Racing Jobs – NASCAR PR is Hiring!

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Despite rumors of a massive layoff at NASCAR’s media group this week, the racing organization is continuing to hire – probably to get new blood into the organization and save some capital at the same time. This time, it’s the Daytona office that’s offering a career in racing with the posting below.

As we always note, even if you’re still a student getting your motorsports education it’s helpful to look at job requirements for positions that you might want in the future so you can align your goals with what hiring managers will look for.

Good luck! To apply, click on the link below:

NASCAR is searching for a talented professional to join our team in the position of Manager, Competition Communications. Based at our premier new headquarters in Daytona Beach, the Manager, Competition Communications will be responsible for supporting the strategic development and execution of communications and media relations plans centered on NASCAR Competition. We are looking for a versatile Communications executive capable of pitching and securing coverage on NASCAR in non-traditional outlets (lifestyle, business, technology, etc.).

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Foster media relationships with key outlets beyond the normal scope for NASCAR; pitch and place stories with these outlets.
  • Develop storyline ideas, mine for stories within the NASCAR industry and pursue other activities relevant to proactive media relations.
  • Integrate with key internal and external stakeholders on story development and media relations
  • Develop content calendars, research media lists, write stories and educate Integrated Marketing Communications personnel and others on Competition-related matters.
  • Host non-traditional and non-endemic media at live NASCAR events in the process of securing media coverage.
  • Support broader IMC team at key races, special events, and industry functions.
  • Track and merchandise media coverage.

Required skills/experience:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university; or 5+ years public relations, Corporate Communications, Media Relations; and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ideal candidate must have impeccable writing skills, the ability to manage multiple tasks in an extremely fast-paced environment, be extremely organized and have an eye for detail.
• 50% travel required including weekends.

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Posted in Careers in Motorsports, NASCAR

Racing Jobs – NASCAR Digital Media is Hiring!

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If you’re seeking a career in racing, NASCAR Digital Media is hiring for three different positions as of September 5, 2012. The job titles include Coordinator of Digital Operations, Coordinator of Content and Senior Coordinator of Content. Even if you’re not ready to apply to a racing job, it’s a good idea to look at job descriptions while you’re still a student to see what hiring organizations are looking for. There’s a good chance that they’ll want the same thing in the future.

The job descriptions are posted below, including links to apply to these great racing jobs!!

 

NASCAR seeks a talented professional to join our Digital Media team in the position of Coordinator, Digital Operations based in our Charlotte, NC office.

Duties include but are not limited to:
The Coordinator, Digital Operations will provide coordination and support for the NASCAR’s Digital Media Operations Department and will participate in the coordination of day-to-day technical operation of the platform (web properties and  mobile), including products, applications, live video streaming, data feeds and social media integration.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Coordinate and document software and/or application integrations and new feature requests. Assist in executing a crisis management plan for: both internal parties to follow when issues arise on the platform and any of the products; a plan for testing the products prior to its full launch; and a day-to-day technical operation plan for the overall workflow of the division.

Assist with the technical build and execution of product strategies for applications, including, telemetry, gaming and fantasy products as well as other appropriate new technologies.

Assist with the technical build and execution of content delivery strategies for live video and VOD applications, including, meta-tagging, syndication, and mobile video and data delivery as well as other appropriate new technologies.

Prepare and distribute Operations materials including meeting agendas, meeting minutes, reports, and other operational digital collateral
Maintain up-to-date department documents using department designated tools (Wiki, JIRA, etc)
Log site and/or business user issues and track bugs/defects with third party and internal development resources
Triage new tickets and service requests from business users
Assist with quality assurance testing to ensure correct online display of marketing materials and correct functionality
Assist with special project related activities as needed in a project coordinator capacity

Support will require work outside of normal business hours.  Flexible work schedules to meet role responsibilities where working weekends is expected.  It is a requirement of the role that Coordinator, Digital Operations, is willing to work weekend hours as required.
Required skills/experience:
Bachelor’s degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university and one (1) to two (2) years related experience and/or training in a digital or ecommerce environment; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers and always acts with the customer in mind.
• Reacts well under pressure and treats others with respect and consideration
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint).
• Basic understanding of Adobe CQ, Brightcove, or other Content Management Systems.

 

NASCAR seeks a talented professional to join our Digital Media team in the position of Senior Coordinator, Content based in our Charlotte, NC office.

