There are many different paths for getting an education in motorsports that will eventually lead you to a career in racing: motorsports engineering is one of them. In fact, if you are looking to get into the technical, racing side of the sport, motorsports engineering is one of the best tickets into a professional motorsports operation.
A motorsports engineering program will combine all of the training that an engineer would get, from physics and mathematics to economics and business, with specialized education and research that applies directly to the motorsports world. All of these principles can lead to jobs outside of auto racing, so don’t be afraid that you’ll be limited to one field if you choose a motorsports engineering degree: with the heavy emphasis on mechanical engineering, the automotive manufacturing and motorcycle technology fields are directly applicable, along with countless other non-automotive careers.
In a motorsports engineering program, you’ll take courses that directly relate to auto racing, like: race vehicle dynamics, race car design and development, NASCAR engines, vehicle aerodynamics, tire mechanics, race car simulation, materials science, data acquisition and analysis, and many more.
Anyone in a racing engineering program will also be exposed to laboratory experiences, which will teach students how to create an experiment, gather data and analyze it, and directly apply it to motorsports subjects. Most programs have a speaker series, where you’ll learn practical knowledge from industry professionals.
And, most importantly, the majority of programs require participation on a school race team, where you’ll apply your knowledge directly to an actual race car.
Schools that offer motorsports engineering degrees include UNC Charlotte, Old Dominion University, and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. If you’re interested in learning more about motorsports engineering and motorsports education, check out: Engineer To Win (part of the Motorbooks Workshop) or Formula 1 Technology.
