New Book

[mmcdermott]

I highly recommend the new book “Think Fast – the racer’s why-to guide to winning” by FSAE West design judge & Swift Engineering designer Neil Roberts. The stated goal of the book “is to help you make the most of your limited time and money by focusing your efforts on the aspects of race car tuning and driving that matter most.” If your FSAE team isn’t constrained by limited time & money, read no further. For the rest of us the book provides lots of useful information packed into 180 pages.

The “why-to” in the title provides the first hint that the book is applicable to FSAE, since the most common question by FSAE design judges is “Why?”. The first jewel is on page 11 & relates to priorities that every FSAE team must define before even thinking about designing hardware.
“Your global priorities should be, in this order:
1. safety
2. reliability
3. performance
4. cost”

This forum is filled with many discussions of suspension geometry with thousands of posts. Most of the posts are by people seeking answers. I don’t know any successful racers who have the education, ability, and experience to provide information that will give you a competitive advantage who are willing to give that information away. Neil’s recommended list of suspension geometry parameters is provided in Chapter 14. This chapter alone is worth much more than the price of the book.

Ethics require me to disclose that I am not unbiased. The first time that I met Neil Roberts was in the late 1980s at an AX put on by the Texas A&M Sports Car Club. He was driving the ugliest second gen Camaro that you have ever seen. No upholstery (he had “added lightness”), front air dam fabricated from a rubber conveyer belt, and appropriately named Rust. He had fastest time of the day. Neil has advised the Texas A&M FSAE and FH teams (for which I am advisor) since we began participating in FSAE in 1999. Solid advice from Neil played a large part in our quick success (Rookie of the Year in 1999 & first place in 2000). This book will be required reading for the 2011 Texas A&M Formula Hybrid team. My only regret is that Neil’s advice is now available to everyone for about $30 at
http://www.thinkfastbook.com/

Make McDermott
Faculty Advisor FSAE/FH
Texas A&M University

[Neil_Roberts]

Many thanks to Dr. McDermott for the intro!

Think Fast is primarily aimed at club racers, but there is also a LOT of content in there that is meant to guide FSAE teams and anyone else who is researching how to design a race car from scratch. In some places, it takes a little bit of reading between the lines to find the relevant guidance. In other places, it's right there in front of you, plain as day.

I'm happy to answer FSAE-related questions on this forum. If you have a question that you want to keep confidential, email me at <thinkfastbook@gmail.com>.

Neil Roberts
Senior Design Engineer
Swift Engineering, Inc.

[sbrenaman]

Took me a bit longer to get around to reading it, but I'm glad I finished it.

Its loaded up with a bunch information in short, to-the-point chapters that make it a good book for newbies and veterans alike. There are some great one-liners, and plenty of advice that will save teams so much time. The last couple chapters are great and there's some great stuff in there about team management. Really, there's stuff in here for everyone. It's well-priced and a quick read and I can definitely recommend it. Don't skip ahead to the Postscript, but it's my favorite part. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif A nice treat for finishing.

[Neil_Roberts]

Thanks sbrenaman for the positive review! It's good to see that a common element in the feedback I've gotten so far is the perception that it's a short book despite its 183 page length. The way I see it, "short" means "easy to digest". That was a goal of my approach since many club racers are long on enthusiasm and short on a few other qualities. Also, it's easy for engineers to lose sight of the fact that a lot of people want to race, but don't want to do any math.

I agree 100% with Big Bird's masterpiece (http://fsae.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/125607348/m/217101453). I have emailed the link to it to all of the engineers at Swift since it's directly applicable to every program that we do. While Carroll Smith's books primarily cover Big Bird's Levels 1 and 2, the main focus of Think Fast is in Levels 3 and 4. Texas A&M's FSAE and FH teams had a 10 year exclusive on the guidance that I have to offer, and they did really well with it. Now that guidance is available to everyone.

Neil

[buggaero]

Thanks Mr. Roberts for Think Fast...
Hope it drives us all to quite a clear scenario!
Have read Herb Adams and Carroll smith and i was desperately seeking something in between and a little more peer-to-peer.....

It's like a wish come true.
I'm buying it right now and i'd like to request a worlwide Custom Text Inscription too.

