Like most folks, I’m glad 2020 is behind us and we get to start over with a whole new development challenge ahead. To recap, we bought the Elan DP02 a little over a year ago and finally got it up and running for the June Sprints at Road America. Then we returned there a couple of months later and got our first podium at the ‘Cat in the Kettle’ majors race. A couple of months later we returned for the Runoffs and there that version of the DP02 came to a crashing end in practice before the Runoffs. I dropped the left rear tire off the pavement at the exit of turn 14 coming on to the front straightaway and the car snapped around in an instant into the inside tire wall. It was the biggest impact I’ve ever had but I was absolutely fine as all the safety equipment did its job. The medical/emergency team helped get me out and gave me a concussion check and all was negative (I wasn’t even sore the next day). Fortunately, we brought Norma as a backup plan and Jason got her out of the trailer and warmed up. I went out the next session…kinda like getting back in the saddle after being bucked off.
We finished the rest of the Runoffs with old reliable Norma and she ran well. But she’s now no match for the most current iteration of Elan DP02s plus a few one-off unique cars created for Road America. We qualified 10th and finished there after getting a great start and moving into 6th briefly after turn 1.
In 6th place after the start of the Runoffs race.
So now we prepare for the future and Jason is rebuilding the Elan from the bare tub up addressing many other issues as he goes. We have an entirely new body kit on order that reflects the latest aero designs for the car. We anticipate having the finished ‘new look’ car ready for action on May 1. In the meantime, we will continue running the ol’ gal Norma and see if she can still sneak in a few wins.
Carbon Fiber tub for Elan DP02
Engine, gearbox, and a lot of other parts to be reassembled