DeltaWing Opts Out of Rolex 24

Photo: Regis Lefebure/IMSA

The DeltaWing will not take part in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, despite having been given a one-race extension by IMSA to compete in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener.

The Don Panoz-owned team revealed on Monday that it has opted out of the race, in order to focus efforts on its newly announced GT4 project with the Panoz Avezzano, among other projects.

“We have decided not to race in the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said a statement on the team’s Twitter page. “It has been an incredible four years racing the most innovative car on the track, but as an organization, Don Panoz decided to focus our efforts on other DeltaWing and Panoz projects.”

It’s understood a lack of spare parts, and the necessary budget required to complete the one-off race, were factors in the decision to forgo the race, which would have seen the car run to 2016 performance levels in the Prototype class.

While last month’s Petit Le Mans has now marked the DeltaWing’s final race in IMSA/ACO competition, the car could still make appearances elsewhere, with a program in Europe having been explored prior to Tim Keene’s departure in October.

Veteran team owner Tom Milner will spearhead Panoz’s new GT4 project.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John