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What steps would you recommend for someone aspiring to work in motorsports as a race engineer, specializing in aerodynamics and advanced lightweight materials development?
Work for a top motorsports team like F1, WEC, or NASCAR as a race engineer.
Design high-performance aerodynamic components for race cars.
Develop next-generation materials for lightweight, high-strength applications.
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Loren’s Answer
Get in involved with the community now, find your local race track and if you can get to known the pit crews. Focus your educational studies on engineering and start using programs like solid works and others. Start small to get experience like with RC cars designing parts.
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William’s Answer
Hi Damain,
Motorsports is a very fascinating sport. I really appreciate your interest in it.
To become a race car engineer you need a prerequisite qualification in mechanical/automotive engineering. And to acquire the prerequisite qualification, you need to study a number of foundational subjects in high school. They include mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer applications, design & graphics etc.
Mathematics equips us with analytical skills that all engineers require for their work. Physics imparts in us knowledge about some of the basic laws of gravity, buoyancy, motion, heat, electromagnetism, sound, energy etc. Physics & maths provide the main foundation for engineering courses. Chemistry teaches us the properties of engineering materials so we can correctly choose our materials of construction when making products from designs. Computer applications improve our productivity & efficiency. To be able to convert our ideas & concepts in to reality, we need graphics & design.
Problem solving skills are required by all engineers in order to identify & resolve root causes of the many challenges they face.
Race car engineering introduces you to other concepts such as Failure Mode Effects & Criticality Analysis (FMECA). This knowledge & skill are essential in view of the extensive reliability studies required in the design, construction & testing of race cars.
Aerodynamics falls under mechanics of fluids that is offered to mechanical engineering students during their studies. The motorsport industry customized the concept of aerodynamics from the aviation industry. One of it's key areas of interest is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This allows race engineers to undertake computer-based simulation of fluid flow studies to identify & resolve flow motion problems relating to aerodynamic performance of flight vehicles.
Weight matters in everything a car does: acceleration, cornering, braking & handling. The importance of weight is based on the concept of power to weight ratio. The relationship between force, mass & acceleration is at the center of this concept. A lighter car accelerates & brakes faster. Lighter cars also corner faster. Motorsports regulations set strict weight limits with severe consequences for offenders.
Lightweighting runs the risk of increasing costs due to the use of better but more expensive materials & technologies. This may price new aspiring entrants and smaller teams out of the sport.
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer is the most popular lightweight material used in race car construction. It's lighter & stronger than steel. It's very high strength & stiffness makes it ideal.
Motorsports is a very fascinating sport. I really appreciate your interest in it.
To become a race car engineer you need a prerequisite qualification in mechanical/automotive engineering. And to acquire the prerequisite qualification, you need to study a number of foundational subjects in high school. They include mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer applications, design & graphics etc.
Mathematics equips us with analytical skills that all engineers require for their work. Physics imparts in us knowledge about some of the basic laws of gravity, buoyancy, motion, heat, electromagnetism, sound, energy etc. Physics & maths provide the main foundation for engineering courses. Chemistry teaches us the properties of engineering materials so we can correctly choose our materials of construction when making products from designs. Computer applications improve our productivity & efficiency. To be able to convert our ideas & concepts in to reality, we need graphics & design.
Problem solving skills are required by all engineers in order to identify & resolve root causes of the many challenges they face.
Race car engineering introduces you to other concepts such as Failure Mode Effects & Criticality Analysis (FMECA). This knowledge & skill are essential in view of the extensive reliability studies required in the design, construction & testing of race cars.
Aerodynamics falls under mechanics of fluids that is offered to mechanical engineering students during their studies. The motorsport industry customized the concept of aerodynamics from the aviation industry. One of it's key areas of interest is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This allows race engineers to undertake computer-based simulation of fluid flow studies to identify & resolve flow motion problems relating to aerodynamic performance of flight vehicles.
Weight matters in everything a car does: acceleration, cornering, braking & handling. The importance of weight is based on the concept of power to weight ratio. The relationship between force, mass & acceleration is at the center of this concept. A lighter car accelerates & brakes faster. Lighter cars also corner faster. Motorsports regulations set strict weight limits with severe consequences for offenders.
Lightweighting runs the risk of increasing costs due to the use of better but more expensive materials & technologies. This may price new aspiring entrants and smaller teams out of the sport.
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer is the most popular lightweight material used in race car construction. It's lighter & stronger than steel. It's very high strength & stiffness makes it ideal.