General motorsport placement / graduate thread [merged]

[Jamesd]

Hi

I have just started motorsport at college, I was wondering if anybody knew of any race teams, in and around Swindon, It needs to be accesible by train, it can be up to an hour away, but in December I will 17, but i am not sure who long it wall take me to learn to drive.

i am intrested in a race team.

James

[devon kev]

Try Merlin Motorsport, their based at Castle-Combe

[Jamesd]

Hi

But there not a race team, they just sell racing parts

I would like to become a mechanic

James

[jonners]

Try Dialynx in Swindon run by Keith Murray. Do a google

Keith is a very nice bloke and some of the stuff they build there is extraordinary. Then there are the race cars they build.

Audi orientated but very state of the art. And Keith is a decent engineer.

[Jamesd]

Hi

Thanks for that, what do they actually do there, at the moment I can get on the website

James

[Al Weyman]

Ray West Engineering at Thruxton, another nice fellow.

[Jamesd]

hi

Got a website for that, or contact details

James

[schumy7]

Hi there, I'm in my forth year study of aerospace engineering in Canada. I want to go to UK to study Motorsport or more specifically aerodynamics used in motorsport.
What universities are generally good? What are my chances of getting a job after say a one year Masters degree?

Really need help.
Thanks a lot!!!

[rcarr]

If its motorsport you want to do go to Cranfield Uni, if you want to specialise in aero go to somewhere like Southampton, thats where Adrian Newey went.

Cranfield does an aerodynamics module but you won't be an expert after that 1 week.

[Locost47]

Cranfield did (still does?) a 1 year M.Sc purely in Aerodynamics as well - that's what i did in '97-'98.

Southampton Uni and Imperial College, London do similar courses. The impression i got was that the course at Imperial was academically harder than Cranfield's, and also that both of those Unis had stronger links with motorsport, particularly F1. I do not know, however, if that situation's changed since the Motorsport courses sprung up at Cranfield, since they weren't available when i was there.

Other people may have had different experiences, but i would say that it is actually more important to find the right connections to get 'a foot in the door' than it is to have the right qualifications. I now work in F1 and there are many aero people there with no formal aero qualifications at all. It's such a difficult area to get into and it seems a fair number of people got 'in' through some form of "old boys' network", or were just in the right place at the right time.

In the regular car industry too aero is seen as a job that "any good engineer can adapt to". While this is true to some extent with any engineering discipline, my own opinion is that formal training does help a bit more with aerodynamics because it is so non-linear in nature. This characteristic makes trying to pick it up purely by on-the-job experience much harder, as i've seen quite often from working with various people in the field over the last 10 years. Doing an Aeronautical degree or a specific Master's gives you a really valuable head start on the opposition in terms of actually doing the job day-to-day, if perhaps less so on getting it in the first place, if you see what i mean.

[Jamesd]

Hi

Does anybody knows of any companys that deal with road cars or races cars would be ideal as that would give me the best amount of experience.

Anybody know of anywhere?

James

[Turby]

Have you considered registering on the Castle Combe Circuit forum and asking there ?

I think you will be lucky to find a race team next door to railway station though!

[jonners]

Originally Posted by Jamesd

Hi

Does anybody knows of any companys that deal with road cars or races cars would be ideal as that would give me the best amount of experience.

Anybody know of anywhere?

James

Dialynx as mentioned above - web address below


http://www.dialynx.co.uk/

[Colin_M]

Hello, i am 17 and currently attend South Tyneside College doing my A-Levels. My aim is to go to uni and do a motorsport engineering course, or maybe drop out and go to the National College for Motorsport. I was just wondering if anyone will need help while racing at croft circuit next season or while testing? or if anyone knows of any teams that will need help at croft?

Thanks

[Robin_D]

Hi Colin,

Welcome to 10ths

May I also suggest if you are in the North East and can't travel too far about becoming a marshal?

Just pop into the marshals forum and someone will help

[Jamesd]

Hi

On combe forum, not much on there, and will try that one in swindon

Thanks

[Colin_M]

thanks robin

[AU N EGL]

Hey Colin - Also welcome to 10ths.

Many race teams can use help in the shop, before and after the races. Not just at the races.

Race cars take hours of prperation before each race.

Good Luck

[Colin_M]

Thanks AU N EGL. The only team near to be is robertshaw racing but i have tried them

[Speedy1]

having an had the pleasure of having a hard working lad helping around the shop over summer break ....
I have to say: good on ya mate!
of course the glamor is the car prep shop
don't forget to ask at the bike or kart prep shops
any wise machine, composite, or welding fab shop will want to review your CV
it's all good knowledge to have

best O luck

[ss_collins]

drop out and go to the National College for Motorsport.

Stick with your current plan (and avoid going there - its rep aint as good as its marketing). If you can't find help here - just go to Croft on race days and wander round at dawn everyone offering to help - I assure you your offer will be accepted. Do that at every meeting. Work as hard as your body permits - allow yourself to be treated like scum/slave. Its worth it - your attitude is spot on - keep it up

If want advice on unis feel free to email me - sam_collins@ipcmedia.com (mods don't worry - my addy is public domain). Though my advice will include getting a subscription to RCE!

[ss_collins]

Mods is it worth merging all the student threads together (there are likely to be more)? - James - see my advice to Colin on the other thread same applies to you - just change Croft to Combe.

Are you at Lackham/Combe if so the guys there are bloody good, I'm planning on visiting again soon so feel free to come and have a chat. I'll help you as much as I can

[ss_collins]

again see my advice to the others (james & colin). However you seem to be at a higher level. Realistically for a masters there are only two options Oxford Brookes or of course Cranfield and the other courses listed here.

You may be better off coming here - doing a crap job (supermarket/sales etc) and working free for a year for one of the many intermediate constructors developing thier aero - that project will get you job offers I assure you. Give me a shout if you want - my details are on the other thread

[Colin_M]

on a wednesday i have been helping out at HRS motorsport who are a karting team. British and european champions.

[ss_collins]

Excellent well done. Thats exactly the stuff you need to be doing