Junior Pride Paper
Junior Pride Paper
Junior Pride Paper
Nick Schrader
Alburger
English III
Motorsports have brought about a culture that has survived over the last century. The
automobile, (including all motor vehicles in general) makes one of the most diverse topics to
date. It also has one of the richest histories of any profession. Many countries, people, teams, and
manufactures have taken part in the auto-performance industry, involving professions such as
body or chassis design, engine performance, road going conversions of track vehicles, coach
Popularity of these certain communities depends on different regions of the world. For
instance, Italy has an interest in restorations, coachbuilding, and track based vehicles. Examples
could include companies like Carrozzeria Touring (coach building) as well as Pagani and Ferrari
with their factory track vehicles. Japan has an interest in engine performance and street
performance. Though many Japanese based performance companies will not explicitly say that
they endorse street racing, though, a good deal of parts end up there.
Plentiful resources make it relatively easy to start business. No real education criteria
exists when it comes to starting and owning a business (“Education Requirements for
Business”), but some knowledge in business administration will come in handy. One resource in
particular will ensure success: knowledge in a specific field of expertise. For something such as
automotive performance, (particularly the design and efficiency portion), an engineering degree
Schools with Degree Program Overviews”) Most colleges provide an engineering program of
some sort. This can vary from computer engineering to mechanical engineering and beyond. Of
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course, any STEM program in high school will make a good start. (Redkar, Sangram, "Teaching
Schools such as Universal Technical Institute and the California Institute of Technology
make perfect examples of specialized education establishments. However, any regular college
with a program for engineering will do. Education in this sort of field will include a large lump
sum of math and hands on training with vehicle internals or computers. Computer engineering
plays a critical role in working with the code in an ECU (Engine Control Unit). The ECU and
main computer contain scripts for regulating the engine for maximum efficiency as well as
infotainment system data in more recent cars. An education in system development and or
Computer Engineer”) If marketing or sales is one’s forte, a master’s degree in any form of
Vehicles being modified in the United States are generally muscle cars, cult classics
(whose styles and designs differ depending on intended market), or trucks. The history of
performance mods in the United States goes back to the 1910s, when it was no more than a
hobby for aristocrats or wealthy thrill-seekers. It was not until the roaring 20’s when racing and
bootleggers would modify their automobiles with whatever parts they could use. These
rum-runners would swap out their engine with larger engines (Examples include anything such
as truck engines or even a marine [boat] engine), swap out carburetors, tighten up their
They would make their cars fast enough to outrun police vehicles from that same time to
deliver their “goods.” During their pastime, these bootleggers would meet up at some dirt road or
city street and race each other to see who had the fastest vehicle. In certain instances, the
bootleggers would see who could outrun the police in the least amount of time. Eventually in
1947, a racing organization put together a formal race event. Inspired by the stock vehicle races
of decades before, this race would involve completely stock vehicles racing around a dirt track,
(later asphalt), for a predetermined amount of time or laps. Not only was this the the precursor to
NASCAR (Fieldman, “Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing”), but also the birth of street racing
By the time the 50’s had come around, a new form of tuning/racing had formed: drag
racing. This race involved two cars, (most commonly hot rods or muscle cars), who raced each
other in a straight line. More often than not, this race takes place in a quarter mile. The racer with
the lowest time would win the race. This race type was more focused on straight line speed than
cornering speed. Its affordability and accessibility made it a favorite amongst the younger
demographic. It also became a favorite amongst street racers who raced between lights.
In Europe, their first real experience with motor racing started in 1895 with the then
unofficial Grand Prix. (Paolozzi, Rémi, “1895 Grand Prix and Paris Races.”) The race began
as more of a street race than an organized sport. This sport would later be founded by the club
Automobile Club de France, (meaning Auto Club of France), and started with cars that could go
no faster than 30 mph. The course took a path from Paris to Madrid, which looked impossible for
the day. This race in particular claimed the lives of both the racers and pedestrians alike. To
avoid any further casualties, the next Grand Prix proceeded in a closed circuit with barriers to
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protect spectators. Later on, the Tour de France was made for anyone who had a car and was
crazy enough to take it across France. Competitors who met the criteria could enter the race and
take a long, demanding, and potentially dangerous trip. In the twentieth century, (specifically
1903), the first official Grand Prix took place in Le Mans France.
