MIA Mission visit to USA 20th – 30th May, 2005. Notes:
Aims of mission: An 18 strong team of representatives of UK motorsport
engineering and education on a fact finding mission to the major region of USA
motorsport activity and education provision.
Objectives of Dr J.K. Martin as Open University delegate on mission:
Gain a better appreciation of the USA motorsport engineering technical institutes, R
& D facilities, workshops and training establishments;
Sample the qualities of engineering design, manufacture and operations of USA race
teams;
Sample the education and research capabilities of well known USA universities and
colleges in the sector;
Make contacts with USA motorsport engineering education providers and discuss
possibilities of co-operation in producing distance learning education courses and
training packages.
General conclusions:
The visit was most interesting, illuminating and educational. In the 9 available (nonflying) days the mission visited 11 research and education centres, 2 race car
manufacturers’ plants, 1 production car manufacturer’s plant and attended 5
networking reception events. In addition the group took in a high profile NASCAR
500 mile race and the Indianapolis 500 race.
The most impressive feature was the amount of investment and resources being
dedicated to motorsport engineering and education at all levels from school through
community college level to university degree and post degree levels.
The management of expectation of students was clearly in focus. Whilst in some
ways using motorsport as an “attractor” to bring students into mechanical engineering
courses, it was clear that not all students could, or even intended to, find jobs in the
sector. There was however an encouragement of “hands on” approaches to race
engineering, in developing collegiate race teams, seconding students to race teams for
work experience etc.
There was a common acceptance of the need to incorporate business aspects in
motorsport engineering courses in addition to mainstream engineering subjects.
Examples would be the supply chain management, operations and procedures,
marketing, dealing with and retaining sponsors, health and safety issues etc.
There is definitely scope for producing distance learning modules in motorsport
engineering and management, partly as remedial and introductory packages for
incoming students, partly to augment teaching materials and techniques on full time
courses. Few of the education providers had heard of the Open University, but most
were already embarking on or thinking of e-based short courses for their own
students.
The potential market for distance learning modules on motorsport engineering and
management is large, e.g. over 2000 students at the NASCAR technical institute and
Greenville colleges alone. Most of the education providers would seem to welcome
the idea of co-operating with such as the Open University in developing relevant short
course distance learning modules. The finished product must however be of high
quality, properly resourced and delivered on time ! Contacts will be followed up for
further discussions.
Day to day activities summary:
Fri. 20th May, 2005, day and evening
Flight Gatwick to Charlotte. First night, informal dinner with fellow members of
mission, combined group comprising industry and education representatives.
NASCAR* R & D Centre
Sat. 21st May, 2005, a.m.
Hosted by Chad Little, ex-driver. Centre mainly concerned with safety, competition
and costs. Business centre at Daytona. Charlotte and Huntsville are the hub of
NASCAR* Prepare all the rules, concerned about environment and noise, starting to
look at leaded v un-leaded gasoline (currently use “racing gas”). Teams not allowed
to use data acquisition on race weekends (OK for private testing). Engines all V8
(predominantly Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford) all use Holley 4 barrel carburettors
(mandatory). Not even considering fuel injection. The primary objective of the series
is an entertainment show – large fast cars with big sponsor areas. Quite common to
have 20 cars on the lead lap after 500 miles of racing. Cars are quite simple in
technology terms, build cost approx. $70k.
Body shape templates are taken from production vehicles. Tolerances + 1\32 inch.
Hood (bonnet), roof, deck (boot) lid have to be production or “stock” items. Bodies
are steel. Centre has 50 employees, about half of whom are Engineers, half directors,
to administer the series. Do quite a bit of impact testing working with Nebraska
University. Safety features are “HANS” (head and neck support) device, integral
seats, seat belts, energy absorbing foam surrounding driver. Most impacts are
rearwards, most severe are frontal. Now deformable barriers line the circuits – 3 ft of
energy absorbing foam and steel strips. Drivers now walking away from 90g impacts
(aiming for 100g). No energy absorbing structure in cars themselves (they are built
like tanks !).
Wind tunnel work has resulted in the roof spoilers, and generally limiting speeds to
below 190 mph have reduced the tendency for cars to take off when spinning. There
are no underbody aerodynamic tweaks allowed, but teams can build different cars to
suit various tracks and often build in shape offsets (within the rules) to cope with the
interactive running aerodynamics.
