DP-01 On the Track with Jimmy and SeaBass

[TRDfan]

Check out the clips on KV Racing Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/KVRacingTechnology?fref=photo

[nrc]

Wow. Kudos to Champcar for getting it right even it was the last hurrah.

[cameraman]

So what kind of engine is in those cars? I thought Gerry Forsythe has repo'd all of the engines. Or did Kalkhoven get special compensation:rolleyes:

[opinionated ow]

The day they nominated that as the mandated spec car was the day american open wheel racing died.

[Napoleon]

Is that clip from the last few days? Why are they running those cars?

[chop456]

Just to confirm what a giant mistake they made.

[pfc_m_drake]

Is that clip from the last few days? Why are they running those cars?
Indeed it was from the last few days. I believe it was at the IndyCar open test at NOLA earlier this week.

There's a thread elsewhere where someone 'in the know' stated that the DP-01 was 16 mph faster on the straight than the DW12. What makes that speed more telling is that the DP-01 was running Avon tires (not race tires) and gears that KV had laying around that had some life left on them, and a very conservative 'vintage' setup.

Back on topic, I will have to tell you honestly that if you put me on the waterboard, I will admit to you that I hated the DP-01 when it ran in ChampCar. There were a lot of reasons for that, but I think the primary one was that I knew ChampCar was in its final days and I *hated* the fact that they were going with a spec car. And now, almost 10 years later, it's funny how awesome (in my mind) the DP-01 looks and performs compared to the DW12. And I say that with the utmost sincerity.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Maybe, just maybe, things will rebound years from now, and this test could be cited as a turning point.

[TRDfan]

It was mentioned either on the KV Facebook page or in Vassers Twitter account, that they were testing the cars for a collector that owned both of the cars.

Seeing the look on Vasser's face, and the clip of him enjoying the methanol aroma were great.

[Napoleon]

Just to confirm what a giant mistake they made.

A giant mistake for Champcar to ever go with the DP-01 or a giant mistake for the Indy Racing League to replace them with their sleds (or both)?

[Gary]

A giant mistake for Champcar to ever go with the DP-01 or a giant mistake for the Indy Racing League to replace them with their sleds (or both)?
"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."
- Jimmy Vasser, 03/11/08

[chop456]

The IRL and everything the leeg has ever done is a mistake.

The mistake was KK, et al believing that they could win a money war against someone that's stupid enough to throw away hundreds of millions of dollars to win a pile of ashes.

[Don Quixote]

Man do I miss that first whiff of ethanol when you arrived at the track and the sound of those turbos spinning up.

[Insomniac]

It feels like forever ago ChampCar existed. The car still looks and sounds great. Enough time has passed for me if that look and sound returned to the IRL, I could at least give it a shot again.

[dando]

I saw the posts on the CART group on FB....any word on why they dragged out the DP01s for this session? BTW, those mirrors never worked. :gomer: :D

[G.]

It feels like forever ago ChampCar existed. The car still looks and sounds great. Enough time has passed for me if that look and sound returned to the IRL, I could at least give it a shot again.

I hear what you are saying, but let us not forget who's in control.

You could give the Hulman clan a billion dollars to try to recreate what CART had, and it would still end up looking like a State Fair with a dysentery epidemic.

[TravelGal]

Man do I miss that first whiff of ethanol when you arrived at the track and the sound of those turbos spinning up.

This thread is so poignant for me. I agree with everything (even that comment that I might give it a look if they had turbos). That's why this comment struck me hardest. I can remember driving into Long Beach and hearing the early morning practice runs and choking up with tears at how beautiful those cars sounded and how excited I was that another season was starting. Now I can't even make myself drive down there during a race weekend. (Even to see Manic. ;) )

[Easy]

Indeed it was from the last few days. I believe it was at the IndyCar open test at NOLA earlier this week.

There's a thread elsewhere where someone 'in the know' stated that the DP-01 was 16 mph faster on the straight than the DW12. What makes that speed more telling is that the DP-01 was running Avon tires (not race tires) and gears that KV had laying around that had some life left on them, and a very conservative 'vintage' setup.

Back on topic, I will have to tell you honestly that if you put me on the waterboard, I will admit to you that I hated the DP-01 when it ran in ChampCar. There were a lot of reasons for that, but I think the primary one was that I knew ChampCar was in its final days and I *hated* the fact that they were going with a spec car. And now, almost 10 years later, it's funny how awesome (in my mind) the DP-01 looks and performs compared to the DW12. And I say that with the utmost sincerity.

The DP-01 being faster on the gun doesn't mean a faster lap time, Avons or not. The spec DW-12 was over 4 lateral Gs at pre-season testing at Barber in its second year. The DW-12 has, figuratively if not literally, tons of grip.

That said, I'm not a fan of either car either. I (like many in this group) was at Road America when the DP-01 did some demo laps in 2006. From afar I thought it looked too small, like a glorified Lights chassis, albeit with a glorious 2.65 turbo V8. Up close it looked ill fitting and rushed, which seemed to bear out with the early issues the teams had. The DW-12 looks to be a better build up close but it still has the detail of a spec car. I was reminded of the first gen Tatuus made spec Formula Renaults of the early 00s. Cheap hardware, lack of attention to detail. I hope that is mostly addressed when they roll out the bespoke aero bits and Indycars (regardless of who owns the series) can once again be hairy chested monster machines. Sooner than later anyway.

tl;dr Should have been a Lola

[Mary]

This makes me :cry:

Mary

[Andrew Longman]

I don't recall that livery on the 12. They both look sharp.