Photo: José Mário Dias/Action Express Racing
While development of Coyote’s generic bodywork for its Daytona Prototype has been put on hold, the North Carolina-based manufacturer has revealed intentions of building a car for the proposed new-for-2017 global prototype regulations.
Coyote Cars CEO Gary Nelson confirmed to Sportscar365 that its joint DP project with U.K.-based firm Delta Motorsport has not seen any further progress due to a lack of customer interest.
Plans were initially in place to field a Dinan-powered Coyote DP with the non-brand specific bodywork at the Rolex 24 Daytona, but was then pushed back to the Twelve Hours of Sebring before the project was paused entirely.
“It’s idling at the moment,” Nelson told Sportscar365. “The line of customers that were showing interest was long enough for us to invest in the design and engineering of the bodywork.
“That line has kind of put things on hold with those folks. They’re sitting on their hands, so we are now too.”
Nelson said the molds and patterns for the design have been produced and have already been submitted to IMSA for evaluation.
The next step in the approval process would be full-scale aero testing, although it will not be given the green light until they receive firm orders from customers.
“We acted on an interest and did a lot of the work,” he said. “With the right situation, we’re within six to eight weeks of producing the kit.
“The series is going through a lot of transitions as everyone knows. People are careful to commit to the future, especially with [plans] for 2017 already being announced, with a new car.
“How do you bridge the gap between now and 2017?”
Nelson, meanwhile, confirmed Coyote’s intentions of creating an all-new prototype for the to-be-defined ruleset, which will replace the current LMP2 regulations in 2017.
Few details have been made public on the proposed new global prototype platform, spearheaded by the FIA, ACO and IMSA, although it’s understood the cars will likely utilize the tub and safety standards currently seen in LMP1.
“When the green flag waves at the Daytona 24 Hours [in 2017]… We’re going to be among them,” Nelson said.
“The car of 2017 won’t look like what we see today, we’ve been told that. We’re excited for a new car.
“I don’t know what it’s going to be but it really doesn’t matter. It’s going to have four tires, an engine and a driver and we’re going to try to make our one the fastest on track.”
Other considerations for the new-gen P2 platform includes the possible allowance of engine manufacturer-specific bodywork, similar to the current model seen with the DP cars.
The Corvette DPs from Action Express Racing, Spirit of Daytona Racing and Marsh Racing are all Coyote-chassied prototypes.
A meeting is scheduled for late September to further define the rules, which could see preliminary information being relayed onto manufacturers.
Nelson said he’s been in close communication with IMSA in sharing the Coyote’s opinion in the shaping the new regulations, although he would not go into specifics.
“We’re a little bit unique than most because we do respect folks that create and enforce the rules,” he said. “We’ll abide by whatever rules they are. We signed up to race.
“Whenever we’ll get the specifications, we’ll go race, and whatever we’ll do to make our car go fast, we’ll do. When that happens, other people will take notice. That’s our approach.”
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