Tyre warmers not allowed. Tyres are issued at the tracks. One fuel source at tracks
(Sunoco). Ballast allowed only in the outer rails – can reposition front to rear. Drug
*
National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. See www.nascar.com
testing carried out. Drivers cooled with air through helmets, have carbon monoxide
filters etc. Penalties usually deducting points, teams don’t want to embarrass sponsors.
NASCAR 500 Race, Lowes Speedway
Sat. 21st May, 2005, p.m. & evening
Part of Nextel cup series. Very spectacular show. Guests of NASCAR, guided tour
around paddock and teams, witness scrutineering (“Tech.”) etc. Race in evening –
won by oldest driver in race (sponsored by Viagra !), 1st prize $1m, attendance 150
000.
Richard Childress racing
Sun. 22nd May, 2005, a.m.
Bill Patteson – executive vice president. Very open with information and allowing
photographs etc. Company 35 years old, 86,000 ft2, 330 people. Prepare cars and
engines for 5 teams, include first build of 25 chassis per year. Cars are all steel and
hand built, minimum weight 1900 lbs. Different chassis to suit tracks: super
speedway, intermediate, short tracks.
Engine shop specialises in General Motors V8 small block, 358 cu. in, (5.87 litres),
re-machined and developed to produce 840 h.p. on carburettor. Intake manifolds to
suit tracks. Engine costs $68k. Qualify, practice and race on one engine – if a change
needed car goes to back of grid. Magnesium alloy gearbox cases, 4 gears mandated
with 4th 1:1, no overdrive ratios allowed, all straight cut gears, no synchromesh.
Operates as teams within a company, own spray units etc. Crew chiefs under RCR
umbrella – will work together before and after races, but races are all out (no team
orders). Transporters 80 000 lbs gross (on weight limit), cost $500k with another
$500k for equipment, cover 45000 miles p.a.
Personnel work 40 hours with variable work week. Pay guaranteed for 40 hrs for all
weeks (even if short) but any hours over are paid at half time rates. Higher than
average salaries. Have a lot of CNC machines.
Engine shop fully equipped to build 600 - 650 units per year. All parts in a life
program built into a fully re-machined block. 1 block will last about 3 years or 20k
miles of racing before being over bored and out of spec. Have 4 dyno. cells, 1 of
which has “taped” races. 1 chassis dyno, 1-7 post rig, no shaker rigs. NASCAR
mandates use of Holley 4 barrel carburettor which is very heavy.
Company operates 5 aircraft and has a very plush board room for enticing potential
sponsors. Driver salary paid by teams ($1m -$2m p.a. plus percentage of prize money,
royalties, appearances etc.). One nice touch was the fan walk where the public can
enter and oversee from a public gallery most of the operations in the factory and work
in progress for as long as they want. The visit finished with a trip and lunch to the
Childress vineyards in company with numerous mayors and local government
officials from the area.
Clemson University/ICAR dinner
Sun. 22nd May, 2005, evening
Networking event with staff from Clemson and the ICAR project (International
Centre for Automotive Research).
UK Trade and Industry briefing
Mon. 23rd May, 2005 a.m. (1)
Introduction by Mark Borst, Vice Consul (trade), UK T & I Dept. Companies moving
to South East of USA, influenced by good weather, low cost (and low hassle) of
setting up greenfield sites, less union problems etc. Mercedes Benz, BMW, Hyundai
all investing. General Motors and Toyota are co-operating on a joint venture
(unthinkable a few years ago). Whole South East area is expanding in automotive
Engineering (including motorsports) as textiles and agriculture decline.
UK T & I can help with articles for £200 in localised trade magazines. Effectively act
as Government subsidised consultants, and can also help with research. Noted that at
many races there are $3.8b worth of private jets ! Drag racing is also on the up.
NASCAR Technical Institute
Mon. 23rd May, 2005 a.m. (2)
Introduced by Dennis Hendrix, director. A new 140 000 ft2 very well equipped
technical college equivalent with 1500 students on campus. Three strands of teaching
1) the compulsory main core of 42 weeks general automotive plus 6 weeks on
engines, covering the entire car, 2) a 15 week Ford based option, 3) an 18 week
NASCAR option plus 3 working weeks as pit crew. Of the 1500 students about 800 –
900 make graduation of which 500 will take the motorsport option. Not known how
many actually make it into the sport.