Suyash

[ben]

Just finished my copy. Easy to read despite Monday's post-Lime Rock jet lag :-)

The most important thing for me was the opening chapter that made it clear that engineering the driver's head is a huge part of race engineering.

I was lucky enough to spend two seasons in MotoGP and rider psychology is something you simply can't ignore. In car racing it's easier to ignore it, and you can lose a lot of performance by doing that.

Having spent two seasons in ALMS now I can see a trend of data-driven, but pragmatic race engineering in the US and this book exemplifies that.

Ben

[Big Bird]

Wow, thanks for the compliment Neil - that is a real honour. For a while there I thought my ramblings had just floated off into the ether. I had thought I might be able to offer some advice at a student level, but it is pretty humbling to think that it has been passed into the professional realm. If I can be of any further assistance please feel free to drop a line.

I'll make sure I chase up your book too, sounds like a good read.

And nice to hear from you Ben, hope all is going well there squire. Let me know if you ever make it back to Oz. About time Dunlop made some more MotoGP tyres I'd say.

Kind regards to all,

[ben]

Originally posted by Big Bird:
Wow, thanks for the compliment Neil - that is a real honour. For a while there I thought my ramblings had just floated off into the ether. I had thought I might be able to offer some advice at a student level, but it is pretty humbling to think that it has been passed into the professional realm. If I can be of any further assistance please feel free to drop a line.

I'll make sure I chase up your book too, sounds like a good read.

And nice to hear from you Ben, hope all is going well there squire. Let me know if you ever make it back to Oz. About time Dunlop made some more MotoGP tyres I'd say.

Kind regards to all,

Unfortunately that ain't gonna happen :-(

I'll be at the Le Mans Intercontinental cup race at Zhuhai in November - closest I'll get to Aus I'm afraid.

Overall things are pretty good. 1 Point off the Manufacturers lead in ALMS with BMW.

Ben

[oz_olly]

So I just finished reading Think Fast. It is just the book I have been looking for and fits really well the C. Smith "to Win" series of books. I had been thinking the last couple of years that what we need is a 21st century update to C. Smith's books and Think Fast is full of the practical tips and pieces of experience that I was craving. I agree very strongly with the notion of learning from other peoples experience and mistakes but this is only possible if people are willing to take the time and be humble enough to write it all down. I just hope that when Neil is finally finished with designing race cars he can find the time and sit down to write "Design Fast" or whatever it should be called.

I liked the way the book was arranged which made it very easy to digest. The concise delivery of "golden nuggets" ensured that I wanted to keep reading, wondering what the next nugget would cover. I don't think it is a starters book because there is a reasonable level of assumed knowledge (as stated in the opening) but once you've read the "to Win" series and some of the more academic books on the topic, Think Fast makes a great way of tying it all together with shared practical experience. Neil's career achievements to date and his role as adviser to Texas certainly help to build credibility in a topic area that is often full of contradictions and old wives tales.

I think my favourite chapter was 18 "The Race Car Recipe", to me this is where the gold is for Formula SAE competitors and aspiring design engineers. I agree emphatically with the comments about the need for a Chief Engineer and the qualities they should have. One of the big challenges for FSAE teams is to develop a chief engineer along these lines (hopefully each FSAE chief engineer is well supported by some knowledgeable and interested academic advisers or industry advisers in Neil's case).

Finally the personal anecdote given in the postscript is very similar to nearly all my experiences at FSAE competitions. The willingness of teams and organisers to help each other out when faced with adversity is one of the real highlights of being involved in FSAE.

So thanks for putting it together Neil, Think Fast will definitely be listed in our essential reading list.

Cheers

[Neil_Roberts]

For those who already have a copy of Think Fast, there are a couple of minor additions to it on the Think Fast facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/...book/137988936238539 (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Think-Fast-book/137988936238539)

[Edward M. Kasprzak]

I just finished reading "Think Fast". Two sentences in the Introduction are worth commenting on:

On Page 2 it says, "There are no mathematical equations...". This immediately irked me and I became very skeptical. Mathematical equations and graphs are the language of science/engineering, and in my opinion any book which covers "Fast Fundamentals" and "Fast Physics" needs to have them. I feared yet another book on racecar engineering filled with hand-waiving, voodoo explanations and Mythbuster's-level "science".

