David Mazer

Motorsports Related Projects and Experience

Throughout my four years as an undergraduate engineer, I have been tenacious in my pursuit of knowledge and experience in the motorsports industry.  Working in university research labs, solving industry-related problems through internships, and contributing to the evolution of the Rutgers University FSAE racecar design have all given me a broad range of positive experiences that have benefited my growth and fueled my desire to find my particular niche in this industry.

When the opportunity arose to do research with Professor Pelegri of the Advanced Material Structures Laboratory at Rutgers University, I eagerly took it in order to learn about the manufacturing of pre-impregnated composite materials. These materials play a crucial role in many high performance applications, including motorsports and aerospace.  The most noteworthy project that I have carried out for the professor to date has been the automation of our in-house autoclave for curing composite samples used for the research of fracture mechanics.  I started with a 36" length of 12" diameter steel pipe that had been assembled and tested by a small group of students for their senior design project.  After some planning, I assembled the necessary mechanical and electrical components that would be needed to make the system computer controlled.  Using National Instruments LabView software I was able to program an algorithm that would carry the sample through its curing process without needing any human interaction, aside from starting the process and sample removal.

This is a picture of the autoclave we use to cure many of the pre-preg test samples.

As we cured our first few samples, we found that our system could be improved in many ways to yield higher quality test samples.  While experimenting with various manufacturing procedures for composites, I gained great respect for the importance of sample packaging in dictating specimen quality.  Using various bagging techniques and materials, we experimented until we were able to produce a specimen that showed acceptable performance in typical fracture tests.  Many tests were run to confirm the consistency in the material properties of our samples.

My involvement with this project served to improve my understanding of manufacturing and fracture analysis of pre-preg composite materials.  Throughout both my research and schoolwork I have been directly exposed to component design and performance analysis of composite materials.  This has given me a real appreciation for the roles that these materials fill in motorsport today, as well as what we can expect from them in the future.

This picture shows some of our samples ready to be taken out of the autoclave.  Notice the four heating elements that are used to regulate the temperature during the curing cycle.  The vacuum is pulled through this high temperature stainless steal sheathed hose which has a quick disconnect for easy removal.

To get a better idea of the types of roles that an engineer might play in motorsports, I worked full time as an engineering intern for Tex Racing Enterprises in North Carolina, a company that supplies transmissions and differentials, among other racing components and subsystems, to stock car and Trans-Am racing teams.  I performed many job functions in this environment and transcended many boundaries of my job description as a typical intern.  While learning the basics of the motorsports component supply market from rendering transmission components in CAD, delivering parts to various stock car teams, and solving technical problems with engineers from other motorsports suppliers, I was participating in product development activities and heading the initial design process for two priority projects.  The purpose of my research was to test the performance of various product components that were reported to have failed under racing conditions in order to determine future component packages that would eliminate these problems.  The two main issues that I dealt with were transmission bellhousing deflection and pinion-bearing deflection in a Ford nine-inch Winston Cup differential.

This is a picture illustrating the Bellhousing deflection test setup.  A hydraulic jack was used to load the system, while applied load was measured with one REBCO setup scale.

The first test I performed was to measure bellhousing deflection at specified loading conditions.  The purpose of this experiment was to simulate the worst-case scenario of engine and transmission mounting seen in stock car racing and, given these operating conditions, determine the bellhousing that yields the best performance.  Many teams were supporting their engine from the front bulkhead and supporting their transmission from the back of the tailhousing, creating a severe bending moment on the bellhousing connecting the two. This scenario resulted in stresses in the internal components of the engine and transmission which lead directly to powertrain failure.  My job was to design a testing rig that would properly simulate this loading scenario, test the system, and evaluate the results.  To solve this problem, I bolted a bare aluminum V8 engine block to a large and well supported I-beam, mounted the bellhousing with transmission casing to the block, and stressed the system to an estimated maximum load condition.  Performance was measured with dial indicators placed on the tailhousing of the transmission and one on the engine block to ensure that our base was fully constrained.  Being that weight is a critical issue to many racers, I also put each bellhousing on a scale.  A total of six housings from various manufacturers were tested and compared.  The results of which were formally presented to QuarterMaster, who requested the test.