Students come from schools (18 years old) or may be a bit older, some with engine
experience. There are financial aid schemes and job systems for students’ support.
Overall there are 15 000 students over 9 major schools. Teachers certified via
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Recent winners of a student
competition assembling and running an engine in 20 minutes !
“Jasper” team donated 50 engines in a 5 year period. Also many gearboxes and
transmissions. Lots of sponsors on board, including “Snap-on” (tools and equipment).
$1m of Snap-on materials on each campus, students offered a full complement of
tools for a discount price of $300, and receive a Snap-on tool box on graduation.
Students work on campus for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week. Live in apartment
complexes around neighbourhood (avoids collegiate type parties !).
300 ft by 80 ft hands-on workshop backed onto class rooms. Use instructional “halfcars” short body cars on dolleys to maintain and standardise training input on known
vehicles. Fully equipped welding shops with overhead gantry system extraction.
Labs for transmissions equipped by Jerico Racing Transmissions on a product
placement basis.
Applications shop contains 4 off laser levelled steel surface plates, each full vehicle
size and 1 inch thick. Many computers in evidence. Ford lab. programs at community
college level replaced 44 separate community colleges. Covers 90 % Ford training
programme – students employed in Ford dealerships.
In fabrication shop chassis seamless tubes (3 mm) are bored internally to ensure
uniform wall thickness (not all the real race teams do this).
Above ground rolling road facility. Dyno room experience training includes varying
intake conditions and jetting carbs. Main lecture rooms designed with access for full
sized car. Race teams on steering committee. Only 2 % of students are female.
Universal Technical Institute was started as a private company, now public. Included
auto mechanics, diesel fitting, collision repair etc.on the different campuses. Now an
exclusive education partner to NASCAR. All done as a 10 year project. Fee structure
variable with employer dealers giving payback options. $25k fee for each student to
cover the core module plus NASCAR option, all completed in one year. Graduates
could expect to be earning $39k p.a. within 2 years.
Looking at e-learning modules prior to joining for say $99 each. Looking globally,
including China. $millions left on the table not claimed by students for support.
Dodge was paying $ 800k for 10 fully reimbursed scholarships plus accommodation
Main NASCAR sponsorship per car runs at $10m, including TV “scrap” piece space,
$5-6m for fender space.
Evernham race team
Monday 23rd May, 2005, p.m.
Introduced by Dr Eric Warren and Ray Evernham. Hired initially by Dodge to design
and build a race car for the NASCAR series and field 2 teams. Have a sister company
in England. Began 5 years ago with a greenfield site. Cars asymmetric both in
suspension ride heights etc. and actual body shape. Have 20 Engineers in total
covering cars and engines, most teams have 7 or 8. In 1996 probably only 5 or 6
Engineers in whole lot of teams. Have 55 fabricators.
Chassis - all CAD and CAE prepared using Catia, V5, Smarteam, and laser cut tube
ends. All parts drawn in CAD except about 100 drawn manually. Tube generally
0.090 inch (2.3 mm) seamless. Fabricators’ salaries can vary from $30k to $100k.
Cars weigh 3600 lb in race trim, experiencing 70001b lateral and 8000 lb vertical on
the banking. 39 races in the series, including a run of 33 weekends with no breaks !
Have a chassis dynomometer with 200 mph wheel speed used to fettle cars before
shipment. Have noted better correlation between track and simulations than with
track and 7 post rig work owing to “false” restraints, but rig still good for quality
control and repeat calibrations.
Team works 7.30 to 5.30, with 1 hr lunch break. Takes 4 to 8 days to construct a
chassis, 3 days body, 1 day to fit out, 1 day in paint, i.e. approx. 12 working days to
build a car, comprising 300 hours for chassis, 240 for body. Have 5 transporters, 2
dedicated to testing. Have an outside area under an awning for pit stop practice and
analysis, pit crew also having a work out gym regime. Builds 96 engines per year,
noting only 0.5 % variations in power output.
NASCAR generates $2.1b in licensed sales. Typical team running 1 car will have
actually 14 cars in a season, built to suit the differing track characteristics.