My fears were unfounded. While it's true I don't recall seeing a single "=" sign in the entire book, it is also clear that Neil Roberts knows the equations and relationships. I was happily surprised to find myself identifying familiar vehicle dynamics, materials and aerodynamics equations/relationships just below the surface as I read the book. His comments either reflect them directly or can be inferred by examining the equations.

My challenge to FSAE students: As you read the book, ask yourself what the underlying equations and relationships are. Then answer yourself!! Give yourself a pat on the back if you know it and get ready to do some research if you don't know where it came from. While this book has the style of "light reading" it is in fact *very* dense. Neil has chosen his words with the care and accuracy of a high-quality professional engineer. The more you know about how cars work the more you'll be able to appreciate some of the subtleties in how he describes things.

On Page 3 it says, "I'm sure there are some things in here that you will disagree with." Given that this sentence lives half a page past the "no math" sentence, when I read it I was more than ready to disagree! Again, that skeptical approach was unnecessary. It's true that I found a few things that I disagree with based on my career experiences, but I found far less to disagree with here than the vast majority of books on this subject. There is a good reason for this--FSAE students take note:

The author's comments are grounded in a good understanding of racecar engineering. He knows the underlying equations and relationships, and he knows how to interpret them. He has done physical testing to support the theroetical basis and to access the more complicated areas where first principles are very difficult to apply. He has made intelligent use of data acquisition systems and computing power. He takes good notes and learns from the past. He balances being detail-oriented vs. keeping the bigger picture in mind. He recognizes and respects the assumptions and limits of analysis techniques. He appreciates the "human side" of engineering. And it's clear that he's passionate about racecar engineering and has never stopped learning or thinking about it.

FSAE students, do you want to do well in Design and have a reliable, good handling car? See the above paragraph. Do you want to be able to separate engineering reality from myth? See the above paragraph. Do you want to be a top-quality engineer in your post-student career? See the above paragraph.

Excellent book, Neil. There's a part of me that still wants to see the equations in there, but that would be a different kind of book....

[Brian McGreevy]

Fantastic book, Neal. I have recommended it to all members of the UIUC team.

[Neil_Roberts]

If your SAE chapter and FSAE team want an opportunity to drain my brain directly, here it is. Scroll down to "The Professional Racer's Approach to Engineering".

http://students.sae.org/chapte...reship/lecturers.htm (http://students.sae.org/chapters/lectureship/lecturers.htm)

[Mikey Antonakakis]

Neil,
I will be talking to our Faculty advisor about the SAE Industrial Lecture Program, I think it's awesome that SAE does that. We have had a guest lecturer or two in the past couple years, and it's always been a great experience. Hopefully we'll be sending you an invitation soon.

[Neil_Roberts]

I will be presenting "The Professional Racer's Approach to Engineering" here:

21OCT10 7:30pm Swift Engineering, San Clemente CA
05NOV10 TBD Portland State University
22NOV10 7:30pm Texas A&M University

Come on down!

[roepke44]

Is the Swift event open to the public? I would love to goto this as i am actualy not too far away. I would appreciate more info or a contact for someone where i could find out the location, room #, praking, etc. Thanks

[Price]

I was wondering the same about the presentation at Swift. I would absolutely love to attend if it is open to the public. Could we please have some more information?

Thanks.

[sbrenaman]

Hey guys, I am organizing the lecture at PSU.

Anyone is free to attend, however space is limited so I ask that you register online at

http : // survey.oit.pdx. edu/ss/wsb.dll/s/2bfg154d

Thanks, I look forward to seeing you there! We should have students from Portland State, Oregon State, University of Washington, Western Washington, Washington State, and Idaho.

Details
12:00-2:00PM
Room EB 102
1930 SW 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97201

[Zac]

how about a webex?

[BMH]

Anyone in the southeast region want to try and arrange a seminar?

[Neil_Roberts]

Many thanks to everyone who came to my SAE Industrial lecture at Portland State University, and major thanks to Scott Brenaman for organizing and promoting the event. I think it went superbly well. I hope everyone else enjoyed it, because I sure did.

I just thought of a better answer to one of the many excellent questions after my presentation. It's a universal problem, so I'll present my thoughts here.

Q: "What is the best way to transfer what we have learned to next year's team since there is a high inherent turnover?"

