Having grabbed headlines on its debut in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the revolutionary DeltaWing is to return to action with a run in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
The Nissan-powered car will competre in the 1000-mile enduro with Lucas Ordonez and Gunnar Jeanette behind the wheel, as the three men who drove at Le Mans – Michael Krumm, Marino Franchitti and Satoshi Motoyama – unavailable.
“The Nissan DeltaWing's inclusion on the grid at Petit Le Mans reflects the vision and determination that embody the future of sports car racing,” ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton said. “The car's participation brings a benchmark example of innovation and leading-edge automotive technology to the season finale of a remarkable season for the
American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron.”
Having been forced to retire at Le Mans after contact from one the factory Toyota cars, the DeltaWing squad head to Petit Le Mans viewing the race as 'unfinished business' as it seeks to take the car to the chequered flag for the first time.
"Le Mans was a huge success for us,” Darren Cox, General Manager, Nissan in Europe said. “The car did everything we wanted it to do and more, proving that the pioneering technology we were testing in the world's most public laboratory works and is a viable option for the future sustainability of motorsport.
“The only thing that didn't go our way was the way the race ended for us, which was entirely out of our control. Because we'd proven the technology worked, it was hard to be too disappointed, but we were blown away by the level of support and goodwill that came our way from the fans so now we feel we owe it to them to race again.”
The DeltaWing is set to become a regular sight in the ALMS next season, while rumours suggest a class for the car will featured in the new series born out of the merger of the ALMS and
Grand Am in 2014.