Suspension travel will be 5 inches from static.
Generally a very professional team with all effort and funding going to the cars (no
fancy boardrooms, vineyards etc – cf Childress above !). Workshop motto: “Say what
you mean, mean what you say, don’t say it mean !).”
MIA/UNCC Reception
Mon. 23rd May, evening
Network event with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, included guests
from NASCAR Technical Institute. On Tuesday the industry group had their own
schedule of industrial visits, the education group continued as below:
“5OFF5ON” Pit Instruction and Training
Tues. 24th May, a.m.
Introduced by founder Breon M. Klopp. A specialised training 24 000 ft2 facility
dedicated to the analysis, training and fitness coaching for pit stop crews. Set up in
2000 as a private company building on previous studies. Complete with a ¼ mile test
track and pit lane for practicing pit stop work, trying out radio communication etc.
Can take 6 cars at a time, has a set up plate for set up training. Rainwater is collected
and stored for use as a dummy fuel in stops, the test cars having a dummy tank to
accept it. Hosts in August the National Pit stop championships, with $120k prize
money. Uses ex-race cars purchased at about $15k each. Not affiliated to any team
or agency.
Teams use Nitrogen activated pneumatic tools, 2 wheel nut guns @ $1600 each,
overhauled for $300 every other week, 2 sockets at $75 each new for each race. 1 pit
stop practice run costs $500. 1 trolley jack allowed per car at a cost of $2000, rebuilt
after every race.
Hit on the concept that instead of expecting or training teams’ race mechanics to work
pit stops, perhaps better to train athletes not necessarily interested in racing to work in
a choreographed manner as a pit stop team. Has fully equipped private gymnasium
and staff for designing and running body efficiency and training programmes for
crews. Trains 150 crews per year, 12 people to each crew. Takes 8 weeks for them to
practice sufficiently to be fully effective.
Can supply the fully trained team for hire to a race team or train up the personnel
supplied by the race team. A pit crew member fully trained and coached can
command a salary of $100k p.a., well over 3 times the state average. Also does
corporate work using 5 show cars for demonstrations and team building management
programmes using motorsport to facilitate the attitudes and processes, including 6
sigma.
Carried out detailed research into the activity analysis, timings and choreography of
pit stops for various scenarios (depending on what suspension adjustments required
etc.). Devised detailed specifications of pit crew activity and member sizes and
operations to minimise time spent. Compared the effects of gaining or losing split
seconds in the pits to the length of time and number of race laps to regain such lost
time. Showed fascinating videos of results of pit stop work, both good and bad.
As a result of this work the average pit stop time has reduced by 42 % since 1985, a
further 17.5 % since 1998. Recommended that this fascinating work be published.
Southeast Guilford High School, North Carolina Tuesday 25th May, 2005 p.m.
Hosted by USA delegate, Dr Tracey Rishel. Short visit to a school project with Jeff
Comer teaching school age children (15 to 18) the full range of automotive skills.
Based on restoring a 1965 Ford racing saloon, stripped to the bare metal and acid
etched. Workshop seemed a bit chaotic and hazardous !
Also Wayne Capp pioneering an association for diversity in motorsports – researching
and celebrating the historic involvement of black Americans in motorsport to help
provide an incentive for them to get involved with the activity, normally and
culturally associated with whites.
Agricultural and Technical State University
Tues. 24th May, p.m.
Hosted by USA delegate, Dr Tracey Rishel. This university is traditionally associated
with an African American catchment and now has 10 500 students. Thurman Exum is
driving the introduction of a 4 year degree course in motorsports, now running.
Interesting curriculum involving the business aspects, not just race engineering,
securing and keeping sponsor involvement etc. Interested in distance learning
contributions, especially in some remedial aspects for new students.
Dr Rishel introduced the business aspects of the course, logistics, supply chain
management, marketing etc. She is researching opportunities in business in
motorsport and has developed a predictive algorithm highlighting the factors
associated with successful teams in motorsport. Papers being published. Also
looking at issues of protecting innovation and IPR in race teams.
MIA/Virginia Reception
Tues. 24th May, evening
MIA industry and education group members back together for this network event with
staff of colleges, industry and government of Virginia including the international
raceway.
