A Racing Evolution--The Panoz DP01 ChampCar
Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:41 pm
After several weeks of waiting following the unveiling of the 2007-spec Panoz DP01 ChampCar in San Jose, series officials, along with officials from Panoz Motorsports and Elan Motorsport Group, were present to watch the first on-track testing at the Sebring Intl. Raceway short course this afternoon. With weather conditions in the low-to-mid 90's(F) and plenty of Florida humidity, former ChampCar & F1 driver Roberto Moreno took the DP01 through several short-runs, as officials were concerned not to overheat the car in its' first tests. Here are some quotes from those involved..............
Roberto Moreno, ChampCar test driver:
~~unlike the current Lola, in which most of the downforce is provided via. the front/rear-wings, the majority of the downforce generated by the Panoz comes from the underbody, providing for less turbulence and, it is hoped, a lot more on-track passing
~~the current Lola B2K uses the venerable Ford-Cosworth XFE-2 2.65L V8 turbo; the Panoz DP01 will use the Ford-Cosworth XFE-3 2.65L V8 turbo
~~the Panoz DP01 is 100 lbs lighter than the current Lola, yet unlike the Lola B2K, the Panoz was able to pass all FIA-specified safety on the first attempt.......a first in their testing history)
~~unlike the current Lola, which uses a standard front/rear sequential gear shifter, the Panoz will use F1-style paddle shifters that will also allow drivers to up/down-shift without having the let off the throttle
Roberto Moreno, ChampCar test driver:
Scot Elkins, ChampCar Director of Technology:I am extremely impressed with how quickly we got the testing program running and running well. All of the new systems showed great promise and should provide the teams and drivers with a car that they can really work with. The paddle shifters worked well and will really allow you to drive the car in the corners deeper since you don't have to take your hands off the wheel. The brakes worked well, the cooling systems did a great job and I am excited about running even more testing tomorrow.
Testing will continue at Sebring for most of tomorrow as the car continues its' initial shakedown; here are some of the key differences between the Panoz DP01 and the current Lola B2K(and its' variants')........Everything is going according to plan. We are very happy with the results and we feel confident in our ability to complete our test plan. We are looking forward to increasing the length and the intensity of the testing as we go along.
~~unlike the current Lola, in which most of the downforce is provided via. the front/rear-wings, the majority of the downforce generated by the Panoz comes from the underbody, providing for less turbulence and, it is hoped, a lot more on-track passing
~~the current Lola B2K uses the venerable Ford-Cosworth XFE-2 2.65L V8 turbo; the Panoz DP01 will use the Ford-Cosworth XFE-3 2.65L V8 turbo
~~the Panoz DP01 is 100 lbs lighter than the current Lola, yet unlike the Lola B2K, the Panoz was able to pass all FIA-specified safety on the first attempt.......a first in their testing history)
~~unlike the current Lola, which uses a standard front/rear sequential gear shifter, the Panoz will use F1-style paddle shifters that will also allow drivers to up/down-shift without having the let off the throttle