Bowlby: Test Was A Success
By Andrew Cutler
April 9 2010
Delta Wing LLc's chief designer & technology officer Ben Bowlby has hailed this week's test of a full-scale model of his car in a 'rolling road' wind tunnel a success. The chassis was put through a number of different tests - including wet weather conditions - at speeds of up to 140 mph.
“The test could not have gone any better,” Bowlby told reporters yesterday. "We are more convinced than ever that the DeltaWing concept will meet or exceed the parameters that the IZOD IndyCar Series has established for the 2012 chassis.”
Dan Partel, the CEO of Delta Wing LLC, added; “Given the extensive aerodynamic data that we now have about the DeltaWing car, we believe that a four-cylinder turbocharged engine with approximately 300 to 350 horsepower will meet the performance requirements of the IZOD IndyCar Series for the 2012 chassis, doing so with only half the fuel consumption of today's car. This is the engine design and displacement direction that the entire automobile industry is pursuing, and we think it makes our car's performance very relevant to the general public.”
The Delta Wing is the first of the five prospective 2012 spec IndyCars to undergo such advanced testing, and will probably be the only one to do so prior to the IRL's decision on which chassis to proceed with. That decision is due to happen in June or July.