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Engineering is as
much a part of auto racing as auto racing is a part of
engineering. Unfortunately, the spotlight usually illuminates
the owner or driver, while the engineer is left in the
background. Consequently, the general public is typically
unaware of the engineering tasks in the field of race car design
and development. The engineer is the person on the race team who
spends long hours mulling over a sliver of an idea which he and
his mates hope will produce a quantum leap in performance or
efficiency of the car. From the glimmer of innovation he sculpts
and smoothes a workable, new design within the stringent
constraints of modern racing - rules, time, and money. The
engineer, though vitally important to the team, is perhaps the
most solitary member. Working in mutually exclusive areas, the
engineer and the rest of the team have little contact with each
other during much of the working day and night. But in his
corner of the garage, the engineer, having established an
alternative approach to the solution of a problem, faces an
awareness that his resolution, once implemented, will affect the
whole team effort in terms of increased success or failure. And,
if there is no change at all in the car’s performance, valuable
time will have been lost. The engineer visualizes, in his mind’s
eye, the airflow over a component, aware that ever more
sophisticated aerodynamics play key roles in defining the
leading edge. Similarly, he imagines his car negotiating a
corner or turn and runs suspension reactions on the blackboard
in his head. Or, perhaps he notices an innovation on a
competitors car and reflects upon the ways in which he might
improve it. The engineer is the team member who naturally
thrives on the intellectual discussion with a peer, but,
instead, forces himself to avoid interaction regarding his
latest project because such conversation could lessen his team’s
competitive edge. Though typically unsung, the engineers role in
motor racing is significant. The Society of Automotive
Engineers, with an international membership exceeding 56,000, is
in a unique position to recognize engineering excellence and
innovation in race car design and development. Therefore, SAE
celebrates the engineer’s feat through the annually presented
Louis Schwitzer Award. |
