Nissan's radical
DeltaWing racer has made its Le Mans racing debut with mixed results. The DeltaWing posted strong lap times during qualifying for the 80th running of the famed race, but an issue with the car's on-board fire extinguisher forced the team to the pits early.
Michael Krumm managed the best time of the day in the DeltaWing, posting a very respectable lap time of 3 minutes, 42.612 seconds. Krumm said the car was capable of dipping into the "30s", but an issue with the car's fire suppression system prevented further runs.
Krumm hit a curb at Tertre Rouge, which triggered the car's on-board fire extinguisher, killing power to the vehicle's electrical system. The DeltaWing was towed back near the pits, but race officials wouldn't permit the experimental racer entry into the pit area. Nissan claims it could have cleaned the DeltaWing and returned it to the track.
The DeltaWing race team will have a chance to improve their lap times as qualifying is scheduled to continue for two more sessions. An Audi R18 e-tron quattro is currently sitting on the pole with a lap time of 3 minutes, 23.787 seconds.
