DeltaWing damaged!

friedgreencorrado wrote:

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: Maybe my fellow Road Atlantians will help me in identifying what turn this is...

Eleven, slightly downstream from the Bridge. He's right where it really starts to drop off, the short chute is blind from trackside now that they've lowered where the flag station sits (that photo looks like it was actually shot from the station). On this map, pretty close to the left side of the circle with "11" in the middle. EDIT: Re-"downstream"..corner workers describe the course as regards the flow of traffic. "Upstream", where they come from. "Downstream", where they're going. TL;DR: Left side of the photo is drivers' left.

I'm suggesting the incident occurred at the short course turn-in just past T8.

The pit entry after T11 isn't nearly as severe as shown in the pic and the tire marks add further proof that it happened on the back straight.

Nobody has posted the video yet?

Looks like 'ol friedgreen was right about the location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uW7qaG9K2_c

Looks like the Porsche GTC car got loose from the rumble strips on the outside of the track, lost traction and hit the Deltawing.

Awww crap.This is going to lead to some pissed off truck drivers tomorrow.

Wonder what the right side of Gunnar's helmet looks like?

That's a SERIOUS safety issue.

In memory of the DeltaWing.... Part II

Agreed with day glo colors. That bitch needs to be bright pink with flashing strobes.

The Porsche got loose. Nothing more than that.

Maroon92 wrote: Nobody has posted the video yet? Looks like 'ol friedgreen was right about the location.

Yep, FGC got it right and that Porsche driver definitely did not. Me, too.

That was an ugly crash.

racerfink wrote: The Porsche got loose. Nothing more than that.

The video makes it look like the Porsche ran too far wide to the left, ran out of run-off pavement and steered abruptly back towards the center of the track. He'd have hit any car that was there whether he was looking or not.

The Deltawing is so small it probably wouldn't have made any difference.

oldsaw wrote: Yep, FGC got it right and that Porsche driver definitely did not. Me, too.

Bah, don't sweat it. That first photo was with a long lens. Only reason I knew where it was is because I worked 11 last May. I think the curbing on the right in that pic is actually the modified T12 for bikes, off in the distance. Turnoff for the "Pro Pits" is actually shortly after the bridge now, and what looks like a straight is also one of the things they put in for the bikes. IIRC, it also doubles as Pit In for the old pits (Club & support races still use it). Here's a photo I took awhile back, it's not zoomed in as much, but you can still see how the hill falls away at that crest.

oldsaw wrote: That was an ugly crash.

It's actually quite common for folks to screw up their exit from 10B, and get the car loose on that curb on drivers' left. You can catch it if you're alone. Porsche guy wasn't. Another vote for brighter paint/bigger markers on the DW.

Maybe one or two of these?

racerfink wrote: Wonder what the right side of Gunnar's helmet looks like? That's a SERIOUS safety issue.

His helmet never touched the ground until he got on the grass. On a smooth paved surface, his head was about 6 inches from touching.

Seriously wonder what that accident would of looked like with a normal car. It looked like the deltawing flipped awefully easily.

Probably about the same as any other wreck involving a composite LMP and a steel-bodied GT car... utter destruction!

Can someone regurgitate why the Deltawing is something I should care about? Or supply a link? I see it's 'delta' shape but I can remember why it's special. (Not joking, just can't remember)

1/2 the weight of a LMP car, uses 1/2 the fuel, uses 1/2 the tires. That was the design spec.

nocones wrote: Seriously wonder what that accident would of looked like with a normal car. It looked like the deltawing flipped awefully easily.

This.

Didn't take much to get that upside down.

I REALLY am getting sick of how major sanctioning bodies stifle innovation so much. NHRA only allows four valve heads if you're a Harley. They are now going to punish the turbo cars who are already running a spec turbo.

NASCAR used to be used by the manufacturers to showcase their prowess.

The Deltawing is a great idea. Let it run alongside with no restraints. There are already other classes with other rules. Just make another.

I am beginning to think that Bonneville and Lemons are the only classes left which encourage innovation.

This is the closest "normal" to Deltawing comparison I can find..

Formula Atlantic Car 1:14.137 WT 1420 w/driver, 280HP
Deltawing 1:13.868 WT 1270lb w/driver, 300HP

It's possible it is running at heavier weight at Road Atlanta and I'll give you that is the Lap record for Formual Atlantic so the deltawing may run faster laps over time.

That said take 150lbs out of a Formula Atlantic and give it 300hp and then let it run a race agains the deltawing.

YUM FORMULA ATLANTIC.

DukeOfUndersteer wrote:

nocones wrote: Seriously wonder what that accident would of looked like with a normal car. It looked like the deltawing flipped awefully easily.

This. Didn't take much to get that upside down.

I'm thinking the delta shape lifted itself over as it got some air under it......didn't look like an overly hard hit. Also, in car video shows exactly why the ACO set a mandate to end the open cockpit era......

I'm with everyone else, they need to paint it something other than satin black, everyone complains with how hard it is to see anyways.

nocones wrote: That said take 150lbs out of a Formula Atlantic and give it 300hp and then let it run a race agains the deltawing.

The FA may be faster then, but the Deltawang would do it for longer. the whole point of this experiment was to make an endurance car that can go farther/longer and still be quick.

Yessir, that thing is a magnet. Glad the driver was OK.

Javelin wrote:

nocones wrote: That said take 150lbs out of a Formula Atlantic and give it 300hp and then let it run a race agains the deltawing.

The FA may be faster then, but the Deltawang would do it for longer. the whole point of this experiment was to make an *endurance* car that can go farther/longer and still be quick.

Why do you think that? I mean seriously explain. This is how I see it. They both make 300hp are hauling around the same amount of weight, and reach equivalent lap times. I would expect fuel consumption to be similar. The big differnece would be increased drag on the Formula Atlantic but I'm not buying that until I see them run laps together and find out the Deltawing is running 20mph faster down the straights indicating that it has less drag. I'm also not convinced that you couldn't swith the Aero on the FA around to be more Underbody intense, switch to a faired wheeled car (basically the way the SCCA enterprises Open wheel cars are converted to CSR duty) and maintain equivalent lap times while reducing drag. It's against he rules in Formula Atlantic but could be done for an experiement. I'll give the Formula Atlantic is built as a non-offset driver chassis. That may affect things slightly but it is running similar laptimes with less power and more weight.