A: Each team member should document everything that they did, in extreme depth, in preparation for your encounter with the design judges. That compilation should be indexed and labeled so that anyone can find anything in 10 seconds or less. In the process of preparing your backup material for the design event, you are also creating a "How to Design a Race Car" document. That's what you pass on to next year's team. The only things that you need to add after the event are a lessons learned summary and your cell phone numbers. You aren't going to fall off the face of the earth when you graduate, you are just going to find a job. Hopefully. Since you are the person who can answer those questions, take the time to answer them. Even the Beach Boys got that one right: "Be True to Your School".

If you have suggestions for improvements to the presentation, please let me know. I'm presenting it again at Columbia University this Friday, then at Texas A&M on November 22.

[Neil_Roberts]

If you bought Think Fast from amazon, I would appreciate it if you would post a review of it on the amazon web site. Thanks!

[Neil_Roberts]

Thanks to Columbia University for hosting an SAE Industrial Lecture for me. It was great to meet the gang there and offer some guidance.

Those of you in the northwest will have another opportunity to sit in on what I have to say. I just accepted a speaking invitation from Armadillo Racing for a High Performance Racing seminar in Tacoma, WA on Febrary 12. This one requires a paid reservation, so contact Armadillo Racing for the details.

[Neil_Roberts]

Come on down to Texas A&M for my SAE Industrial Lecture titled "The Professional Racer's Approach to Engineering". Here are the details:

Monday, November 22 at 7:30 pm
Engineering Physics Building 202
Texas A&M University

[Mikey Antonakakis]

Neil,
Thank you again for coming to Columbia! We all really enjoyed your lecture and got a lot out of it.

To anyone who has a chance to go to one, do it. Mr Roberts will have valuable advice for any team, regardless of past successes.

[Neil_Roberts]

Thanks to everyone who came to my presentation at Texas A&M, especially those who drove a long way to get there. I really appreciate the excellent turnout.

The presentation was videotaped, and will be on YouTube in short segments. I will post the links when it's there.

[BMH]

Hello Neil,

I was wondering if you were aware of any lectures in the nearby future in the Southeast region (i.e. Ga, TN, etc.).

Thanks

[Neil_Roberts]

Originally posted by BMH:

I was wondering if you were aware of any lectures in the nearby future in the Southeast region (i.e. Ga, TN, etc.).

No, but your FSAE/FH team or college SAE chapter can request one through the SAE web site. The link for that is earlier in this thread.

[Neil_Roberts]

If you are within driving distance of San Francisco, come on down to my SAE industrial lecture entitled "The Professional Racer's Approach to Engineering". Here is the date and time:

Saturday, January 22 at 1:00 pm to 3:00 or so
109 Dwinelle
University of California, Berkeley

I have done this presentation 4 times followed by a lively and interesting Q&A session every time. I can offer FSAE teams guidance based on experience and also on a lead design judges' perspective. The feedback has been 100% positive, so it's probably worth the trip.

[Neil_Roberts]

I will be one of the presenters at the Armadillo Racing seminar in Tacoma, WA on February 12. This time, my presentation will be tailored to club racers and I will primarily be discussing race car aerodynamics. This seminar requires a paid registration, so contact Armadillo Racing to make your reservation.

[Mazur]

Just ordered the book. Looking forward to it!

[Neil_Roberts]

Thanks to all who attended my talk at the Armadillo Racing seminar in Tacoma. I hope you enjoyed it and learned a thing or two. I sure did!

[Neil_Roberts]

If you are within driving distance of Toronto, come on up for my SAE industrial lecture "The Professional Racer's Approach to Engineering" at the University of Toronto. Here are the details:

6:00 pm, Saturday, March 5th
Room 248
Galbraith Building
35 St. George Street
Toronto, ON

[Neil_Roberts]

If you plan on a career or a hobby that involves aerodynamics or hydrodynamics of vehicles, there are two books that are pure gold:

Fluid Dynamic Drag by S.F. Hoerner
Fluid Dynamic Lift by S.F. Hoerner

This link is about to save you $305. Pdf versions of both books can be had for a whopping five bucks here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3586...id-Dynamic-Drag-1985 (http://www.scribd.com/doc/35866801/Hoerner-Fluid-Dynamic-Drag-1985)