Another problem that arose was the interaction between the ring gear and the pinion gear in the Winston cup differential package sold by Tex Racing.  The failure with the differential gear was speculated to be due to pinion-bearing deflection.  This was causing certain ratios of ring and pinion gears to separate and contact at the tips of the gear teeth, eventually shearing the teeth off of the ring gear!  In order to better understand if this was the real problem, I was asked to devise a strategy for testing a series of pinion retainers and bearing packages in the various configurations used by the different teams.  After reviewing bearing test evaluations performed by the Timken Bearing Company, as

These pictures show either side of my steel testing jig.  The picture on the left roughly shows how the dial indicators were positioned in order to measure both bearing deflection and pinion retainer housing movement within the fixture.  The picture on the left illustrates how part of the pinion was ground down to create a loading surface for our hydraulic jack.  A dial indicator was also placed on this end of the pinion.

well as communicating with their design engineers, I designed a testing rig that would accommodate each of the five combinations of components.  The same jig and pinion gear were used in all experiments to ensure consistency.  In order to safely load the end of the pinion I ground a flat surface on the gear section of the shaft.  Applying load with a hydraulic press we stressed the system up to the maximum loading condition while measuring displacement at different points along the pinion shaft with dial indicators.  One dial indicator was placed on the retainer housing to ensure that it was fully constrained by the jig.  Measurements were taken and performances of the various packages were graphed for comparison.  After the best package was selected, Tex Racing was prepared to suggest a solution to its customers if the original problem recurred.

As previously mentioned, I was also involved with some important design projects while I was working with Tex Racing Enterprises.  The first was a shifter mechanism for their new prototype transmission.  While I am not at liberty to speak much about this new transmission because its specifics are confidential, I am confident that my contribution to the shifter mechanism design will effect the final product in one form or another.  The other design project in which I participated was a compilation of efforts of Tex Racing Enterprises, its parent company, Hawk Performance Industries, and Brembo to design a brake bedding-in dynamometer to bed-in rotors and pads for various racing applications.  My involvement began while the project was still in its infancy, and quickly expanded once I joined the team.  My primary job was to calculate and assemble the inertia wheels required to accurately simulate the braking conditions seen by front and rear wheels of the various racecars in question.  Being a joint project, Tex Racing chose me to represent their company to their partners.  This entailed detailed communication between engineers and project managers from the various parties and myself in order to accomplish our goal.  This was a very enjoyable project to be involved with because I was able to learn not only about engineering such a system, but what it means to be a contributing part of a corporate team.  Unfortunately it was time to return to school just as we were beginning to assemble the components for the first test.  I have chosen not to include pictures of these projects here in order to prevent false representation of the final products or to expose information that may be confidential and not mine to share.

While there were many lessons learned during my time with Tex Racing, the most important was my exposure to engineering in the motorsports supply industry.  From research and development, to product engineering, to product manufacturing, to product delivery, I received an excellent introduction to what it means to work in these areas.  Each experiment that was performed required me to fabricate testing rigs, calibrate measuring tools, perform actual testing procedures, carry out data analysis, and present the results. Learning the importance of proper powertrain mounting and alignment, bearing selection, bearing loading conditions in a differential, the design parameters and simulation of braking conditions on a single caliper, rotor, and brake pad, in addition to the design requirements of an inertia dynamometer all illustrate the value of my time with Tex Racing.  It is worth noticing that none of these projects would have been as productive if I had had no prior involvement with the FSAE program at my undergraduate university.

Contributing to the evolution of the Rutgers University FSAE racecar for the past four years has exposed me to many aspects of motorsport engineering and afforded me an opportunity to build skills that will enable my success in racing throughout the rest of my life.  Playing roles such as Chief Design Engineer, Engine Team Leader, Vice President, Primary Competition Driver, Test Pilot, and Team Welder, has allowed me to deal with many issues that are a reality in professional motorsport, such as:  component design and optimization, manufacturability, driver safety, logistics, management, and sponsorship issues.  The "FSAE experience" was a thorough lesson in designing a car to a particular formula: following the rules as closely as necessary to be legal, looking for an advantage over the competition wherever it may be found, achieving optimal performance characteristics of our components by designing them specifically for the application, making safety a priority, and always keeping within our budget.

