ALMS / USCR – The DeltaWing Coupé rolls

It will undoubtedly be one of the attractions of the antepenultimate round of the American Le Mans Series, September 21 at the Circuit of the Americas (Austin). After being very convincing during its last appearance in open version, at Road America on August 11, the DeltaWing will make its return, but in Coupe mode. And this in order to meet the regulations of the USCR (championship resulting from the merger between the ALMS and the Grand-Am) next year. As a reminder, this car will be available in three copies and offered for sale to interested teams.

Yesterday and Tuesday, at the Roebling Road Raceway, located not far from Bloomingdale (Georgia, USA), the car took part in its first test session. “The new engine installation system aims for better cooling, while giving easier access to the exhaust and turbos, explains Simon Marshall, who is behind the car's transformation. We also added an air intake on the roof which improves cooling by 50%, and we installed a larger oil cooling system. And it all works, that’s undeniable. The windshield, doors and all the new elements provided all the guarantees they were supposed to provide. It was a prolific day. »

The car, designed by Elan Motorsports, was entrusted on this occasion to Briton Katherine Legge who, after getting used to the roof, shared her good impressions. “Everything went remarkably well, she admits. The guys put a lot of work into making everything work, and I have to say they did a really good job. There are some differences with the spyder version, but it looks really nice. The vision is somewhat different with this closed cockpit, but you quickly get used to it. Andy (Meyrick, his teammate. Editor’s note) and myself We'll have to find the quickest way to change drivers. »

As for Dr Don Panoz, project manager, he praises the fact that “The coupe offers more room in the engine compartment, which apparently helped us solve our overheating problems. The car seems as easy to handle as the spyder version. We're really looking forward to seeing her compete. » Only a fortnight left to wait…