Duties include but are not limited to:
NASCAR Senior Coordinator, Content is responsible for editing and writing editorial content on Digital platform. This position will be responsible for posting and updating content. The position requires a person who can handle multiple daily requests from internal clients and external partners and ensure content published on the Digital platform is high quality, current and creative.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Editorial Production Skills:
• Responsible for developing and creating original, creative, editorial elements, including but not limited to news stories, live products, sponsored elements, and feature packages
• Candidate must have applied knowledge of client server, web technologies and/or systems integrations
• Proficiency in content management software
• Advanced writing and editing skills for editorial and web production
• Writing and editing on deadline in the office as well as at the track

Project Management Skills:
• Coordination of delivery of editorial content for daily site operation
• Managing workflow and creating packages ahead of time to be posted as news becomes relevant
• Manage client expectations

Approximate travel 20% including weekends.  It is a requirement of the role that Senior Coordinator, Content is willing to work weekend hours as required.
Required skills/experience:
• Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from four (4) year college or university required; plus a minimum five (5) years of current digital and/or editorial production experience or experience commensurate with the above requirements.
• NASCAR seeks an experienced digital content team member that is at the forefront of the digital and mobile evolution and prepared to take NASCAR to a leadership position among all sports properties in the discipline.  The successful candidate will have a proven track record of success with live and deadline-driven content in environments.
• Experience working with sports and entertainment properties is strongly desired.  The leader in this position will be expected to stay on top of the latest trends and be both familiar and active with the digital media space and how new technologies can ensure NASCAR remains an innovator.
• The candidate must possess a passion for the interactive space and demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain productive, mutually-beneficial relationships with management, professional staff, third-party partners / vendors, celebrity talent and media of all types.  This leader will possess an entrepreneurial spirit, an aptitude for leading change in a complex environment, acumen in providing high-level digital counsel to senior management and the ability to make decisions and move to action with a hands-on approach.

NASCAR seeks a talented professional to join our Digital Media team in the position of Coordinator, Content based in our Charlotte, NC office.

Duties include but are not limited to:
NASCAR Coordinator, Content is responsible for editing and writing editorial content on Digital platform. This position will be responsible for posting and updating content. The position requires a person who can handle multiple daily requests from internal clients and external partners and ensure content published on the Digital platform is high quality, current and creative.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Editorial Production Skills:
• Responsible for developing and creating original, creative, editorial elements, including but not limited to news stories, live products, sponsored elements, and feature packages
• Candidate must have applied knowledge of client server, web technologies and/or systems integrations
• Proficiency in content management software
• Advanced writing and editing skills for editorial and web production
• Writing and editing on deadline in the office as well as at the track

Project Management Skills:
• Coordination of delivery of editorial content for daily site operation
• Managing workflow and creating packages ahead of time to be posted as news becomes relevant
• Manage client expectations

Approximate travel 20% including weekends.  It is a requirement of the role that Senior Coordinator, Content is willing to work weekend hours as required.
Required skills/experience:
• Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from four (4) year college or university required; plus a minimum three (3) years of current digital and/or editorial production experience or experience commensurate with the above requirements.
• NASCAR seeks an experienced digital content team member that is at the forefront of the digital and mobile evolution and prepared to take NASCAR to a leadership position among all sports properties in the discipline.  The successful candidate will have a proven track record of success with live and deadline-driven content in environments.
• Experience working with sports and entertainment properties is strongly desired.  The leader in this position will be expected to stay on top of the latest trends and be both familiar and active with the digital media space and how new technologies can ensure NASCAR remains an innovator.
• The candidate must possess a passion for the interactive space and demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain productive, mutually-beneficial relationships with management, professional staff, third-party partners / vendors, celebrity talent and media of all types.  This leader will possess an entrepreneurial spirit, an aptitude for leading change in a complex environment, acumen in providing high-level digital counsel to senior management and the ability to make decisions and move to action with a hands-on approach.

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Careers in Motorsports: NASCAR Job Opportunity

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These opportunities don’t always stick around for long, but looking at job listings before you’re ready to apply for jobs so that you can set yourself up for a future career in motorsports. It’s great to know what’s on your dream job’s list of requirements while you’re still a student to make sure that your dream job has responsibilities that match with what you think you’ll be doing.

Here’s a currently open racing job from NASCAR, courtesy of Teamwork Online job listings. I’ve put some notes in red throughout the listing for your reference.

Account Executive, Entertainment Marketing

NASCAR’s Entertainment Marketing division is seeking an experienced, ambitious and organized addition to our team to work on original entertainment projects and strategic marketing programs in the position of Account Executive, Entertainment Marketing in our Los Angeles, CA office. The desired candidate will be responsible for working on the development, coordination and execution of programs within NASCAR’s Entertainment Marketing division.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Participate in all phases of original project development in television, film and digital entertainment.

• Contribute to the execution of Youth focused projects. (Youth-focused projects are becoming more important to sports organizations, and that will continue to be an upward trend.)

