Overview

Organizers:
Frank Bohanan - GreenSpeed/SEMA
Paul Haney - InfoTire
Wiley McCoy - McLaren Performance Technologies
William Mitchell - William C. Mitchell Software

This symposium will feature industry and sanctioning body leaders participating in panel discussions and technical presentations discussing the latest technologies and how they are used; how the rules are written and interpreted; and what the future holds for technology. You will hear about the Change for Relevance and how technology and engineering are affecting the future of Motorsports. How Engine Management Systems are used and take part in the debate on EFI vs. Carburetion. You will also hear from the sanctioning organizations on their stance on use of technology and how and why the rules are written to enhance the competition and the entertainment of the sport. You will also get to voice your opinion on what the future should hold with regard to the use of technology in racing. You will get an in depth presentation on how tires work and how to get the most out of them. And finally you will learn the details of vehicle dynamics and chassis tuning.

Attending this symposium will provide attendees with:

• Latest developments in Engine Management systems
• Understanding the use of technology in Motorsports
• How tires work and their effect on the chassis set up
• Interpretation of the rules by sanctioning organizations as they apply to technology
• How industry leaders are using technology to gain on the track
• An opportunity to hear how business leaders view the future of technology
• An opportunity to interact with industry leaders in networking events
• Participation in valuable panel discussions with industry and sanctioning organization leaders

Business Panel

Change for Relevance
Striking a Balance with Technological Innovation
Moderator: Frank Bohanan, GreenSpeed/SEMA
A panel of forward-looking industry leaders will examine the impact of technological advances on the future of the grass roots racing industry. The world of grass roots racing is not immune to the challenges of cost containment, safety and competition presented by technological innovation. How is the business responding to technology in order to provide racers, sponsors, track owners and spectators with competitive and affordable racing?

What is the value-added to the cost and complexity of technology? Will better, cheaper GPS-based data acquisition improve safety and reduce cost? What is the next "big hat" technology that will significantly alter the next generation of racing? How is technology changing the face of competition today? These industry leaders will discuss the cause and effects of the technological changes facing racing today and the mounting pressure to remain relevant to all stakeholders. On the panel:

• Bob DeFazio, vice president and Chief Operating Officer, Irwindale Speedway)
• Tim Suddard, publisher Grassroots Motorsports

Engine Management in Motorsports: Electronic Versus Mechanical Engine Management Systems
This session is a two part discussion on the technology, the applications, and the regulations and rules associated with Electronic versus Mechanical Engine Management systems. The use of "technology" in Motorsports is often debated by the teams, engineers, suppliers, and the sanctioning organizations. This session will address: how these systems operate; current state of the art; the latest advancements in design, engineering, and integration; implementation of these technologies; how to maintain cost; interpretation of the rules; and how the technology affects the entertainment value.

Part one of the discussion will be leading industry experts discussing the various systems they supply as well as the application on their racing engines. They will discuss the advanced engineering methods used to gain the optimum performance for the engine, including: modeling; calibration tools; sensor selections; data acquisition and analysis tools; and advanced algorithms. You will hear how these Industry leading engine builders and suppliers work with the teams and the sanctioning organizations to integrate these tools and techniques to create world class racing engines. In this highly competitive market, cost is always a concern and these participants will be able to explain how to make the best decisions for your needs. They will discuss the functionality of their systems and how to gain technical advantages.

Part two of the discussion will include technical representatives from various sanctioning organizations to debate their stands on the use, or limitations, of engine management systems. The discussions will include: the rules as they apply and the rationale behind their implementations; technical advantages or restrictions and how it applies to their series; off-the-shelf versus highly engineered systems and how it effects competition; and their stands on cost containment and how it effects competition and the entertainment value of their series.

This is a unique opportunity to voice your opinion and to ask experts in this field what is and can be done to compete at this level of competition.

Racecar Tires and Tuning: It's Not Voodoo!
Presenting material from seminars based on the book The Racing & High-Performance Tire, by Paul Haney.

How Tires Work and How to Get the Most from Your Tires
Paul Haney - InfoTire
Tire manufacturer - Invited

How a Car Turns a Corner: The presentation begins with an explanation of how a tire generates a lateral force with a slip angle and how that allows a vehicle to turn a corner with control at speed.

Rubber & Rubber Friction: A short history of rubber introduces some of the unique characteristics of this amazing material and how it interacts with a surface to produce friction forces. You'll learn why rubber is sensitivity to temperature, sliding speed, surface texture, and vertical loading. Discover the real reason why there's more grip off-line in the rain and how different track surfaces change during a race.

Tire Behavior: Explains how tires can be flexible but also strong and reliable. You'll learn why inflation pressure is so critically important to tire performance and reliability. See how a tire generates heat as it rolls. Learn about camber thrust, induced drag, aligning torque, and the load sensitivity of tires. Learn why radial tires work differently than bias-ply tires.

Care & Feeding of Race Tires: Field support engineers from major tire manufacturers reveal the secrets of how to get the best performance from race tires. Explains inflation pressure trade-offs. Shows how to take tire temperatures and describes scrubbing, blistering, and graining.

Using the Tires to Tune the Car
Paul Haney - InfoTire
Jeff Ryan, VP and Technical Director of Penske Racing Shocks

Basic Vehicle Dynamics: Presents an understandable explanation of the physics of a car in a corner, describes lateral and longitudinal weight transfer, and shows how car handling is influenced by springs, shocks, and anti-roll bars. See the importance of the friction circle, and the load sensitivity of tires.

Balance and Control: Explains how the load sensitivity of tires dominates chassis tuning and determines the effect of spring and bar choices. Describes understeer and oversteer and shows how drivers maintain control at the limit. Learn the importance of wedge and how both anti-roll bars and dampers produce wedge effects that help balance a car and generate grip. See why the front anti-roll bar is the most important suspension component on a high-powered, rear-wheel-drive car.

What the Shocks Do: See how shocks control wheel movements, chassis behavior, and driver feel. Jeff Ryan, VP and Technical Director at Penske Racing Shocks shares his knowledge of shock tuning.