ALMS: Michelin Confirms DeltaWing Exit

The mass exodus of parties involved with the DeltaWing continues.

Marshall Pruett | Posted February 08, 2013

Don Panoz will need to find a new supplier to produce the DetaWing's unique tires. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

The mass exodus of partners involved with the DeltaWing continues. As SPEED.com revealed earlier this week, the car will return for a limited program in the ALMS P1 category, but without the plethora of heavy hitters that brought the car to reality.

All American Racers, Highcroft Racing, Nissan, Ray Mallock Limited, and the men behind the car's design have parted ways with the Don Panoz-led program, and now Michelin, suppliers of the car's unique tires, can also be added to that list.

"We are proud to have been involved in the DeltaWing project, which provided the opportunity to develop an innovative 4-inch, lightweight tire that delivered high performance and durability. Our goals for a successful partnership were achieved, as evidenced by the car’s performance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and again at Petit Le Mans in 2012," read an official quote from the company.

"The new technologies and processes used for the DeltaWing tire will play a crucial role in helping Michelin to develop the next generation of innovative competition tires."

It's believed Panoz has struck a deal with Bridgestone/Firestone to supply tires for the car in 2013, starting with the 12 Hours of Sebring, but the company was non-committal when I asked them for an official response:

"Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (Bridgestone Americas) is currently committed to the IZOD IndyCar Series supplying the Firestone Firehawk brand race tire. However, the company continuously searches for new opportunities to showcase our products and technology. At this time, the company has made no commitments to other race series."

The major question left to answer is whether the DeltaWing's custom-sized rubber can be manufactured--by any company--in time for the necessary pre-event testing in the run up to the March 16th event.

Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. Now in his 27th year in the sport, Pruett was an open-wheel mechanic, engineer and manager before joining SPEED. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.