• Develop and prioritize opportunities and trends in Youth entertainment and marketing industries. (As a young executive, knowing what’s on the horizon in terms of trends both within your industry and in other industries is extremely important. New ideas are crucial, and that’s why young blood is so important.)

• Oversee production logistics from genesis to completion, including: credentialing, on-site logistics and approvals on Entertainment Marketing projects.

• Approximate travel 15%, including some weekends.

Qualifications include the following:

Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university in Business, Marketing or Communications preferred and a minimum of 3 years related experience working in the sports, entertainment and/or consumer brand fields; must have a can do attitude and work ethic; superb written and oral communication skills; excellent organizational and time management; must have strong analytical skills and reasoning ability; must be proficient in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Outlook. (Careers in motorsports require a well-rounded motorsports student – both with great technical skills but always the ability to talk to clients and communicate messaging effectively. Taking courses that encourage these skills, even if they’re not required, can set your application out from the rest.)

 

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How Your Social Media Profile Could Make Or Break Your Next Job Opportunity

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There was a great article on Forbes.com recently about how your social media profiles can effect whether you get hired, or even get interviewed, for a new job. This is important to think about all the time if you’re seeking a racing job or any career – how will a future employer view the information that’s public; and that is everything on the internet. One thing that I like about this article is that it does NOT advise people to create two profiles – one professional and one personal – because not only is that dishonest, it’s also unreasonable to manage. Here’s the full article, taken from Forbes.com. You can read the original article here.

How Your Social Media Profile Could Make Or Break Your Next Job Opportunity

By Lisa Quast

My husband and I have trained our three daughters on the importance of posting only appropriate information on any type of social media. This includes not posting certain pictures of Saturday night’s party on Facebook and not posting or Tweeting anything when they’re angry or in a bad mood. Now, managing your social media profile has become even more important – a 2012 survey demonstrates that your social media profile could make or break your chances of being hired.

According to the 2012 annual technology market survey conducted by Eurocom Worldwide, “Almost one in five technology industry executives say that a candidate’s social media profile has caused them not to hire that person.” Previous Eurocom Worldwide surveys had found almost 40% of the survey respondents from technology companies review job candidate’s profiles on social media sites.

While we’ve all heard about the increase in companies checking the social media profiles of job candidates, this survey provides the first evidence that prospective job candidates are actually being rejected because of their profiles.

 

(Update: According to Forbes.com blog reader Jennie van Luptak, “creating dual professional/personal Facebook accounts is a serious violation of Facebook’s terms of service that could get you banned.”  If you are worried about what potential employers might see, Jennie recommends you “segment your friends using lists” because it allows you to “control who sees what – your supervisor gets to see the interesting news story you shared but not the pictures from last weekend.”)

LinkedIn: Better for job seekers than Facebook is LinkedIn because you can create a highly professional profile by using LinkedIn as an electronic résumé. This includes writing a succinct profile summary, adding your current job information, past job experience, education, skills, awards, and even obtaining testimonials from previous managers, co-workers, or direct reports. If you author a blog that relates to business or your work, be sure to include the URL information.  Then, you can encourage potential employers to review your information on LinkedIn.

With more and more companies jumping on the social media bandwagon, it only makes sense that searching social media for background information on potential job candidates will continue to grow. This will make it even more important that everyone actively manage his or her online persona.

Bottom line: Decide how you intend to use social media and to whom you will allow access (especially on Facebook).  Remember, if you want to ensure a potential employer never rejects you, make sure your online social profile depicts the type of employee a company would want to hire.

 

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Posted in Careers in Motorsports

Racing Internships – Apply Now!

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Interested in a racing internship? There are a some available for the summer and the entire-year. A racing internship is a great way to put your motorsports education to good use, and get your foot in the door for a future racing career! Currently, Texas Motor Speedway is looking for at least four interns to serve in the following capacities: Events Department, Advertising/Events, Media Relations and Speedway Children’s Charities.

Here’s the job description for the Advertising/Events position:

 

Advertising/Events Internship

As the Advertising/Events Intern with Creative Services Department at Texas Motor Speedway, you will have the opportunity to gain experience in the fields of advertising and event management in a business environment.

The internship allows students to network with people within the motorsports industry and local community while working at one of the premier racing facilities in the United States. By the end of this internship, you will have a better understanding of the process and preparation that goes into planning and working at a race facility.

The voluntary internship will last, at minimum, the length of a semester, and all interns will experience multiple events including a major race weekend. The schedule is flexible and allows the student ample time to attend classes. However, the student will be required to attend certain events. While obtaining course credit for this internship by their college is not required, it is preferred.

Qualifications:
• College level student majoring in communications, sport management, advertising, marketing, or related field
• Good organizational and communication skills
• Eager to brainstorm and bring new ideas to all projects
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to remain flexible, handling changing priorities and tight deadlines
• Must be able to work any scheduled event nights and weekends that fall during the internship.

