pitwall3
03-25-08, 04:23 PM
Good read on the safety of DP01s on oval configurations.
Elkins' original letter just can be found below:
"Dear AutoRacing1.com, As you well know, I rarely speak about rumors and whatnot, but today's posting by D.B. Cooper requires a bit of a reply, and since I only have 39 days as a Champ Car World Series (CCWS) employee left, I thought "what the hell."
I cannot fathom where the urban legend that the DP01 is not a viable oval chassis began? The fact is both the DP01 and the 016 Atlantic chassis incorporated the most recent safety features that all modern monocoque chassis require. There is no "oval spec" vs. "road course spec" in regards to the crash test specifications. It simply does not exist. All modern monocoques are built to the same standard, and that standard is typically the FIA crash testing specifications for F1 and F3. To give complete disclosure, the DP01 was built and crash tested to a combination of IRL, F1, and existing Champ Car test specifications, in order to obtain the safest car relative to the most current established regulations. There are differing opinions as to whether a low or high nose configuration is better or worse for running over crash debris on ovals, but these are only opinions and no data supports either configuration. So anyone that states that the safety levels of the DP01 or the 016 are not suitable for ovals, is making a very uneducated statement.
It is true that the aerodynamic configurations that both the DP01 and 016 currently use, may not be suited for ovals, but only from the standpoint that the cars have too much drag to have the "close" racing and high speeds that is typically expected when racing on an oval. A few changes to items such as the wings and underbodies, would make both cars very competitive in an oval racing environment.
Furthermore, the crash test specifications for the DP01 and 016 were determined by myself, Steve Sewell (Atlantic Technical Director) and the respective engineers at the chassis manufacturers. They were not in any way determined by any of the owners of CCWS.
Please forgive my rant, but the staff at CCWS worked very hard to create these cars to be the safest possible, regardless of the circuit, and I felt that the record needed to be set straight. Sincerely, Scot Elkins, Technical Director, Operations"
Quote Jimmy Vasser Interview:
JIMMY VASSER (34:30):The Champ Cars are a fantastic machine, and it's going to be sad to see them sidelined - the DPO1 and turbo Cosworth. I think it's going to be a little bittersweet. But I think everybody's working hard to make it a celebration race and I'm looking forward to it. But, again, I think it's going to be a little sad to hear the turbos shut down for the last time and to see the DPO1 parked, because quite honestly it is a racing machine. It runs circles around the Dallara.
Elkins' original letter just can be found below:
"Dear AutoRacing1.com, As you well know, I rarely speak about rumors and whatnot, but today's posting by D.B. Cooper requires a bit of a reply, and since I only have 39 days as a Champ Car World Series (CCWS) employee left, I thought "what the hell."
I cannot fathom where the urban legend that the DP01 is not a viable oval chassis began? The fact is both the DP01 and the 016 Atlantic chassis incorporated the most recent safety features that all modern monocoque chassis require. There is no "oval spec" vs. "road course spec" in regards to the crash test specifications. It simply does not exist. All modern monocoques are built to the same standard, and that standard is typically the FIA crash testing specifications for F1 and F3. To give complete disclosure, the DP01 was built and crash tested to a combination of IRL, F1, and existing Champ Car test specifications, in order to obtain the safest car relative to the most current established regulations. There are differing opinions as to whether a low or high nose configuration is better or worse for running over crash debris on ovals, but these are only opinions and no data supports either configuration. So anyone that states that the safety levels of the DP01 or the 016 are not suitable for ovals, is making a very uneducated statement.
It is true that the aerodynamic configurations that both the DP01 and 016 currently use, may not be suited for ovals, but only from the standpoint that the cars have too much drag to have the "close" racing and high speeds that is typically expected when racing on an oval. A few changes to items such as the wings and underbodies, would make both cars very competitive in an oval racing environment.
Furthermore, the crash test specifications for the DP01 and 016 were determined by myself, Steve Sewell (Atlantic Technical Director) and the respective engineers at the chassis manufacturers. They were not in any way determined by any of the owners of CCWS.
Please forgive my rant, but the staff at CCWS worked very hard to create these cars to be the safest possible, regardless of the circuit, and I felt that the record needed to be set straight. Sincerely, Scot Elkins, Technical Director, Operations"
Quote Jimmy Vasser Interview:
JIMMY VASSER (34:30):The Champ Cars are a fantastic machine, and it's going to be sad to see them sidelined - the DPO1 and turbo Cosworth. I think it's going to be a little bittersweet. But I think everybody's working hard to make it a celebration race and I'm looking forward to it. But, again, I think it's going to be a little sad to hear the turbos shut down for the last time and to see the DPO1 parked, because quite honestly it is a racing machine. It runs circles around the Dallara.