Race car design and software

Last updated on July 22, 2009

On this page:
Online articles
Power-to-weight ratio chart
Race car design resources
Race car design software
Related associations
Technical training
Wind tunnels

Some related pages on Roadsters.com:
Drag racing
Formula 1 racing
Indy car racing
Land speed record racing
Nostalgia drag racing
Race car insurance
Race tracks
Safety equipment
Speed equipment directory
Sports racing cars
Sprint car racing
Stock car racing
Vintage racing

Online articles

While there's certainly lots of information about race cars online, there is still not a great deal to be found about the technical aspects of race car designing, building and tuning. On this page you'll find what I've managed to dig up so far, and we're off to a decent start. I hope that visitors to this page will share information about other related sites that could be included here.

Automotive Calculations by Bowling & Grippo
http://www.bgsoflex.com/auto.html

Brian Beckman's Physics of Racing Series
http://www.miata.net/sport/Physics/

Inside Racing Technology — Paul Haney
http://www.insideracingtechnology.com/

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
http://www.ialr.org/

Race Car Aerodynamics Database
http://www.mulsannescorner.com/

Racing Safety with John Fitch
http://www.racesafety.com/

Power-to-weight ratio chart

Power Weight	200	250	300	350	400	450	500	550	600	650	700	750	800
1,800	9.00	7.20	6.00	5.14	4.50	4.00	3.60	3.27	3.00	2.77	2.57	2.40	2.25
1,900	9.50	7.60	6.33	5.43	4.75	4.22	3.80	3.45	3.17	2.92	2.71	2.53	2.38
2,000	10.0	8.00	6.67	5.71	5.00	4.44	4.00	3.64	3.33	3.08	2.86	2.67	2.50
2,100	10.5	8.40	7.00	6.00	5.25	4.67	4.20	3.82	3.50	3.23	3.00	2.80	2.63
2,200	11.0	8.80	7.33	6.29	5.50	4.89	4.40	4.00	3.67	3.38	3.14	2.93	2.75
2,300	11.5	9.20	7.67	6.57	5.75	5.11	4.60	4.18	3.83	3.54	3.29	3.07	2.88
2,400	12.0	9.60	8.00	6.86	6.00	5.33	4.80	4.36	4.00	3.69	3.43	3.20	3.00
2,500	12.5	10.0	8.33	7.14	6.25	5.55	5.00	4.54	4.17	3.85	3.57	3.33	3.13
2,600	13.0	10.4	8.67	7.43	6.50	5.78	5.20	4.73	4.33	4.00	3.71	3.47	3.25
2,700	13.5	10.8	9.00	7.71	6.75	6.00	5.40	4.91	4.50	4.15	3.86	3.60	3.38
2,800	14.0	11.2	9.33	8.00	7.00	6.22	5.60	5.09	4.67	4.31	4.00	3.73	3.50
2,900	14.5	11.6	9.67	8.29	7.25	6.44	5.80	5.27	4.83	4.46	4.14	3.87	3.63
3,000	15.0	12.0	10.0	8.57	7.50	6.67	6.00	5.45	5.00	4.62	4.29	4.00	3.75
3,100	15.5	12.4	10.3	8.86	7.75	6.89	6.20	5.64	5.17	4.77	4.43	4.13	3.88
3,200	16.0	12.8	10.7	9.14	8.00	7.11	6.40	5.81	5.33	4.92	4.57	4.27	4.00

Race car design resources

Aerodine Composites Group
http://www.aerodinecomposites.com/

Aerotech Engineering, Ltd. — computational fluid dynamics analysis consultants dealing with race car aerodynamics
http://www.aerotecheng.com/

Alpine CNC — product design, injection molds, and CNC machining for race car parts
http://www.alpinecnc.com/

The Auto Research Center — aerodynamic testing in Indianapolis
http://www.arcindy.com/

Automotive Testing Expo
http://www.testing-expo.com/

Delphion Intellectual Property Network — search and research patent information
http://www.delphion.com/

Desktop Factory — three-dimensional printers
http://www.desktopfactory.com/

Experi-Metal, Inc. — Prototype stamping
http://www.experi-metal.com/

Great Lakes Waterjet, Inc. — custom parts made to order
http://www.greatlakeswaterjetinc.com/

How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Inside Racing Technology
http://www.insideracingtechnology.com/

Steve Lisa — Patent attorney specializing in motorsports
http://www.patentit.com/

MachineArt Industrial Design — product design and prototypes
http://www.machineart.com/

Metals Pro America, Inc. — automotive castings and forgings
http://www.metalsproamerica.com/

MIRA — automotive engineering and testing
http://www.mira.co.uk/

NASA's Numerical Aerospace Simulation Facility
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/

NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program — lots of engineering information
http://stipo.larc.nasa.gov/

Professional Motorsport World Expo
http://www.professionalmotorsport-expo.com/

Racecar Engineering Magazine
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/

Paul Van Valkenburgh — author of books for race car designers
http://www.pvanvalkenburgh.com/