Responsibilities: (Expanded upon during interview)
• Assist with annual media buys which includes purchasing, creative, fulfillment and payment related to radio, print, television, outdoor, online, texting and more
• Assist with maintaining the annual advertising budget
• Help develop promotional campaigns with media partners
• Create and assist with activation of events hosted by the speedway
• Conduct research from other venues, tracks and sports teams
• Assist with day to day office operations and other event related duties

To apply send cover letter, resume and application to:

Texas Motor Speedway
Attn: Ellen Stallcup
P.O. Box 500
Fort Worth, TX 76101
estallcup@texasmotorspeedway.com
 

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Posted in Careers in Motorsports, Motorsports Education, NASCAR

Racing Jobs Around the Track

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Over the next few days we’ll be posting some racing job descriptions that are open right now (you can apply for them today!) and/or are great future careers in racing that you can set your sights on. A motorsports education isn’t necessarily required for these racing jobs, but it would give you a great leg up on the competition.

NASCAR has quite a few full-time and part-time racing job openings, including racing internships. Some of the entries include:

As a Multimedia Marketing Assistant in this fast paced atmosphere, responsibilities include:
• Provide professional administrative support to the department.
• Assist the Multimedia Team with souvenir program business.
• Schedule appointments, conferences, and travel.
• Work with the Accounting Department on Accounts Receivable for the Multimedia Department.
• Maintain media and billing contracts.
• Create documents, letters and correspondence in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Associate’s Degree or higher preferred with a minimum of 2 years administrative professional experience. Experience in the ad agency, media, sports or entertainment industries highly preferred. The ideal candidate must be able to multitask, be well organized with attention to detail, and demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills.

 

Software Engineer – NASCAR (Daytona Beach, FL)

NASCAR is searching for a talented professional to join our team in the position of Software Engineer. Based at our premier new headquarters in Daytona Beach, the Software Engineer will be responsible for creating a conceptual and detailed design, writing code based on conceptual descriptions of the business logic.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Developing software based on the description of the business logic.

• Making enhancements to existing programs.

• Database programming

Required skills/experience:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) and three years experience in the software packages is required:
o MS.NET (VB.NET)
o Experience in Silverlight / WCF
o SQL Server 2008
o Active Reports – Data Dynamics

NASCAR offers an exciting fast-paced environment with competitive pay and outstanding benefits including 401(k) eligibility after working 30 days.

 

NASCAR Media Group is searching for a talented professional to join our team in the position of Broadcast Engineer in Charlotte, NC. The position will be responsible performing engineering maintenance and repairs as well as video feed operations in the television broadcast plant.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Perform preventive maintenance on existing broadcast equipment.

• Perform troubleshooting and repair on defective equipment and assist with video programming feeds.

• Assist other engineers performing similar functions in a team environment.

• Assist with parts inventories, cable pulling and equipment installation.

• 1% travel.
Qualifications include the following:

• Associate’s degree or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; or a minimum of 2 years related Broadcast Maintenance Engineering experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• The ideal candidate must have the ability to multi-task, be well-organized with attention to detail, and demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills.

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NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion (Case Study Competition)

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Motorsports education is at its finest when it’s being applied, and NASCAR Kinetics just launched its annual Marketing In Motion competition to offer students at select universities, not just racing schools, the opportunity to take part in the fall semester motorsports education program. The winner(s) will earn an all-expense paid trip to Charlotte for the NASCAR All-Star race weekend. Take a look at this great motorsports engineering opportunity – information from NASCAR’s website – that you can apply to take part in if you attend one of the 18 eligible universities:

NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion is an innovative, engaging program that gives college students an opportunity to work through real-world business challenges and opportunities they may encounter once they begin their career. Just the like the sport itself, the NASCAR Kinetics program is fast-paced, competitive, and fun.

Whether the NASCAR Kinetics program is the first step in an illustrious career in sports or simply valuable experience for any number of paths, it will definitely leave a lasting impression on all students who participate.

What should students expect?

Expect to be challenged. To be engaged. To get out of your comfort zone and think differently. Most of all, expect to learn and have fun.
• Each team of select students will be given case studies that affect NASCAR, our sponsors, or the tracks and will be asked to create original solutions for each case study.
• Every team will also be tasked with hosting a viewing party for one pre-determined NASCAR-sanctioned race.
• A dedicated member of the NASCAR marketing department will be assigned to assist and mentor each team.

What do we expect of students?

