INDUSTRY UPDATE STRAIGHT TALK
The fast track to the right skills
expensive. Many people want to encourage the learning of the special skills needed to become a race or rally engineer and similarly, many young people approach me and ask where they can get the experience that will help them become a race engineer. But to enthusiastic, keen,
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young people the idea of having to serve out their apprenticeship stage by stage over years ahead is an unattractive proposition. So the MIA race engineering school was born, and we issued our first diploma to successful students earlier this year. Sixteen young people received a Diploma of Race Engineering, which outlines on its reverse side exactly what the course taught them. More importantly, we have been determined to work hard to talk to employers to ensure the course content reflects exactly what is needed in today's business. The best way we could do this
was to engage two young race engineers who are at the top of their game. Dan Walmsley and Jay Davenport from Strata and Arden Motorsport respectively, filled this role perfectly and proved themselves to be excellent tutors. The course is open to engineering graduates, technicians who have qualifying experience of motorsport and race engineers who simply want to learn more. So successful was the inaugural running of the course that it will be run again, in the same format, in late November this year. The course is in fact two
courses, each of which occupies
or years now, race engineering skills have had to be learned 'on the job', which takes time and can be
two full days over separate weekends. To gain the MIA Diploma of Race Engineering, delegates must attend all four days. However, if they are unable to do so at one time, then they can come back at a later year and pick up the second part of the course to obtain the full Diploma. The costs are kept reasonable at £300 per day and the venues chosen are memorable, including Mercedes GP Petronas HQ, for example. In the social time, we have also
arranged for race engineering leaders, such as Frank Dernie and Pat Symonds, to drop in to meet
CHRIS AYLETT
They don't teach racecar engineering at school, but they do at the MIA race engineering school
could benefit enormously from the knowledge and wider understanding of race engineering, but could not afford either the cost or time involved in taking the full Diploma. All these ideas for
development of the MIA schools have come from the students themselves. We also listened to the employers, who are delighted that they are receiving applications from young people who have been taught from current experts, and also that the course content is available for future employers to read so they
the course content
is available for future employers to read
the students and explain further their lives as a race engineer. We had a tremendous response
from our 2010 delegates, every one saying the course was informative, relevant and well planned and that the presenters showed real enthusiasm and knowledge of their subject. They also all said they would recommend it to others. We are delighted to say that at
least one of our graduates this year immediately turned the Diploma into fulfilling their dream, and are now employed as a full a time race engineer. The MIA will be extending the
scheme over the next 12 months to include rally engineering, possibly at a WRC headquarters in the UK, and also a one-day crash course for those currently in motorsport education. This was added as it was felt some students
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www.racecar-engineering.com • September 2011
know its relevance, as opposed to some vague general motorsport qualification. The reaction from our friends in the academic world has also been very positive. They know the limitations of the mainstream education facilities and also that the skill sets required cannot always be acquired from today’s professionals. Most do an excellent job with the resources they have available and feel that this supplement – paid for by the students themselves – will help accelerate employment in motorsport engineering. I feel we have found a really
valuable service that helps teams and employers, as well as potential race engineers, and look forward to this growing in the years ahead. Should you require details of the MIA schools, please go to
www.the-mia.com.
Wirth Research sells off F1 assets
The Wirth Research Group, headed by engineer Nick Wirth, has sold its F1 racing business to the Marussia Virgin Racing team. The sale included its leading edge technical centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The move follows the company’s split with MVR, after the team expressed frustration at the MVR-02’s lack of pace during the 2011 F1 season. The Wirth Research companies will be continuing to focus their efforts in the motor racing industry under the leadership of Wirth, but concentrating on its successful Sportscar projects.
Brembo go trucking
Brake manufacturer Brembo has become the official supplier of Truck Sport Lutz Bernau (TSB) team in the FIA European Truck Championship. The agreement signed with the TSB team marks Brembo’s entrance into this highly competitive arena and is a significant step that, after Formula 1, MotoGP, Superbike and NASCAR, further consolidates the company’s position as a leading motorsport supplier. Brembo’s multi-year experience in the development of high performance racing solutions makes the tie up with Truck Sport Lutz Bernau team a natural development of its activities. The challenge facing Brembo is a substantial one, both literally and metaphorically, as each racing truck weighs in at over five tons and packs a 1000bhp punch, requiring a highly specialised braking system.
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