UK Racing Castings — Aluminum and magnesium sand castings made to order
http://www.uk-racing-castings.co.uk/

United States Patent and Trademark Office
http://www.uspto.gov/

Race car design software

2020 Software Solutions, Inc. — tube bending software
http://www.2020softwaresolutions.com/

Advantage Motorsports — racing data acquisition systems
http://www.advantagemotorsports.com/

AstraTech Racing Technology — lap timing and data logging software
http://www.astratech.co.uk/

Audie Technology, Inc. — racing engine design and analysis software
http://www.audietech.com/

Automotive Metrics — lap timing and scoring, and data acquisition software
http://www.a-metrics.com/

AutoWare, Inc. — chassis and engine software
http://www.auto-ware.com/

AutoWare Technologies, LLC — software for wheel and tire customers
http://www.autowaretech.com/

Jerry Bickel Race Cars — Chassis Wizard drag racing chassis design software
http://www.jerrybickel.com/

Chassis R&D — chassis design software
http://www.racingsoftware.com/

Crew Chief Drag Racing Software — of interest to those condemned to bracket racing
http://www.crew-chief.com/

Davis Technologies — electronic traction control systems
http://www.moretraction.com/

Direct Motion — CNC porting software
http://www.directmotion.com/

Engine Pro Software Enterprises
http://www.engineprosoft.com/

ETC Racing Programs
http://www.etcracingprograms.com/

Kinetic Racing Technologies
http://www.kineticracing.com/

Land & Sea, Inc. — data acquisition
http://www.land-and-sea.com/

Mastercam — CAD-CAM software
http://www.mastercam.com/

MorTec, Inc. — "Engine Math For The Rest Of Us" software
http://www.mortec.com/

MoTec Engine Management Systems USA
http://www.motec.com/

MPC — Multi Path Communications
http://www.m-p-c.com/

Osterio Motorsport Software
http://www.omsracing.com/

Performance Simulations — computer software for racers
http://www.performancesimulations.com/

Performance Trends — computer software for racers
http://www.performancetrends.com/

Racelogic
http://www.racelogic.co.uk/

Racepak Data Systems — racing data acquisition systems
http://www.racepak.com/

Rapid Line Industries, Inc.
http://www.rapidline.com/

Reher-Morrison Racing Engines — computer software for engine builders
http://www.rehermorrison.com/

Related associations

ALMMC — Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites Consortium
http://www.almmc.com/

FIA — Forging Industry Association
http://www.forging.org/

ISA — International Magnesium Association
http://www.intlmag.org/

MSA — Metalshapers Association
http://www.allshops.org/

NCMS — National Center for Manufacturing Sciences
http://www.ncms.org/

SAE — Society of Automotive Engineers
http://www.sae.org/

SAE Motorsports — a good source for interesting books
http://motorsports.sae.org/

SEMA — Specialty Equipment Market Association
http://www.sema.org/

SFI Foundation, Inc.
http://www.sfifoundation.com/

SME — Society of Manufacturing Engineers
http://www.sme.org/

Snell Memorial Foundation
http://www.smf.org/

Stainless Steel Industry of North America
http://www.ssina.com/

USCAR — United States Council for Automotive Research
http://www.uscar.org/

Technical training

Abaris Training — advanced composite hands-on training
http://www.abaris.com/

Ron Covell Creative Metalworking — metalshaping videos
http://www.covell.biz/

Ron Covell Metalshaping Workshops
http://www.metalshapers.org/events.html

Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School — Dragsters, Funny Cars, and Pro Stock bikes
http://www.frankhawley.com/

Hedgecock Racing Academy — NASCAR fabrication school in NC
http://www.hedgecockracing.com/

Race Tech Chassis School — at Jerry Bickel Race Cars
http://www.jerrybickel.com/

Reher-Morrison Racing Engine School — Chevy and Ford classes
http://www.rehermorrison.com/

Russell Racing School
http://www.jimrussellusa.com/

School of Automotive Machinists — Learn drag racing engine building
http://www.samracing.com/

"The Swedes" Metal Fabrication Workshop
http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/

VIPER - Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research
http://www.viperservice.com/

Wind tunnels

A2 Wind Tunnel — in Mooresville, North Carolina
http://www.a2wt.com/

AeroDyn Wind Tunnel — in Mooresville, North Carolina
http://www.aerodynwindtunnel.com/

Institute for Aerospace Research — in Ottawa, Ontario
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/facilities/iar/aerodynamics-lab.html

Langley Full-Scale Tunnel — at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
http://www.lfst.com/

National Institute for Aviation Research — in Wichita, Kansas
http://www.aero-labs.org/

Oran W. Nicks Low Speed Wind Tunnel — in College Station, Texas
http://lswt.tamu.edu/

Wind Tunnel eXtreme — near Charlotte, North Carolina
http://www.windtunnelextreme.com/

Windshear, Inc. — in Concord, North Carolina
http://www.windshearinc.com/