Each student chosen for the NASCAR Kinetics program will be considered an official NASCAR brand ambassador at their school, giving them many important responsibilities.
(1) Foster brand awareness of NASCAR throughout the campus community
(2) Keep up on and report upcoming trends on your campus
(3) Create effective group dialogue within your team to solve case studies and prepare for the viewing party
(4) Communicate with your NASCAR Kinetics contact about relevant issues facing your team
(5) Utilize all your resources, including field research, professional contacts, and teammates to solve case studies
(6) Complete and submit all materials for each case study and the viewing party in the time given.
(7) Ensure all ideas are approved by NASCAR before activating
(8) Represent the NASCAR brand in a professional and positive manner

What will students get out of the NASCAR Kinetics program?

Of course, the biggest incentive to participate in the unique program is receiving relevant, hands-on experience in the world of sports. But that’s not all dedicated, ambitious students can obtain through this program:
• The team with the strongest performance (based on pre-determined guidelines) will receive an all-expense paid, once-in-a-lifetime NASCAR-sanctioned race weekend experience.
• Each student who meets the standards of work in the program will be eligible to receive a personalized letter of recommendation from NASCAR. This letter will be a powerful tool in your post-graduation plans.
• By virtue of being a NASCAR Kinetics Brand Ambassador, each student will have the opportunity to apply for various NASCAR internships and positions.

NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion is currently available at these participating universities:

Belmont Abbey College
Central Michigan University
Centenary College
Coastal Carolina University
Delaware State University
East Tennessee State University
Elon University
High Point University
Howard University
Indiana State University
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Oklahoma State University
Southern New Hampshire University
Syracuse University
Troy University
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Miami
University of Oregon
Virginia State University
Note: When you apply for this job online, you will be required to answer the following questions:

1. Yes/No: Are you currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at one of the participating schools? If so, what school do you attend?
2. What year are you in school?
3. What is your expected date of graduation?
4. What is your cumulative GPA?
5. What is your major and minor?
6. What is the name of the high school you attended?
7. Where is the high school located?
8. What was your cumulative GPA in high school?
9. What high school sports did you play if any?
10. What extracurricular activities were you involved in if any?
11. How did you find out about NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion?
12. Why are you interested in being a part of NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion?
13. What do you hope to gain from NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion?
14. What are your career goals and how can NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion help you achieve them?
15. What skills, experience, and interests do you have that you feel would be beneficial to the NASCAR Kinetics team?
16. What extracurricular activities (i.e. student organizations, intramural sports, and/or intercollegiate athletics) are you involved in on your campus and what is your role?
17. How many hours each week do you devote your extracurricular activities?
18. How many credit hours will you be enrolled in during the semester for which you are applying to the NASCAR Kinetics program?
19. Will you seek academic credit (i.e. internship credit, independent study) from your school if you are selected to be a part of the NASCAR Kinetics team?
20. In 250 words or less, please explain the impact you think NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion will have on your college campus.

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Posted in Motorsports Education, Motorsports Engineering, NASCAR

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Motorsports Engineering at Northwestern: A ‘Catalyst’ for innovation

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Another great article about motorsports engineering and racing school programs – this one about Northwestern University. The school’s BAJA SAE program places consistently in the top 20% of schools in the annual Society of Automotive Engineers competition. Read on for more information about a motorsports engineering education at Northwestern:

A ‘Catalyst’ for innovation

By Jason Kornwitz

March 28, 2012

Bbanda, Uganda

Northeastern’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders will travel to Bbanda, Uganda, in August to assist in the implementation of phase one of a distribution system to pump water throughout the village. Courtesy photo.

Junior mechanical engineering major Andy Benn spends as many as 60 hours per week in a campus lab building an off-road buggy for the Northeastern University chapter of Baja SAE, an intercollegiate design competition run by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

The motorsports team, which has developed a strong reputation for consistently placing in the top 20 percent of more than 200 clubs for the past 15 years, will showcase the design, speed and maneuverability of its 445-pound all-terrain vehicle in a competition on May 2 in Portland, Ore.

“Working on the vehicle is an invaluable learning experience,” said Benn, a co-captain of the club. “It teaches you about engineering, but it also teaches you how to be a project manager, which is what you have to deal with in the real world.”

The club hopes to raise $2,500 through the new Catalyst program launched last week by the Office of Alumni Relations and the Northeastern Fund to finance its 3,000-mile cross-country road trip to the “City of Roses.” Two other student-based organizations — the Northeastern chapters of both Net Impact and Engineers Without Borders — are also vying for funding to support their projects.

Prospective donors can browse through the projects on the Catalyst website and make a gift in any amount, starting at $1.

“The Catalyst program makes it easy for alumni, family and friends to follow, connect with and support some of the most innovative and inspiring student projects at Northeastern,” said Jack Moynihan, the vice president for alumni relations and the Northeastern Fund. “Projects are chosen based on their professionalism, innovative qualities, social impact and feasibility,” he added.

