IndyCar's Great Chassis Debate of 2010: The Delta Wing

With the addition of images of the new Lola chassis concept design for 2012, IndyCar nation has now gotten a look at our four chassis choices for the future of the sport.  There are the 3 fairly traditional choices of Lola, Dallara, and Swift.  All have their positives and negatives, but it would not be difficult to see any of these cars circling the Indianapolis Motor Speedway any time soon.  The chassis that may be hard to imagine is the Delta Wing concept.

                Before the unveiling of the car at least week’s Chicago Auto Show, IndyCar nation was warned the car was revolutionary.  In general, that is well accepted in the sport, as innovation and speed have been the driving force in the sport.  However, the Delta Wing looked so different, it was not well accepted by the general IndyCar public.  There are several reasons for this, so let’s take a look at what went wrong with Delta Wing, how they can fix that, as well as its chances for becoming the IndyCar of the future.

                The main problem for the Delta Wing was the public relations that were involved in unveiling the new design.  Fans had heard for months about the Delta Wing.  We had received small details about what the new car was going to look like, and we had read how excited many people were about the design.  The hype was fantastic going into the auto show unveiling, and then with the tug of a tarp, all the excitement for the Delta Wing went thud.

                The car looked revolutionary, but not exciting.  It looked like something at Disney’s World of Tomorrow from the 60’s.  Gone were the front and rear wings that has been the standard in IndyCar for 40 years.  They were replaced by a massive middle wing, as well as by downforce that is supposed to be created by the ground effects of the car.  And perhaps the biggest problem for current fans, the wheels are basically covered, with only a slight gap so the car can still called an ‘open wheel’.  A revolutionary design that looked fast or new might have been accepted by fans, but one that looked like something from the 60’s and with essentially closed wheels did not go over well.  The appearance of the car overshadowed all the elements of design and all of the ideas surrounding the concept of the car.

                The Delta Wing concept group should have expected this.  Adding to the problem was that the car only featured a primer looking paint job to make it even duller.  The Delta Wing group should have painted the car to look like it would if it were running around Indianapolis.  Fans have to imagine the car being part of the series, and it is much easier if it had Target badging instead of a big gray foam model. Further, the makers of the Delta Wing should have included a demonstration to go along with the unveiling.  A short feature that would be filmed for the viewing public to explain to them how the car would create downforce, what the general purpose of the giant middle wing was, and how the car would be able to get IndyCars setting track records again.

                When it comes down to it, fans pay attention to racing and especially to IndyCar because of high speed.  The current class of IndyCars are nearly 40 miles per hour faster than their NASCAR counterparts, but fans of the 500 remember new track records.  It was determined nearly 15 years ago that the cars were going too fast, and had to be slowed down for safeties sake.  Delta Wing later claimed they wanted to go around Indianapolis at near the old track record, but failed to inform the public how their car would be able to achieve those speeds while meeting the safety concerns that come with them.   By explaining to the public in a simple demonstration how the Delta Wing would accomplish this, its launch could have been exciting instead of the disappointment that it was. 

IndyCar fans would welcome a new, radical design if they were able to understand a reason for it.  Simply switching the look of the cars without increasing the speed or safety of them would be hard to take.  Delta Wing noted in their release how the car would be available for cheaper and attempt to make the field more equal, however no matter what chassis is chosen, those who spend the most money setting up the car and exploring the different options will be the fastest.  The league will continue to be run by money, just as nearly every sport is.  This should not be the concern of the manufacturer though.  If IndyCar wants to place additional rules on teams to level the playing field, that is their choice, but designers  should only concern themselves with putting out a great looking product that can go as fast as is safe.

In the end, what are the chances the Delta Wing becomes the chassis of the future?  That is the million dollar question.  The main feature the Delta Wing has going for it has little to do with any of its features, but instead that several of the current IndyCar owners are invested in the design.  IndyCar must be concerned that choosing another design would cause a rift with the owners and possibly lead to another split in the already fragile open wheel world.  However, IndyCar also is listening to their fans, and reaction the Delta Wing has been generally negative.  It would make no sense for IndyCar to placate their owners only to lose their fans.  In my opinion, Brian Barnhart is partial to Dallara due to the current relationship and their promise to move production to Indianapolis.  The Dallara designs were an interesting evolution of the current design, so there is little risk of losing current fans.  The only risk is not gaining any additional fans.  Dallara would be the safe choice for IndyCar, however for a series that is still struggling for eyeballs, the safe choice may not be wise.

The wisest choice for Delta Wing however would not be to give up even if they are not chosen.  The best move would be to develop the car and test it at Indianapolis.  Get cameras out there and show the fans what the car looks like going around the greatest speedway in the world.  Let us see the speed.  Even if the Delta Wing is not chosen for 2012, the next chassis choice will be right around the corner, and with time will come greater acceptance of the idea.  IndyCar is not expected to make their decision until May of this year, but all manufacturers should continue to work on their designs and test their possibilities to achieve a greater future for IndyCar.