At the end of the 1978 season, former CIA agent Don Nichols decided to hit the reset button on his Shadow team in preparation for 1979. After the departure of key partners Jack Oliver and Alan Rees, as well as engineers Tony Southgate and Dave Wass, Nichols also replaced the newly recruited John Baldwin, hiring former ATS designer John Gentry instead. On the driver front, the team opted for a more cost-effective "youth movement," bringing in two emerging talents: Dutch driver Jan Lammers, racing under the Shadow Racing Cars banner, and Italian rookie Elio De Angelis, competing with Interscope Shadow Racing.
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| SHADOW DN9b, Jan Lammers Osterreichring, Austrian GP 1979 |
Gentry extensively modified the 1978 DN9, essentially creating an entirely new car while retaining the same aluminum monocoque chassis and mechanical structure as the original model. This new car was designated the Shadow DN9B. Given the team's limited budget, Gentry could only focus on aerodynamic refinements to maximize ground effect without completely overhauling the car’s design.
SHADOW DN9b, Elio de Angelis
Jarama, Spanish GP 1979
The front radiator remained exposed in the nose, while the sidepods were made longer and more squared-off to enhance ground-effect aerodynamics, following the trends set by the best wing cars of the era. The powertrain remained unchanged, with the Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 paired with a Hewland FGA 400 gearbox, while the suspension layout was also retained. The wheelbase was slightly increased to 2,642 mm to allow for the longest possible Venturi channels.
SHADOW DN9b, Elio de Angelis
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1979
Despite all these efforts, the chronic lack of funding and the team's limited ability to develop the car condemned Shadow to a season spent at the back of the grid. The only bright spot came in the final race of the season at Watkins Glen, where Elio De Angelis finished fourth, scoring Shadow’s only four points of the 1979 campaign. De Angelis’ impressive performances did not go unnoticed, attracting the attention of Colin Chapman, who promptly signed him to drive for Lotus in the coming seasons.
SHADOW DN9b, Jan Lammers
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1979
The DN9B is also remembered for the splendid livery used by the Dutch driver Lammers, one of the most spectacular ever seen on a racetrack. Thanks to his personal sponsor, it features a magnificent flaming lion on the bodywork.
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