Al Speyer Named DeltaWing President, COO

DeltaWing Racing Cars announced today that Al Speyer has joined the DeltaWing organization as President and Chief Operating Officer. Speyer’s initial focus will be on integrating all of DeltaWing’s activities, preparing for 2014 and transitioning DeltaWing into a new organization for long term growth.

Speyer joins DeltaWing following a 39-year career at Bridgestone/Firestone, retiring earlier this year as Executive Director of Motorsports. Speyer directed the company’s return to racing in 1993 and oversaw all aspects of the program.

During his tenure, the Bridgestone/Firestone brand dominated American open-wheel racing and set new standards for product performance, customer support and overall team image. Firestone brand sales correspondingly made very significant market gains.

“DeltaWing is a terrific concept, and I am delighted to be joining the team,” said Speyer. “I have been a passionate believer in DeltaWing since its inception and am very enthusiastic about the future. I am grateful to managing partner Don Panoz and partners Chip Ganassi, Joe Walton and Duncan Dayton for selecting me for this key position. I am fully aware that there is a lot to be done and am eager to get started.”

The DeltaWing is unique in running at half the weight, half the fuel and half the horsepower of a normal prototype, and three quarters of the tire consumption. The car ran for the first time in the LMP1 class at Sebring.

“Al Speyer was one of the original supporters of the DeltaWing,” remembers Panoz. “I’ve gotten to know him through that support and through his representation of motorsports through Bridgestone. He is an enthusiastic believer in the car and brings a great deal of experience and expertise to our company. We look forward to working with Al and to a future of even more success.”

The DeltaWing represents a major step forward in decreasing motorsport’s carbon footprint; boasting half the weight and horsepower of its competitors, the DeltaWing’s unique aerodynamic design dramatically reduces the amount of fuel and tires used during a race weekend. With its spirited performance and excellent straight line speed, the DeltaWing is an exciting and cost-efficient package.

The next generation DeltaWing, a coupe design, enjoyed a successful initial test last week. The revolutionary coupe opens a new era for DeltaWing, as three coupes will be available for purchase by teams planning to contest the 2014 United SportsCar Racing season.

The DeltaWing coupe will have its race debut at the Circuit of the Americas September 19-21, when the American Le Mans Series joins the World Endurance Championship for an international sports car double header. The race will be shown on ESPN2 on Sunday, September 22 at 1:00pm EDT.