Northeastern’s undergraduate chapter of Net Impact is designed to equip, educate and inspire business students to use their skills to foster social and environmental change. It hopes to raise $2,500 through Catalyst to fund some of the prize money that will be awarded to the most impactful student venture at the Net Impact Forum for Student Social Innovation at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center on Nov. 17.

Engineers Without Borders–USA works on some 350 water, renewable energy and sanitation projects in more than 45 developing countries around the world. Northeastern’s student chapter of the organization, founded in 2005, has brought clean water to families in Honduras and Bbanda, Uganda.

In less than one week, the student chapter raised $2,500 through Catalyst to fund travel for two students to Bbanda in August 2012. The students will assist in the implementation of phase one of a distribution system to pump water throughout the village, in which more than 1,100 people must now carry dirty water for miles just to meet their basic needs.

Senior mechanical engineering major Keith Nelson, who has twice visited Bbanda, praised the organization’s humanitarian calling, noting, “we’ve already helped hundreds of school kids here have access to the only source of clean water in the village.”

“Working on projects like this give students an understanding of big picture engineering,” he added.

To read the full article on Northwestern University’s website, click here.

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Posted in Motorsports Education, Motorsports Engineering

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Building racecars a team effort for CU undergrads

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Want to attend a racing school? Or a regular college setting that has a racing program, like a Formula SAE team? Here’s an inside look into Columbia University, one of the top schools in the country, and their Formula SAE racing school program from the Columbia Spectator. Whether you’re interested in motorsports engineering or the business of racing, a Formula SAE team is a great place to start your motorsports education.

Building racecars a team effort for CU undergrads

Columbia SAE members are non-traditional athletes who race cars they built themselves.

By Benjamin Spener

Spectator Staff Writer

Published April 5, 2012

Photo courtesy of Peter Bohnhof

When following Columbia sports, most people neglect athletes that don’t run, jump, or handle a ball when playing their sport. It’s easy to miss a group of students that hides out in the basement of Mudd Hall and builds racecars. The Columbia University Society of Automotive Engineers—also known as Knickerbocker Motorsports—is a group of 10 to 20 Columbia undergraduates who design and build a racecar from scratch each year, and then uses it to compete in a series of races in Michigan every May. I met with one of the team’s drivers and system heads, a compelling 19-year-old named Hwei Ru Ong, CC ’14.

As I was walking toward Mudd Hall with Ong to get a tour of Columbia SAE’s shop, School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Feniosky Peña-Mora stopped us and specifically said hello to Ong. Peña-Mora has met with the SAE team several times and has been very supportive of the program, helping to make Knickerbocker Motorsports one of the better-funded student groups on campus. The team also counts on the support of alumni donors and an ample supply of energy drinks from their sponsor, Red Bull.

Specifically, Ong is in charge of the “impact continuator,” a system of safety bumpers that protect the driver in case of a crash. Although most of Knickerbocker Motorsports’ members are SEAS students, Ong decided to attend Columbia College so that he could pursue degrees in both English literature and astrophysics while doing some engineering and racing outside of the classroom. He has a passion for auto racing, having learned to drive with a manual transmission on a tractor working on an organic farm near his home in Ukiah, California. Ong finally got his driver’s license last July, and has been one of the team’s primary drivers since October.

When he returns home to Ukiah, Ong helps run the farm on a Mahayana Buddhist campus where his father is a bhikshu (fully ordained monk). On the farm and at Columbia, Ong meditates or “sits” regularly. He said that “meditation plays into all aspects of what you do, including racing.” Eating falafel with Ong—an appropriate meal, since he is a vegetarian in accordance with Buddhist values—I asked how the serenity of meditation and Buddhism in general is compatible with the action and volatility of auto racing. “As long as this is settled,” he said, pointing to his head, “everything is OK, and things are clear even though it’s messy outside.”

Having tried out the race simulator in Knickerbocker’s shop, crashed almost immediately, and then watched Ong zoom around the simulator track and drive the real car, I can attest to the amount of coordination and focus that the sport demands. As he suggested, the key to his success in auto racing and other sports is mental clarity, which he attains through meditation. Ong has actually found success in a variety of sports over the years. He classifies surfing, skateboarding, and mountain biking as hobbies—he also played point guard for his high school basketball team and was, at one point, the Rubik’s Cube champion of Malaysia, achieving an official time of 22 seconds and unofficial times as low as 14 seconds.