Manufacturers soon wanted in on the Grand Prix to boost sales and assert their
engineering dominance. In its early years, the cars involved were almost entirely custom from
the ground up. (Usually having tell tale signs of a production vehicle underneath) (Coachbuilt
Org., “Encyclopedia”) Later into the mid twentieth century, these cars had to contain an engine
used in a production vehicle. Another set of regulations required that cars have smaller engines
installed in the cars. This resulted from the increasing strictness towards emissions and fossil fuel
vehicles. A single turbo was added to compensate for lost displacement, torque, and horsepower.
These motorsports of yesteryear laid the groundwork more modern forms of racing. The
sport, over the decades has become more accessible to the general public. Anyone and their
brother can go to a weekend track event. These events encourage the participants to work on
their car and fine tune it to get the most out of it by doing so. Similar meetups of this sort sell
aftermarket parts right at the show or event. The family van can be off limits as an option. With
that in mind, getting a beater and turning it into a track car would make sense to do. (Cline,
Kristin. “Getting A Start in Racing”) This will engage the owners as mechanics and improve
their driving skills. It allows them to know their car and create an enjoyable, comfortable, but
If one does not see it desirable to get their hands dirty, they can take their car to a
specialized company to have their vehicle tuned or modified. For instance, the company Alpina
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is a company that specifically modify BMWs with a luxury or performance package or give an
entirely new appearance. (Coachbuilt Org., “Encyclopedia”) On the other end, those who are on
a budget can go to King Motorsports to give their family sedan a few hundred more horsepower.
many), (Fielden, Greg. “Nascar: a Fast History”), a large selection of modification companies
complexes, race and track car companies make their home in this particular state. Establishments
such as race tracks attract petrolheads for track days, (particularly drag strips). Every other
weekend a ‘Cars and Coffee’ or owner’s club meetup takes place. With such an enthusiast based
demographic in the state, finding a place to test a car’s limits will take no effort.
“Starting a business in this field is not for the faint of heart, or for that matter, is any
business.” (Thad, Hyperfast Cars) Buying an establishment will cost a pretty penny. On top of
that, one has to get the proper resources and tools to create their product(s). This could include
anything such as regular tools like wrenches or screwdrivers. This also includes the larger items
such as lifts to work under the car, (or lower the engine out of the car if required). This may end
up even more pricey if a business decides to create products from less common, more exclusive,
or harder to produce materials, such as carbon fibre. Next comes the labor. They will cost money
as well. These new employees should have experience in your required expertise to ensure that
the job will get done. Though maybe not as much as some of the other equipment required for a
business, such as the building that houses it. Finally, a business may consider marketing their
product or service. The use of social media makes this relatively cost free. If a business wants to
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hunt for more exposure, they could build a website and run ads, get a partnership with a network
‘normal one’. Every day offers something new to work on, and, inevitably, something to go
wrong. If the business in question is of a larger scale, they will experience more of this.
Businesses in this class would involve anything from Saleen to Roush to GMP. When talking
about a smaller business, there lies the potential of getting repeat customers. The business can
establish a relationship with the customer, leading them to spend even more money at the
establishment and recommending others to it. This, in theory, will lead to growth.
