*Motorsport Book Recomendation*

**Steve J.** · 02-18-2005, 02:59 PM

This is a post full of recomendations for great books to read for the track, whether it be about driving, or how to design what % ackerman in your steering/suspension system, or just a general how to on driving/racing, it would nice to have a compilation for anyone to come and read.

Quick note, www.sae.org has almost all the books that will be on this list (or should be anyways).

To start it off, here's a book I recently picked up, its called, "Hands-on Race Car Engineer."

The Topics include:
Assembling the car
Geometric Setup
Testing, Practice, and Qualifying
Racing
Essential Spares and Equipment
Transporters
The workshop
Electrical systems and data logging
Accident repairs
nuts and bolts
keeping records
accounting and budget control

Its a very easy book to read, if you are have a PHD or are still in high school its a great read amd moreso a reference.

You can order it from SAE at: http://www.sae.org/servlets/productD...&PROD_CD=R-323

**shopkins** · 02-18-2005, 07:31 PM

Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley

Great book about driving - easy enough to understand for a beginner.

**Geo31** · 02-18-2005, 08:27 PM

Fantastic idea Steve! Absolutely this should be a sticky.

**M3 Pete** · 02-18-2005, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by shopkins

Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley

Great book about driving - easy enough to understand for a beginner.

yup, and if I can find where the hell my wife put the other two Ross Bentley books that I ordered at the same time, Speed Secrets 2 and Inner Speed Secrets, I might be able to comment on them!

I see that Amazon is now selling Speed Secrets 4, just out this month!

Amazon sells each of them for $12.21, so the whole set costs less than $50, and at that point you get free shipping ...

**Steve J.** · 02-19-2005, 12:19 AM

I guess I'll just list the racing related books on my desk, as they are all some of the best available (then we also have materials and process in manufacturing,, the mechanical design process, mechanics of materials, the engineering book list is about 15 long so i'll stop there haha).

A given is the compelte Carroll Smith set, thats standard

(Tune to win, drive to win, engineer to win, engineer your pocket, etc)

"The Racing and high performance tire" by Paul Haney

"Race Car aerodynamics by Joseph Katz

"Competition car Data Logging" by Simon Mcbeath

I dont have it but am aggressively trying to find "Data power" by Buddy Fey (if you are luck to have this its worth a LOT)

"Race car engineering and mechanics" by Paul Van Valkenburgh

And for those Machinist out there the "Machinist handbook," or the cheaper "shop reference" is a must have.

For the more advanced people who are looking to design thier own suspension or just learn about the specific engineering design behind the geometry and the system dynamics, The Milliken Family has some top notch stuff. Again www.sae.org bookstore for it all.

if you plan on buying a lot of books, become an SAE member, it has quite a few benefits to it. Luckily I only pay $10/yr

**Z3Jonathan** · 02-19-2005, 02:36 AM

Originally Posted by 95m3racer

I guess I'll just list the racing related books on my desk, as they are all some of the best available (then we also have materials and process in manufacturing,, the mechanical design process, mechanics of materials, the engineering book list is about 15 long so i'll stop there haha).

A given is the compelte Carroll Smith set, thats standard

(Tune to win, drive to win, engineer to win, engineer your pocket, etc)

"The Racing and high performance tire" by Paul Haney

"Race Car aerodynamics by Joseph Katz

"Competition car Data Logging" by Simon Mcbeath

I dont have it but am aggressively trying to find "Data power" by Buddy Fey (if you are luck to have this its worth a LOT)

"Race car engineering and mechanics" by Paul Van Valkenburgh

And for those Machinist out there the "Machinist handbook," or the cheaper "shop reference" is a must have.

For the more advanced people who are looking to design thier own suspension or just learn about the specific engineering design behind the geometry and the system dynamics, The Milliken Family has some top notch stuff. Again www.sae.org bookstore for it all.

if you plan on buying a lot of books, become an SAE member, it has quite a few benefits to it. Luckily I only pay $10/yr

Haney's book is really good. He hosted a seminar at our University last year about designing and tuning suspension systems for the tire. Overall, very nice guy, and always willing to chat.

