This isn’t the first time I’ve written an article about the dangers of dumbing down motor racing. I’ve touched on it frequently since, but in RE V32N4 I discussed at length the problem of spec formulae and the increasing regulation of tools such as data acquisition and dampers.
One of the recurring themes in any discussion on this topic is the creation of a generation of engineers who are fundamentally disconnected from the work they are doing and, consequently, can find themselves out of their depth when they make it to the big time. This is an abyss we must avoid at all costs, and will be the focus of this article.
As we roll into the 2024 season, the situation is worsening, not improving. Recently, I have done some work for customers in junior and cost-capped formulae such as the TCR Australia Touring Car Series. Here, my traditional lever of data pots would save these small teams a fortune in expensive testing, yet they are no longer available because the regulatory bodies, in their infinite ‘wisdom’,