On Wednesday the industry group of the MIA team had their own private visits then
flew up to Indianapolis, the education group stayed on for more education visits as
below:
BMW Spartanburg Plant, North Carolina
Weds. 25th May, 2005, a.m.
A visit to this 1000 acre plant, of which over half was in use as a 10 year old factory
producing the entire world output of the X5 car and about 40 % of the output of the
Z4 sports car. All at present are petrol engined but a diesel is on the way for the X5. A
museum in the foyer attributed the design of the Brabham BMW F1 car to “Gilbert
Murray.” (should be Gordon).
Turn out 400 units per day, 60 % of which are exported. All cars are pre-ordered and
specified, paint plant using water based paint systems can change colours in 30
seconds. Stampings are sourced out. All offices are embedded within the plant.
Production mostly automatic with robots and laser guided inspection systems.
Operates on a 2-4 hour delay “just in time” approach, for the 8000 parts required for
assembly. Glass is bonded in with 4 hr adhesive. Each car is GPS web tracked via a
sensor on the bonnet.
4600 people employed, 40 % female, operate on 2 hour job cycling. 3 % staff
turnover, non-union, start at $16 per hour rising to 24 $ per hour in 2 years. 25 % of
power supplied by land-fill methane.
Upstate Alliance & Clemson University, International Centre for Automotive
Research (ICAR), South Carolina
Weds. 25th May, 2005, p.m.
Introduced by Jenks Patrick. Clemson University was founded in 1889 (and is where
Rice Crispies were invented). The local city, Greenville, is recovering from the
decline in previous mainstay industries, textiles and construction. Lots of
Engineering history – 1 in 4 people is reckoned to be an Engineer. Owing to the fine
weather, countryside, lower labour costs and cheap greenfield land for development
other companies are moving in such as BMW, Michelin, the SAE, Microsoft.
In 1975 Michelin sold a New York plant for $60m and built a new one in South
Carolina for $30m. The location was similar in many respects to the native plant
around Clermont Ferrand. It is reckoned that 2/3 of USA motorsports activity is
within the Charlotte, Clemson and Atlanta cluster.
Clemson is aiming to be the number 1 motorsport/automotive research and education
centre and is pursuing this aim aggressively. It has 3 recent endowments for chairs, at
$10m each, and 1 at $6m. Research funding has doubled in 5 years, now have 80
research contracts with companies and 70 patents. A new campus on a greenfield 400
acre site is being built, with new infrastructure and access roads etc. already
comnpleted. Funding is in place worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Programmes are industry focussed, students will be all post graduate and have 2 years
industrial experience. There will be links with the Michelin 3300 acre test track; this
has a 2.5 mile lap, over half with full rain simulation sprinklers. A full scale wind
tunnel is to be built accommodating 9 cars, variable position walls, 200 mph rolling
road. Very ambitious project, worth a look at www.clemson-icar.com.
Greenville Technical College, South Carolina,
Weds. 25th May, 2005, p.m.
Introduced by Sumner Huckerby, Department Head. This is a Tech. College level
facility that has been gifted a 90 000 ft2 building with another new one of 75 000 ft2
adjacent. It is being set up as a regional automotive centre of excellence and covers
General Motors automotive training on all aspects of the car from bumper to bumper.
Nissan are also involved in the training and have gifted cars. Students can be of any
age between 18 and 50 years, most are 18 to 30. Has 11 class rooms all fully A/V
equipped and internet connected. Have 13000 students on 4 campuses, ranked in top
level of technician colleges in USA. The Principal has held the post since 1962 !
3 on line courses about to be launched covering marketing, management and history
of motorsport, written by specialists widely dispersed. There are 300 students on
automotive studies, including trucks, and 75 taking a motorsports option. Most
students aim to be a good technician, a few percent stay on for higher studies. Already
working on a race car in the field. All students experience hands on skills before,
during and after training. By charter the centre can only offer 2 year qualifications at
Technician level but opportunities exist for graduate level turn-key courses, including
distance learning. Open to international agreements and already taking some students
to Germany.
Aiming to produce a motorsports programme but would be happy to co-operate with
distance learning providers, are flexible in approach and would clearly welcome some
assistance. The workshops, though vast, seemed to be under utilised and in need of
some rationalisation and clean up.
