6
Super Formula
Max Angelelli’s victory in the
2013 Grand-Am represents
another success for Dallara. What
role did the factory play in this
adventure? How many people
were involved in the project and
what kind of support did they
provide?
«Dallara debuted in the series in
2008, in search of the type of
competition that has become
increasingly difficult to find in the
other categories we’re involved in.
It offered us the chance to
measure up against other chassis
manufacturers - Lola, Riley,
Multimatic, Coyote – and
interface with various engine
builders, such as Ford, GM,
Porsche, and Lexus. The original
idea was to use the series as a
training gym where we could
nurture the company’s
competitive spirit within the
highly restrictive limits of the
regulations that were in force at
the time: the majority of the car
components are “frozen” so it’s
very different to find the
competitive edge. We designed a
body that introduced new
aerodynamic concepts and a
chassis and suspension system
with rigidity/lightness
performance targets that were
superior to our rivals’
specifications. We also introduced
a wide range of optional
aerodynamic and mechanical
adjustments that mean that the
car is fully adaptable to various
different types of track – slow and
winding or superfast oval circuits -
and race conditions: 2h 45' sprint
races, 6h endurance events and
the 24h of Daytona. The initial
stages of the project involved a
team of around 10 people,
although this number decreased
as the project moved on to the
design and maintenance phases».
What were the greatest
difficulties that you had to
overcome?
«The car immediately proved to
be very fast and competitive – we
achieved our first pole position
after just three races – but we had
underestimated the “gladiatorial”
nature of this championship,
having lost the habit after years of
competing in Formula categories.
Dented doors, “side-swiping”,
ramming, and close combat are
the order of the day in this kind
of racing. There’s no such thing as
a “clean” overtaking manoeuvre,
and you’d better be ready for
frequent excursions onto the grass
or into the sand! This meant that
we paid heavily for our decision
to reduce the weight of the car, in
order to strengthen other areas
such as the suspension arms,
during the first few races: our cars
always came off second best in
the event of contact during the
race, despite being faster. We
corrected this by increasing the
resistance, and hence the weight,
in several areas. We also had
problems keeping the cockpit
temperature under control, which
is obviously not a problem in
Formula racing. But the greatest
challenge was designing a car
capable of running for 24 hours
non-stop. This means that every
component, no matter how
insignificant, must be designed to
last, and be easy to replace in the
event of an accident, in order to
avoid losing too much time. Just
bear in mind that, after 24 hours
on the track, the car weighs
several kilograms less due to the
material that has been consumed
during the race: brakes,
bodywork, paint, underside,
wings, flaps, etc. This
demonstrates just how difficult,
but at the same time
extraordinarily motivating, the
challenge has been for us. Lastly I
would say that, from a statistical
point of view, competing against
15 adversaries with just 2 or 3
cars represents a significant
handicap. And this means we can
be even more proud of the 15
victories and 18 pole positions
achieved this year».
How has the relationship with
Chevrolet developed?
«To a large extent the relationship
is handled by the team. WTR and
Max Angelelli in particular have a
long-standing and well-
established relationship with
them, and this means that we
have enjoyed a completely open
approach on both sides. At times
we have even found ourselves
working side by side, for example
when it was necessary to modify
the Dallara chassis so that it
conformed to the new regulations
and the new GM body. There’s a
mutual respect between the two
organisations, and at times even
a healthy rivalry which helps
WTR to achieve even greater
heights.
T
HE SUCCESS IN
G
RAND
-A
M
,
TOGETHER WITH TEAM
WTR
AND
M
AX
A
NGELELLI
,
AT THE END OF A FANTASTIC
SEASON FEATURING
15
WINS AND
18
POLE POSITIONS
,
DEMONSTRATED THAT
D
ALLARA HAS NOTHING TO FEAR FROM
ITS COMPETITORS
,
EVEN IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT LIKE THE
A
MERICAN
S
PORT COMPETITIONS
.
T
HE SECRET
,
AS ALWAYS
,
IS THE ABILITY TO ADAPT TO THE NATURE OF THE CHALLENGE
,
WHILE MAINTAINING A
PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE
. L
UCA
B
ERGIANTI
,
MANAGER OF THE CALCULATIONS AND STATISTICAL TESTING
DEPARTMENT
,
EXPLAINS THE MOTIVES AND THE ASPIRATIONS BEHIND AN ADVENTURE THAT STARTED BACK IN
2008
Enjoying the comp
