The greatest ever racing engineers thread

[xpensive]

So are we talking about design engineers rather than race engineers? Because Colin Chapman was both, as was Mauro Forghieri, but John Barnard and Gordon Murray were just design engineers I thought..

What's the name of the thread Felix?

[tuj]

Jim Hall. Brilliant cars.

[marcush.]

One not so obvious hero of mine is Mo Nunn who had some shoestring designs in Formula 1 which went a lot better than you would have thought possible considering the recources available. He embarked on a career in US single seaters as a race engineer with Ganassi and this led to many many titles with Emerson Fittipaldi,Zanardi and Montoya...
Sadly two of his drivers -Reggazoni and Zanrdi suffered bad injury racing for him.
I think Mo Nunns efforts were absolutely astonishing.

[xpensive]

...
I think Mo Nunns efforts were absolutely astonishing.

Like Chris Amon qualifying 3rd at Anderstorp in 1976?

[-Felix-]

So are we talking about design engineers rather than race engineers? Because Colin Chapman was both, as was Mauro Forghieri, but John Barnard and Gordon Murray were just design engineers I thought..

What's the name of the thread Felix?

Might be my lack of english language knowledge, is there a difference between racing engineer and race engineer?
Like race engineer = responsible for the vehicle at the track, the setup, the strategy etc
racing engineer = engineer who is working/involved in motorsports in general?

[donskar]

One not so obvious hero of mine is Mo Nunn who had some shoestring designs in Formula 1 which went a lot better than you would have thought possible considering the recources available. He embarked on a career in US single seaters as a race engineer with Ganassi and this led to many many titles with Emerson Fittipaldi,Zanardi and Montoya...
Sadly two of his drivers -Reggazoni and Zanrdi suffered bad injury racing for him.
I think Mo Nunns efforts were absolutely astonishing.

Excellent point: doing much with little is commendable. I believe Aldo Costa turned out some worthy designs while at Minardi with very scant resources. (Or am I mis-remembering?)

[Ciro Pabón]

... race engineer = responsible for the vehicle at the track, the setup, the strategy etc
racing engineer = engineer who is working/involved in motorsports in general?

Felix, Felix, bad boy.

So, is it racing or race, oh, X-alted thread creator?

Good point.


The greatest racing engineer in history is Smokey Yunick, btw, so this thread (if it's about racing engineers) has ended effective NOW.

The sign says it all


Yunick also knew a few things about race engineering. One of the most important, to me at least, comes from this anecdote from his pal, Jim McFarland:

A NASCAR official had just walked through a gate exiting the pit area, exclaiming, "You can't do that Smokey. The car's already qualified." With his back to the official and drawing on his pipe, Smokey directed his guys to "Keep cuttin'." The official continued toward the car, repeating his warning. When he was about 10 feet away and with his back still turned away from the official, Smokey cautions him. "You can stop right there, Sonny. Then why don't you turn around, leave that gate you just came through open and tell Mr. France his pole car just went home."

Great race engineers are not sympathetic guys. It's very hard to work with them.

[xpensive]

...
So, is it racing or race, oh, X-alted thread creator?
...

Qué demonios, the forum's semantics-police at work, is it?

A racing engineer as the title indicates, is obviously not a race-engineer in the pits, but perhaps a racing-engineer?

If I knew how, which I emphatically do not, I would alter this thread's title to;

"The thread covering the greatest design-engineers ever involved in four-wheel racing, Formula 1 or otherwise."

[Pierce89]

Bill Riley Bruce Ashmore. Before anyone says they "were just in the US" go find out where Adrian Newey learned how to design and engineer cars.

[Ciro Pabón]

Qué demonios, the forum's semantics-police at work, is it?

Please, show us your license and registration...

... and step out of your thread with your keyboard over your head

[xpensive]

Gordon Murray's designs were always solid, even if he had to cope with the odd engines MrE came up with;



But this one didn't fly:

[-Felix-]

I honestly didn't want to make such a fuss about it, I just did not know better I was just asking because I thought racing engineer = race engineer and was confused when Murray was brought into game... So now I know!
And as an addition because we are talking about racing engineers, I'd like to bring this one!
Not chassis, but ...

[xpensive]

But here is the man who rocked Duckworth's world;

[GitanesBlondes]

Gerard Ducarouge

[xpensive]

Gerard Ducarouge ...

Which brings back the myth, or not, about what happened to Ligier after Jaques Lafitte's two wins in South America in 1979;

Ducarouge had scribbled down the suspension setting on a pack of cigarettes, but lost it on the way to the airport,
why most of the rest of the season was limited to guesswork. Probably not entirely true, but a great story anyways.