**Steve J.** · 02-19-2005, 02:43 AM

Originally Posted by Z3Jonathan

Haney's book is really good. He hosted a seminar at our University last year about designing and tuning suspension systems for the tire. Overall, very nice guy, and always willing to chat.

Yes its a great book, a little more advanced then some, but still a pretty straight forward read.

The basis of suspension design is based on Tire Data. There is a reason companies want 5 figures for thier Basic Tire Data packets....Its unreal. Fortunately fsae teams are provided with a very basic set of data from a certain company but its still nothing like what some fsae teams have done as for thier own research. Everything is based off the tire, so quality core tire data is key in developing a specific suspension system.

**Geo31** · 02-19-2005, 07:34 AM

It's not a true techie book, but The Unfair Advantage is a must read. The information is old and the tech stuff is not terribly detailed, but it gives some interesting insight into car development. It also is illuminating in that the average autocrosser today knows more about suspension development than Penske Racing did in the late sixties, early seventies.

**jayhudson** · 02-19-2005, 08:52 AM

I stickied the thread and fixed the title. Lets try to keep it about the books and not the opinions. Great idea.

Jay

**Steve J.** · 02-19-2005, 10:38 AM

Thanks Mr. Jayhundson(and for thetitle fix

)

I think a a title, auther (If possible) and what its about briefly.

**Z3Jonathan** · 02-19-2005, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by 95m3racer

Yes its a great book, a little more advanced then some, but still a pretty straight forward read.

The basis of suspension design is based on Tire Data. There is a reason companies want 5 figures for thier Basic Tire Data packets....Its unreal. Fortunately fsae teams are provided with a very basic set of data from a certain company but its still nothing like what some fsae teams have done as for thier own research. Everything is based off the tire, so quality core tire data is key in developing a specific suspension system.

Agreed.... a good suspension design begins right at the contact patch of the tire. A good starting point for any FSAE suspension team would be to either buy Haney's book, or have him come out and give a lecture through SAE's Industrial Lectureship program.

Another good book is "Tires, Suspension, and Handling" by John C. Dixon. Its also available from SAE press. A little long winded and not nearly as complete as say Miliken and Miliken, but its a good book nonetheless.

Edit:

Anyone interested in learning about tires should check out Paul Haney's website:

http://www.insideracingtechnology.com/

It previews some of the information contained within his book, and details some of his encounters in motorsports. If anyone wants to know how to get "invovled" in motorsports, Paul is a great guy to talk to.

**Steve J.** · 02-19-2005, 11:31 PM

Any suspension design is going to or should be based off tire data. Its just tough to get a manufacturers tire data, its usually a private/manufacturer teams responsibility (i.e. read funding) to do the tire testing, which is a couple million if done properly.

**CorgiCoupe** · 02-20-2005, 07:39 PM

In addition to the Ross Bentley Speed Secrets, I would add:
"Going Faster" written by Carl Lopes of the Skip Barber Racing School, and
"The Technique of Motor Racing" by Piero Taruffi. This one has a 68 page chapter on cornering!

**RobH** · 02-28-2005, 09:57 AM

Ross Bently's book is good, but 'Going Faster' is better. I would read Bently's book first because he does a good job of explaining things to a novice, but then follow it up with the Skip Barber book.

Another book I would highly recommend is 'the Unfair Advantage' by Mark Donohue. There is lots of great information as he goes into some detail about each car he developed and drove. It is also interesting as an autobiography of a great driver and engineer.

**roach** · 03-09-2005, 06:11 PM

I am sure everyone already knows this one, but "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics." I think this is a most own.

**Vrooom** · 03-09-2005, 08:55 PM

Caroll Smith - Drive to Win
Ross Bentley - Inner Speed Secrets
Ross Bentley - Speed Secrets 2

**Tourenwagen** · 03-15-2005, 09:17 AM

Ah nice one Steve. The kind of parked thread I like.