Although he has gone head-to-head with rivals in a variety of sports during his life, Ong told me explicitly that he is not very competitive and has always been more concerned with personal bests—getting better for his own sake—than beating others. It may be this seemingly dissonant mix of passivity and motivation that makes Ong so good at sports, engineering, and academics. Ultimately, he would not mind ending up farming, as he did growing up, but he also has a variety of other goals that range from being a professional racecar driver to working at an observatory in Chile to being an astronaut (seriously). Talking to him and watching him break into a childlike grin when driving around, playing basketball, or solving a Rubik’s Cube, you realize he is the kind of athlete—the kind of person—who is motivated by the great joy he gets from pursuing these things, even when that means spending hours each weekend working in the auto shop with the rest of the Knickerbocker Motorsports team. Ong stresses that the team as a whole, is what, rather than any individual, is what brings success at competitions. Although winning the race is ultimately left to the driver, auto racing is very much a team sport, since it takes the efforts and skills of the entire group to put a fast car on the track.

And this team’s car is fast—it goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 110 mph. Moreover, the car must be able to perform well in a variety of races, ranging from tight, short tracks to courses as long as 22 kilometers. This class of car is called Formula SAE, and students from colleges across the country compete against each other every year in both dynamic competitions, which refer to races, and static competitions, which involve a car features such as design and cost. Generally, Columbia’s entry rings in with a price tag under $13,000—not bad for a racecar. Clearly, this competition presents a significant mechanical engineering challenge, along with the physical task of driving the car during races.

The team is looking forward to its race in May and has been working on various aspects of the car. When I arrived at the shop, several students were drafting a cost report for one of the static competitions, and Ong commented that they would have to deal with powertrain issues over the weekend. These days, the entire team prays for good weather every weekend so that they can get out to a track in New Jersey and test the car. While the simulator is a good way for drivers to get seat time, it is not a substitute for driving the actual car, not to mention that the engineers need to see the car in action to identity potential design flaws or ways to improve its performance.

For the most part, the car is close to finished and will soon be sporting a custom-fitted fiberglass body made by the team. Emblazoned with Columbia colors, this car will represent Columbia at the SAE races in Michigan in a few weeks. The team’s performance in these races will demonstrate not only the coordination and levelheadedness of the drivers but also the immense engineering prowess of the Columbia students who designed and built it. As Ong put it, “Without the team, there’s no car. I don’t even know if I’ll be driving in May, but the important part is that we get the car on the track. Then we can race.”

To read the original article, please visit the Columbia Spectator here.

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Case Study: Another Layer of Confidence in Quality and Speed

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Here’s a great article from Quality Magazine about motorsports engineering and applied careers in racing for those of you looking to work on the manufacturing side of motorsports.

Case Study: Another Layer of Confidence in Quality and Speed
by Michael Gibbons
April 6, 2012

Corvette ALMS race car at the 12 Hours of Sebring race on March 19, 2011 in Florida. Source: General Motors.
With tighter tolerances and increased customer requirements, Pratt & Miller turns to Zeiss quality inspection solutions.
The CONTURA G2 10/12/6 with VAST active scanning was the best solution for Pratt & Miller’s new and growing requirements. Source: Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology

Customers know they can count on Pratt & Miller Engineering (New Hudson, MI) to quickly get quality products over the finish line. While Pratt & Miller is well known for its commitment to motorsports—with design, fabrication and testing services on display through the General Motors factory American LeMans Series Corvette Racing and SCCA World Challenge Cadillac Racing teams—it is much more. Pratt & Miller provides cutting-edge engineering and manufacturing solutions for clients in the motorsports, automotive, aerospace, commercial and military industries.

Pratt & Miller started out as a small motorsports engineering and fabrication shop when it opened its doors in 1989, and has grown into an innovative solutions provider spanning several industry sectors. Since 2009, Pratt & Miller has doubled its total sales stemming from both existing and new customer orders. With the addition of new employees, less time to manage customer orders, tighter tolerances and increased customer requirements it needed a more advanced quality inspection solution.

In March of 2011, Pratt & Miller installed a Zeiss (Maple Grove, MN) CMM in its quality inspection lab to help meet those needs. The company had analyzed key factors, such as part volume sizes, target tolerances and available floor space, to determine that the CONTURA G2 10/12/6 with VAST active scanning would be the best solution for its new and growing requirements. Pratt & Miller chose the VAST XT sensor for its fast scanning speed, allowing the company to gather more data and get better information.

Prior to the Zeiss CMM, Pratt & Miller was measuring parts with several different sized portable measuring arms and various hand tools, including micrometers, bore and height gages. However, the company needed increased turnaround, repeatability and accuracy to meet its new targeted tolerances. Manual measurement with the portable measuring arms and hand gages required consistent technique to get consistent numbers and that was very difficult. Internal design tolerances were reaching 2 ten-thousandths-of-an-inch and some of its customers had tolerances of five microns on certain dimensions. With some pre-production runs increasing in size—with hundreds of a particular kind—repeatable results were critical.

