Variable Ratio Rack and Pinion Steering Technology Wins 2008 BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award From SAE Indiana Section

INDIANAPOLIS, -- Bishop Steering Technology's variable ratio rack and pinion steering, new to the 92nd Indianapolis 500 race, is the winner of the BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award presented by the Indiana Section of SAE International.

Engineers Andrew Heathershaw, Soungjin Wou and Nick Belonogoff of Bishop Steering Technology and Andrea Toso from Dallara Chassis will be honored with the 42nd annual award for their work in the development and implementation of this technology for Indy cars.

The variable ratio rack and pinion steering technology developed by Bishop, whose North American facility is located in Indianapolis, offers a number of driver performance benefits:

  --  reduces driver fatigue by improved ease in steering;
  --  enables more efficient pit entry and exit;
  --  provides improved safety maneuver avoidance.

"Steering with feeling," is how Heathershaw, Bishop's manager of vehicle dynamics in Sydney, Australia, describes the technology. "The driver relies on this steering feel to judge how the tires and chassis are working to enable the driver to make appropriate steering inputs to control the vehicle."

The BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award, presented to engineers by engineers, acknowledges individuals with the courage and passion to explore and develop new concepts in racing technology. BorgWarner sponsors this prestigious $10,000 award, which is presented by the Indiana Section of SAE International. The winners' names are added to a permanent trophy on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

In addition, SAE International, recent winner of a National Science Foundation award for public service, gives the winning engineers' choice of university $1,000. If at least one of the former engineers is an alum of SAE's Collegiate Design Series (one of the programs honored by the NSF), the award to the school of choice is doubled.