Planning a motorsports operations course, and have had dealings with the NHRA
(dragsters). Students can be involved with teams providing hands on light labour
assistance and gain from watching crews perform. Planning to cover road racing, dirt
track cars, autocross, race driving school tie ups, sitting with officials etc. to give all
round experience of motorsport operations.
Staff have experience of running cars and attitudes to preparation, checking and
running chimed well. Currently get 5 or 6 students helping at low key events then
report back experiences as project reports. Actively pursuing motorsport as an
attractor for engineering and manufacturing. Whilst SAE aligns with Clemson
(higher level and Detroit based), the SME (manufacturing) aligns more with the
hands-on approach of Greenville.
Most of the motorsport students are around 35 years of age and already experienced.
Good technicians can get $100k in the field. Fees are about 1 tenth of those of the
NASCAR technical institute !
University of North Carolina,
Motorsports and Automotive Research Centre,
Thurs. 26th May, 2005 a.m.
Introduced by Jim Cuttino, Director Research and Development and Bob Johnson,
Dean of Engineering. Also invited and contributing was a group of leaders from local
Technical and community colleges offering motorsport courses. This was a regular
arrangement whereby ideas were discussed and shared amongst the local colleges and
university. Thus a two way discussion developed and I presented a short illustrated
briefing on the Open University and ideas for motorsport modules which was well
received.
The University of North Carolina began in 1949 and set out to find niche areas within
which it could excel. An early one was metrology and the University is a World
leader in the subject area. As an example the Centre has developed in house an
atomic microscope which can encompass a field of 1 inch by 1 inch with a sub
Angstrom resolution. Another is in the field of bio-engineering and the group is
working on a hinged vertebrae connection device to take the place of the fusion
technique for damaged discs. A third strand is machining research. The Centre is
keen on synergy and developing overlapping applications for these fields in
motorsport.
The motorsport group was set up in 1998, soon establishing links with other
universities and colleges as explained above. 4 universities and 6 community colleges
local to UNC equate to the total package of motorsport expertise. A new $100m
building programme is near completion for Mechanical Engineering offering a
magnificent Georgian style block of over 100 000 ft2. As part of this a wing of 5000
ft2 is to be dedicated floor space for motorsport activity – this does not include new
machine shops and other facilities that will be shared with other subjects. There will
be coalition activity with company spin-offs.
A hands-on approach is encouraged and students form groups to partake in Formula
Student, and other competitive series of racing, and offer services to local race teams,
designing and fabricating much of the parts. Students are also encouraged to design,
and manufacture miniature pneumatic engines and demonstrate both efficiency and
speed in the design. The students have to carry out all the machining and technician
type tasks for these too.
There is no degree in motorsport as such, the degree is in mechanical engineering.
This was on the basis that not all motorsport students could be placed in the industry
and many would not wish to be, having realised the commitment required. Fees for
tuition are $4000 per year. It was agreed that motorsport provides an attractor to
getting students interested in engineering as perhaps did the space programmes of the
1960’s. Other skills like communication and business are also necessary in the sector.
There is definite interest in on-line learning and forming partnerships with other
institutions, but overall this University is investing heavily in engineering to an
astonishing degree which was both heart-warming yet deflating to experience.
In the evening the education group flew up to Indianapolis to rejoin the industry
group, but continued with its own education visits as below:
Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indianapolis Friday 27th May, 2005
Director of Student Services, Terri Talbert-Hatch introduced her teaching team all of
whom were experienced in motorsport and obvious enthusiasts. Terri herself has
attended 38 of the last 39 Indy 500 races. There are 2 public Universities in Indiana,
Purdue in the North specialising in technology and engineering, and Indiana in the
South specialising in the other professions (medicine, law etc.). Both have regional
campuses all over their regions rather than separate community colleges. Purdue has
over 30 000 students who will graduate with degrees from Purdue University –
Indianapolis.
The local racing culture has been taken for granted for generations until last year
when a newly elected state governor appointed a director of motorsports development.
A paper was tabled summarised the contribution of motorsport locally etc. The
department has got some basic classes and is getting together with Indy racing,
NASCAR and NHRA (dragsters) effectively to form a steering committee, noting
how well the Charlotte region has progressed. The meeting agreed how important it
was to keep industry involved and how funding from Government could be very slow
in coming forward.