This does not necessarily mean that they make their products in house. In many cases, companies
do not have the machinery to create a certain product or find it cheaper to outsource than make it
themselves. If a part that needs to be carved from titanium, more often than not, a small business
would not have items and equipment to produce said part. Rather, another company with
Carbon fiber continues this same narrative. For those who do not know, a considerable
amount of carbon fiber comes from China. They have the materials and the equipment to create a
desired shape. This means that those million dollar hypercars you see with carbon fiber
everywhere had their carbon fiber outsourced from Chinese manufacturers. Though, this does not
necessarily mean that manufacturers are cutting costs. Even with China’s notorious for its
sub-par products, carbon fiber has a different story to tell. Not all carbon fiber have the same
strength or properties. Different grades use a “K” system to define the strength, bundle, and
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weave. This K-grade refers to the thousands of fibers bundled in the weave of carbon fiber. For
example 1K carbon fiber classifies as a lower grade carbon fiber than 50K. (Calfee Design Org.,
“Grades of Carbon Fiber.”) Carbon fibre also uses a modulus of elasticity scale. Some parts of
a car require more flexible parts than others. For instance, if a racing vehicle requires a roll cage,
it must be stiff enough to withstand multiple rollovers at high speeds, (without shattering), to
ensure the driver’s safety. On the other hand, active aero may need to have some flexibility as a
Scripting knowledge massively reduces the difficult of working with the ECU (Engine
Control Unit) and the moving parts of a car. Modifying the ECU requires knowledge in C
language, as well as other programming languages based on the region where the car was built
along with the year of the car. (Computer Engineering Education) When giving a car more
power, most people would enjoy having high horsepower in an easy to use package. In a
road-going racer, this serves as the main purpose of the ECU. In more common daily drivers, this
serves as the diagnostics software for when issues come up with the engine internals. However,
these are not the only functions the ECU. It also contains the scripts for moving parts in higher
end cars. This can involve something such as air suspension settings, moving active aero bits,
For the design portion of automotive modification, an art major will set the path for
success. A good deal of successful designers have come from Japan, Sweden, Italy, and the
United States. In particular, they come from California. The Art Center College of Design in
Pasadena, California exhibits the artistic brilliance of its students. (Hull, Nick. "How To Become
A Car Designer.") One thing that most people tend to misconceive is the fact that engineering
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knowhow does not give an advantage over other designers. As a matter of fact, the most
successful transportation designers have very limited application of engineering in their work. Of
course, a few exceptions do exist. One of these exceptions includes Horacio Pagani who uses his
engineering genius and design tactics to create some of the most beautiful and exclusive cars on
the market. Along with Pagani, Christian Von Koenigsegg makes groundbreaking design and
innovative technology. With his engineering knowhow and artistic design, he has implemented
his new technology in a sleek, modern, and relatively easy to use package.
The desire to push the boundaries and go faster make up the driving force to make the
performance and luxury vehicles that occupy today’s market. Over the past century, motorsport
and automotive performance modification have coexisted to create some of the world’s most
luxurious and advanced vehicles of today’s generation. The different philosophies of different
companies keep the automotive community diverse and interesting. Some like to keep traditions
and go with an exotic grand tourer, some enjoy lots of straight line power and go for a drag car,
some like light, agile hatchbacks, some may feel that the street does not give them enough
freedom for speed and get or build a track car. On the more technological side, some people
would prefer an ultra-refined flagship while others want to go full electric with a Tesla Model S
or a BMW I8. The community has something to offer for basically anyone.
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Works Cited
study.com/automotive_engineering_schools.html.
study.com/what_education_is_required_of_a_computer_engineer.html.
Redkar, Sangram. "Teaching Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Using a Project Based Learning
(PBL) Approach." Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, vol. 13, no. 3, 01
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,custuid&custid=s8455861&d
b=eric&AN=EJ988058&site=ehost-live&scope=site
www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/upto1903/1895.html.
Freedman, Lew. Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing. Edited by Peter Colenblock and Greg
Fielden, 1997.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ptUdKva14Xu5dnRdr2Bz_gZ5PuydBEb0/view?usp=sharing
Hull, Nick. "How To Become A Car Designer." Card-Design-News. Ultima Media, 25 Sept.
<http://cardesignnews.com/articles/resources/2006/09/starting-out-how-to-become-a-car-designe
r>.
www.thewca.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Grades-of-carbon-fibre.pdf.