A beautiful picture of the 2002 Rutgers University prototype at the International Formula SAE Competition in Detroit, Michigan.

Working in many different capacities of the Rutgers Formula SAE Team I was given the opportunity to learn more about each of the vehicle subsystems both directly and indirectly.  Being part of this team allowed me to go beyond some of the limitations that might have normally been present in a job with a professional organization.  Based on my experience with different roles within the team, I was able to offer a lot of input to the other vehicle-subsystem groups.  In addition to the technical side of motorsports engineering, as the Chief Engineer and Project Manager I was also involved with the logistical aspects of running a race team.  Organizing, scheduling, meeting deadlines, developing sponsorship pamphlets, delivering presentations to potential sponsors, and working with limited budgets and resources were all the reality of a successful FSAE team, as they are in professional motorsports today.

Being most directly involved with powertrain design for the Rutgers Formula SAE entry has helped me to focus the majority of my projects in this area.  This extensive involvement has provided me with solid knowledge of and experience with dynamometer testing and tuning procedures, engine component design, flow dynamics, and geometrical effects on flow performance.  Just a few of the projects with which I was involved were: a variable intake runner system, design and fabrication of a barrel, butterfly, and slide throttle body, intake, exhaust, coolant, and fuel system design, as well as engine mapping.  As the Engine Team Leader I was in charge of managing the engine group, ranging in any one year from five to fifteen members, in order to accomplish the design goals that I set.  The purpose of my engine design has always been to maximize drivability and net engine output over the largest rpm range.  Last year my engine design won the DynoJet Award for "Highest Naturally Aspirated Horsepower" of the 130+ teams present at the International Formula SAE Competition; just two horsepower fewer than the forced induction entry.  Due to the engine's smooth and predictable power curve, the Rutgers Team was able to finish 13th in the endurance event out of the teams that competed.

As part of the engine design I fabricate an intake plenum and venturi out of carbon fibre and two part structural epoxy.  The picture on the left shows the vacuum bagging process in action, while the picture on the right shows the final product on the car.  Since many of our intake systems are prototypes, I typically use disposable molds.  I am presently examining permanent mold options so that I can achieve a more reproducible and smooth finish, eliminating the hours of sanding.

The stock fuel delivery system used on this engine is converted from carburetion to fuel injection allowing for improved tuning for power throughout the rpm band as well as better cold start control and transient fuel delivery.  The injectors are fed 100 octane-unleaded fuel through a custom made stainless steel, high pressure rail.  A Mallory adjustable fuel pressure regulator allows me to set the desired fuel rail pressure.

Here we are on the water-brake dyno.  That's me in front.  Note that the concrete bricks with duct tape around them were a quick remedy to a resonance problem we were having while mapping our engine at 16,000 rpm.  It may not be the ideal setup, but good enough for highest HP.  It's a little cramped in there, but we make the best of it.

As the Team Welder for two years in a row, I gained experience welding many types of materials for all types of applications.  This is a picture of me TIG welding temporary half-shafts for testing while our competition half-shafts were being heat-treated.

At present, I continue to explore my interest in motorsports and related topics with my present research.  Recently, I have been researching the use of composite tubes to assist in energy absorption during road vehicle crash scenarios.  In doing so, I am helping Dr. Pelegri and her team of research students to assemble a proposal to get support for this research from the Ford Motor Company.  Concurrently, I am manufacturing many of the sub-systems that I plan to use on the 2003 Rutgers Formula SAE entry.  These include: a tuned network of intake runners and plenum, computer modeled engine simulation using Virtual 4-Stroke, custom 4-1 exhaust system, a less expensive and more easily manufactured fuel-injection system utilizing off-the-shelf Ford Injectors, and improved cooling through heat exchanger ducting.  Our 2003 entry should be ready for testing by the end of March.

As I approach graduation, my enthusiasm to continue my motorsport education grows exponentially.  I eagerly await the stimulating motorsports related projects that I can contribute to as an engineer for a prominent automotive company.  Being among the ranks of the great automotive engineers of today I feel that I will be in the best position to pursue a successful and rewarding career in the motorsports industry.