There was full agreement on the “attractor issue” in getting students into engineering.
An example was given for the UK in requiring 35 000 engineering graduates p.a. just
to maintain the status quo but was only producing about 10 000. Motorsports earned
more in exports for the UK than steel and agriculture combined. Agreed that
expectation attitudes of student needs to be managed but skills in performance
engineering can be transferred. The students should also have good hands-on
practical skills.
Discussed the issues of risk management and liability – agreed that if practical
activity is deemed (by academic staff) to be a core component with appropriate signoff procedures then insurance should cover it.
Purdue technology 2 year course comes under the same roof as 4 year course and
masters degree. An electric racing car project Formula Lightning team contained a
mixture of both types of student. Industrial placements as in UK and Purdue type
summer internships paid by companies considered a good model. Maybe also student
exchange programs between UK and USA. Research is not so active owing to lack of
indigenous chassis manufacturers and engine suppliers to provide funding.
Distance learning updates may be appropriate in the areas of business, project
management, budgeting skills and marketing, not just engineering. It was noted that
the University of the Mediterranean has a global experience MBA where students will
spend months at a time absorbing other cultures and operations, e.g. China and
Middle East. Could be opportunities for O.U. partnerships with industry.
Discussed entry by China, Malaysia etc. at top level not yet underpinned by grass
roots culture and lower levels of motorsport. Phillipines are funding a race
development program in USA entirely out of tourism budgets. Also discussed the
time visualisations of race time, real time and academic project time scales –
academic development likened to a “fire breathing tortoise.”
Indianapolis Speedway
Fri. 27th May, 2005, p.m.
Following the Purdue visit the group was a guest of Terri T-H at a suite overlooking
the pits at the Speedway for the traditional Friday hour “carburation day” practice for
the 500 race cars. We also had access to the pits, paddock and the famed “Gasoline
Alley” and took advantage for a short interesting visit.
Indiana State University
Fri. 27th May, 2005 p.m.
The UK educators group were hosted by 18 senior staff members around a board
room table. Many were clearly motorsport enthusiasts (with British cars). They were
interested in our views on the developing motorsport scenes in USA and UK and how
to access it. Indiana were not restricting themselves to their noted professional
specialisms and were prepared to pursue engineering and technology. They have
already hosted international hovercraft racing competitions.
Detailed discussions about the money flow and industry connection. NASCAR cited
Wall Mart $60m sponsorship put $600m on their bottom line profits. Fanbase was 40
% female. Noted that USA motorsport is more entertainment driven and UK (and
Europe in general) were more technology driven. USA clearly understands the
consumer and community contribution roles.
It was stressed that the UK universities were no longer seats of learning but were in
the business of education. Noted references were www.instituteofmotorsport.org.uk;
www.motorsportresearch.com; and www.gmuweb.com; for papers and research
results.
Downtown Indianapolis
Sat. 28th May, p.m.
Watched the traditional parade of the qualified drivers for the 500 race interspersed
with marching bands and magnificent floats put together in true USA style. In the
evening arranged for the whole group an informal discussion with Ian Reed, an old
friend and contact who has many years of racing experience at all levels. Having
been a key member of the 500 race winning team on a number of occasions (with
Penske) and worked in the USA for 25 years, he enlightened us all on various issues,
attitudes and pitfalls involved in working with the USA motorsport sector. Following
this the group entertained him at an informal dinner.
“Indy 500” Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sun. 29th May, p.m.
Arrived early and spent the day for the famous Indianapolis 500 race. A spectacular
event where cars raced in close proximity at lap average speeds of over 225 m.p.h. A
very interesting and exciting race, with many dramas, changes of lead and close
racing. At one stage for 19 laps the race was led for the first time ever by a female
driver. She eventually finished a close 4th, the highest ever for a female driver. The
race was won by Dan Wheldon who hails from Emberton in Bucks, UK. 1st prize
$1.7m, attendance 250 000.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Mon. 30th May, a.m.
A short trip to the museum which housed many interesting cars and artefacts
associated with the 500 race, including significant contributions from the UK. Flew
back to the UK in the evening, arriving mid morning Tuesday 31st May.
Report compiled by Dr J.K. Martin, May 2005