Delta Wing Revealed

After months of speculation - and hype - we finally get to see the car that Ganassi Racing's Ben Bowlby has been working on for about a year now. As reported late last year, it DOES bear a resemblence to the 1963 land speed record setting Spirit of America. The question now is; is this a design that will work on the variety of ovals, street and road circuts on which the IndyCar Series races?

With it's long snout, the front wheels set a mere two feet apart, it's wide (almost six feet) rear stance and the complete lack of and obvious front and rear wing assemblies, this car is clearly a drifferent sort of animal from what open wheel race fans have been accustomed to for the past forty years.

In an interview with SpeedTV's Robin Miller, Bowlby insisted that wings are not needed, as downforce can be achieved - and the amount if it can be modified - through the use of changable wicker bills on the top surface bodywork. The wheels are 'covered' (and the front ones moved in so dramatically) in an effort to cut down on aero drag.

He also seemed to reject the notion that the car is designed soley with a four cylinder engine in mind (an earlier rumor to that effect seemed to indicate that there would an 'issue' there, as Honda is committed to building a six cylinder powerplant for the 2012 spec change).

Here are a couple of pictures, as well as a link to a simulation showing what the Delta Wing would look like taking a lap around the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, one of the annual stops on the IndyCar Circut.

Delta Wings at Mid-Ohio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rah0RSIEVC8&feature=player_embedded#