After a string of bad luck that had struck the DeltaWing in the few races that it was allowed to take part, the skies had finally opened up for the prototype racer as the DeltaWing managed to keep it all together and cross the finish line at the Petit Le mans with a fifth-place finish. This is an incredible feat shown by the team, considering that they were actually very close in not being able to race at all.
Other than the qualifying accident that was posted over here earlier on, the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta are among the few races which is allowing the DeltaWing to actually take part due to its unique build and the power-to-weight characteristics. And even though they were allowed to enter this 1000-mile race, the DeltaWing was pushed back of the 42-car grid, running unclassified as an invitational entry.
But even starting in such a far back position, it was not a major challenge for this prototype racer as it managed to pass through eight cars, and that was only during the opening lap. With the opening charge led by Gunnar Jeannette, Lucas Ordonez continued the march to victory for the remaining 110 laps in the race.
“I am super proud to be involved in a program like this. The Nissan DeltaWing was amazing all day long and we were able to triple-stint our Michelin tires and the car literally performed flawlessly, as did the crew”, said Jeannette.
“We have shown everyone in motorsports that the car is really strong and fast. We are here with a new concept of half the weight, half the power and half the aerodynamic drag – but with pace that is very comparable to the P2 cars”, quoted Ordonez.
Fully utilizing the power from the 1.6-liter engine coupled up with the lightweight construction and unique aerodynamics, the DeltaWing originally crossed the finishing line in sixth position, but gained another position when the P2 car ahead was disqualified due to a driver exceeding the maximum drive time permitted.
