Making History - Delta Wing


The Delta Wing concept car unveiled yesterday in Chicago has already accomplished one thing: it generated a lot of conversation among the IndyCar faithful. Unfortunately, I don't think the buzz permeated the collective conscious of anyone that doesn't already follow the sport. Even more unfortunate is that it has been met with, at best, mixed reviews.


This proposal is interesting on several levels. One, the organization offering it is not a chassis supplier. The initiative is born of the IndyCar competitors themselves, particularly Chip Ganassi's team. In some ways I think the radical design of what appears to be a three-wheel (it is not, it is four wheels) car probably gets in the way of a more important and even more radical message: that this is an open spec platform design anyone can build on.


I suppose the analogy is open source code for developing computer applications. That's what I am processing this blog on right now: a Web Content Management System (WCMS) based on code available to anyone. In this case, the code is called Drupal. The idea is that the fundamental building blocks are provided free and anyone who wants to utilize them does so, but they build on it with full transparency to everyone else. The code continually evolves through the collaboration of everyone.


Is this what we are talking about with Delta Force? If so, how, exactly does that work? After all, we are talking race cars, not computers. Does this mean if Roger Penske develops something for his race car, his additional "code" is amended to the base body of work and available to anyone? Hmmm...intriguing idea. If where Delta Wing intends to take us is to an ecosystem where garage-shop (not like any garage the ordinary Joe uses) engineers/mechanics can jump into action and build their own car, then maybe they are on to something. That's a big "if."


Again, the appearance of the car has everyone talking - and from my circle of racing fans complaining - and therefore distracted from a far more important message. If - there's that word again - it is true that this really a development platform available to everyone then we could be onto a major break through in cost and innovation. As I said in previous blog posts of recent days, a huge issue is appearance. Most of the people expressing opinions on forums today are judging all the 2012 formula proposals purely based on appearance. As usual, that does not stop them from being adamant in their opinions.


People complain about the bland sameness of the IndyCars today. The problem is because of the maturity of automotive technology all the cars are probably going to look the same no matter how many manufacturers are creating entries. Look at Formula One. The average person can't tell the difference between a McLarern and a Ferrari without the paint schemes. A gear-head could, for sure, but that doesn't deliver the kind of market the business lusts after to appeal to sponsors.


Even though Delta Wing is radical in appearance, having 33 of them in the Indy 500 over several years would become mind numbingly familiar. One six-wheel car from Pat Clancy in 1948 generated interest, but I can't believe the fans back then would have wanted 33 of them. The same goes for the sidewinder STP turbine in 1967. One is a wonderful curiosity, 33 would have become drab. In my ever so humble opinion, for Delta Wing all of this boils down to a core communication challenge: explain the "platform" concept. That is where the apparent value lies. But what the Delta Wing folks have done by releasing the images of a very radical-appearing concept is make the message very hard to break through din of "experts" chirping about the way the darn thing looks.