DSR and IUPUI share latest technology to improve on-track performance
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net DSR AND IUPUI SHARE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE ON-TRACK PERFORMANCE BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Jan. 16, 2010) - Lee Beard, team manager at Don Schumacher Racing, announced today that DSR and the Motorsports Engineering program at Indiana Univ. Purdue Univ. at Indianapolis (IUPUI) have united to develop a comprehensive program to help advance the performance of DSR Top Fuel teams in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Following the trend set by IndyCar and Formula 1 teams in recent years, DSR will work with IUPUI engineering students on exclusive research-and-development projects to improve engine, clutch and chassis components, using technologies such as 3D Modeling, Finite Stress Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics. An office has been set up at DSR's Brownsburg, Ind., facility where a number of IUPUI students and faculty will work closely with Beard and the other DSR Top Fuel crew chiefs. "After the IUPUI Motorsports Engineering Program was formed last year," said Beard, who oversees all team operations at DSR, "I thought it would provide a great opportunity for the students to work on actual hands-on engineering projects while at the same time fulfilling DSR's need to scientifically develop race-car components and chassis. "While the students are advancing their knowledge of motorsports engineering, we at DSR are benefiting from their efforts as well as the technologies they are learning." Although the program is presently limited to the Top Fuel dragsters in DSR's fleet (the U.S. Army car driven by Tony Schumacher; the FRAM entry driven by Cory McClenathan and the Matco Tools dragster piloted by Antron Brown), future projects are expected to include the DSR Funny Cars and Pro Stock Motorcycles as well. Added Peter Hylton, IUPUI Director of Motorsports: "This project gives our students a chance to get close to one of the top teams in auto racing and it gives DSR an opportunity to see what the new crop of engineers is like and at the same time learn a little bit from each other. "Also, one of the great improvements in the last few years has been to use the computer capabilities to reduce the actual time and cost of testing on the race track, as well as the expense of using a wind tunnel, which is also very time-consuming. "This effort will ultimately help both DSR and and our students understand how to maximize that advantage. "This is intended to be a long-term relationship between IUPUI and DSR and we would continue to have students and faculty working with DSR for a number of years on multiple projects," Hylton continued. "Who knows, one or more of them may find themselves working at DSR after graduation." Said team owner Don Schumacher: "It is definitely the right time to step into the future to help advance drag-racing technology. Our goal is to not only improve the performance of our race cars on the 1000-foot drag strip, but to advance racing safety, while helping educate motorsports engineering students. The partnership between DSR and IUPUI is very important to how we approach professional drag racing in the future." About Don Schumacher Racing: Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., consists of six professional NHRA teams: the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher; the FRAM dragster of Cory McClenathan, and the Matco Tools dragster of Antron Brown. The Funny Car teams are the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge driven by Ron Capps, the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge piloted by Jack Beckman, and the shelor.com Dodge driven by Matt Hagan. Since 1998, Don Schumacher Racing teams have won 136 national events in 260 final rounds, and eight world championships. More information may be found on http://www.shoeracing.com. About Motorsports at IUPUI: Located in the heart of Indianapolis, the ŗracing capital of the world,˛ IUPUI has much to offer in motorsports, and its programs are producing impressive results and garnering national attention. In 2008, IUPUI became the first university in the United States to offer a bacheloršs degree in motorsports engineering, and the university continues to improve and develop programs to encompass various aspects of the sport. From a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Motorsports Engineering and a Motorsports Technology Certificate offered by the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, to a variety of motorsports business management courses offered through the Continuing Education Department of the IUPUI Community Learning Network, the motorsports programs at IUPUI continue to grow. For additional information about motorsports at IUPUI, visit http://www.engr.iupui.edu/motorsports. About IUPUI: Created as a partnership between two world-renowned universities and destined to be the statešs urban research and academic health sciences campus, IUPUI has rapidly grown in size and stature since it was established in 1969. The partnership between the statešs two major public universities Indiana University and Purdue University enables IUPUI to bring together a tremendous range of degree programs in 21 schools and academic units for nearly 30,000 students who earn their degrees from Indiana University or Purdue University. Today, IUPUI is the third strong pillar supporting public higher education in Indiana. For more information on IUPUI, go to http://www.iupui.edu. ***