The majority of the parts that Pratt & Miller inspects are prototypes, such as clutch plates for electronically controlled limited slip differentials, suspension components for military vehicles and racecar chassis components. During development, these parts go through several revisions with the customer and have increasingly critical tolerances as they get closer to the finished, production stage.

Spindles for the various race programs, including Corvette Racing and Cadillac Racing, are examples of some of the more complicated parts that Pratt & Miller designs and manufactures internally. These parts, often referred to as life-critical parts, are especially important and must be thoroughly measured. Spindles are measured on the CMM several times—initially during first article inspection, just before they leave for outside processing, a sampling when they return after heat treatment, and then one more final inspection after grinding operations are complete.

“Some more complicated parts, such as hubs, can take up to two months from start to finish, including all of the outside processing steps, which account for well over half of the processing time, and their associated inspection,” explains Frank Wilson, quality assurance manager at Pratt & Miller. Speed and repeatable accuracy are critical to keeping long lead parts such as these on the tight timelines required by motorsports, as well as other industry sectors Pratt & Miller has expanded into. About 12 parts a day on average are measured using the Zeiss CONTURA G2, which includes re-inspection of used parts, however, daily volume fluctuates significantly depending on current manufacturing programs and can be in excess of 100 parts some days.

The CONTURA G2 is saving Pratt & Miller a significant amount of time with its inspections. For example, inspection time for an upright was reduced from two hours with the manual gages to 20 minutes with the Zeiss CMM. The company also can measure all locations and sizes on the part with only one measurement tool, versus 10 to 20.

Frank Wilson measuring clutch plates for a limited slip differential. Source: Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology

The CONTURA G2 has been getting more use than expected recently because of increased awareness of its capabilities. Pratt & Miller even had to get a second set of fixturing to prepare other parts waiting to be inspected. All operators are up to speed on the CALYPSO metrology software programs and Pratt & Miller has received a lot more high-tolerance orders due to its new capabilities. “The local service and support has been great in helping us maximize our CMM use,” says Wilson.

One surprise Pratt & Miller had was when it decided to use the CONTURA G2 to measure the suspension setup gages for racecars to better understand their impact on setup variations. In an effort to maximize setup consistency and performance, these gages were measured to determine the effect of assembly tolerance stack-ups on the accuracy of the gage. The CMM allowed the company to quickly find where improvements could be made.

One of the most beneficial features of the CALYPSO metrology software for Pratt & Miller has been the graphical outputs. The company can now visually examine circularity and true position to locate and rework high spots into tolerance. “We couldn’t do this before. This visualization helps me quickly show coworkers what is happening versus having to draw multiple sketches,” states Wilson. “It helps us to avoid frustration and it gives us a much stronger handle on quality. For example, sometimes a part’s edge can become ‘tri-ovaled’ due to pressure from the chuck jaws. This part may be within specifications, but there is still room for improvement and the graphical visuals help us communicate that need.” Another benefit has been the mirror feature in CALYPSO, which they realized was excellent for dealing with left and right components on race cars. In some instances, it has saved Pratt & Miller a day’s worth of programming time.

“The CONTURA is still new to us and we’re still realizing new ways to integrate it more and more into our environment,” says Wilson. “We still have a prototype environment and mentality, but we hope to do more statistical analyses with the CMM in the future.” While Pratt & Miller manufactures some part runs that number in the hundreds, the majority are small batches of approximately 20 pieces, some of which are quite intricate. One current benefit is that it helps the company monitor machining operations, such as determining if the end mill is wearing out towards the bottom, based on if a bore is being tapered.

As Pratt & Miller acquires new customers, it’s noticing more and more requirements, especially in the defense industry. Fortunately, the company’s specialty shop mindset has been adapting by adding new technologies and processes for these new requirements. Of course, Pratt & Miller still anticipates many more motorsport projects in addition to providing engineering support, including development of newer, green prototypes. If it keeps growing at its current rate, the company could need an additional CMM, and a second shift.

The CONTURA G2 has given Pratt & Miller a higher degree of confidence in its measurements and has improved communication with the graphical reports. “The CNC control automates part measurement, gives us complete confidence, and frees up our time to perform other tasks,” says Wilson. Customers often come to Pratt & Miller because they are in a crunch and need a quick turnaround. The CONTURA G2 increases throughput without rushing the job, something that could have led to errors in the past. “Once you see how much more accurate and repeatable the measurements are with the ZEISS CMM, you realize that it is invaluable. It adds another layer of confidence to our day,” says Wilson.

The original article can be read here.

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Posted in Careers in Motorsports, Motorsports Engineering

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