an engine partner. For several track which requires more downforce. months, each bi-weekly Michelin It is fitting that the car is here. motorsports internal call opened with Approaching the 2011 Petit Le Mans the global team asking Michelin’s North last fall, the DeltaWing concept was in a American based project team leader, protracted gestation. Silvia Mammone, a simple question: After having been awarded the special “Does the DeltaWing have an engine 56th garage invitation for the 2012 24 yet?” Hours of Le Mans in June 2011, the An answer arrived in outstanding program appeared stalled, if not delayed. fashion when Nissan stepped aboard Hidden from view and operating more with its 1.6-liter turbocharged, direct- on hope than the record might suggest- injection engine, and a commitment to -the car was starting to take shape. Led take the lead role in the project. by Dr. Don Panoz, Duncan Dayton and “There is no question that the Michelin Ben Bowlby, there was plenty of activity announcement gave the program new behind the scenes. credibility,” said Darren Cox, general Finally, on the eve of Petit Le Mans, in manager of Nissan Europe, who became October 2011, the DeltaWing took a big his company’s internal champion.