I've mentioned this before in other posts but if anyone here on this forum is in college I strongly suggest seeing if your school has a Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) program. If you are not in engineering it will be a little difficult to get your foot into the door but you will still learn a lot regardless.

As for any other person, I highly recommend joining SAE like Steve mentioned and surfing the world of books and papers they have to offer. You will get a copy of Automotive Engineering each month and weekly you will receive pamphlets on automotive seminars that are available to go to.

As for books, a simple search on SAE will overwhelm you with reading.

Barry

**robepa** · 03-29-2005, 01:12 PM

Great topic! I see a few more book purchases in my future.

The internal combustion engine in theory and practice volume 1 & 2 by Charles Fayette Taylor has a massive amount of good info. Geared towards the engineer/hard core gear head.
Cheers
Paul

**Steve J.** · 03-29-2005, 02:24 PM

I was just looking at the shelf in our fsae office, and see another good book to suggest, more for builders and race teams, but it can help anyone really.

Competiion car controls (controls and insturmentation, driver safety and support systems, clothing, communication, cooling) by Ian Bamsey and Alan Lis

**LUTFY** · 04-04-2005, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by 95m3racer

I was just looking at the shelf in our fsae office, and see another good book to suggest, more for builders and race teams, but it can help anyone really.

Competiion car controls (controls and insturmentation, driver safety and support systems, clothing, communication, cooling) by Ian Bamsey and Alan Lis

Any good read on Sponsorships? Ross Bentley recommends Sponsorship and the World of Motor Racing by Guy Edwards but its out of print. What say? TIA

**Steve J.** · 04-04-2005, 06:38 PM

Thats a tough one...depends on what types pf sponsorships, what type of racing, what type of corporation, etc. You might want to just go to amazon/B&N and see if they have anything on getting corporate sponsorship from coprations/companies about investment.

For GT/touring racing, its mostly going to be personal connections until you get to at the least a USTCC type sanctioned race, and then Rolex grand am, WC, etc. If we're talking Pro Formula Series, or even some of the higher ranked amatuer series for sports racers or formula car's, its going to either be a family business backed operation, or a third party investor, or anything really. Its mostly business stuff, not directly related to motorsports though.

**dak656** · 04-04-2005, 09:00 PM

Formula 1 Technology by Peter Wright... and his Ferrari Formula 1 book is a great read but not much technically...

the Shock Absorber Handbook by John Dixon...

An Introduction to Race Car Engineering by Warren Rowley... great because it introduces computer simulation (and includes a trial copy of Bill Mitchell's software)... the mitchell software has some bugs but most are way too complex for club racing

Racing Chassis and Suspension Design, ed. Carroll Smith (the Great One - seriously he is the MAN - and wrote many great books) - this book is a collection of SAE white papers hand picked by Carroll

RCVD by Milliken and Milliken, duh... the Bible of race car books

A good statics and dynamics book, i like the one by Hibbeler

System Dynamics by Katsuhiko Ogata... kinda dry but very good info if you would like to model dynamic systems.... like car suspensions...

A book on Excel and VBA programming, if you're not a geek and know it already

The Multibody Systems Approach to Vehicle Dynamics by Mike Blundell and Damian Harty...

and finally, the real deal is attending one of Claude Rouelle's seminars. I can't say enough about this guy. I am considering going and working for him... he's that good. His way of putting things into common terms and (quite literally) forcing you to understand vehicle dynamics is truly incredible. Well worth the money. I know people that have attended it two or three times.

**LUTFY** · 04-21-2005, 05:17 PM

Going Faster by Skip Barber is also on DVD. Interesting (altough a bit short).

**Nvious** · 06-04-2005, 02:16 PM

I say "Going Faster" too, i've read it numerous times. Good book!!

**CdnR328i** · 07-04-2005, 11:23 PM

nobody mentioned:

Secrets of Solo RacingSecrets of Solo Racing
-by Henry A. Watts

Very easy to understand.

Thread: Motorsport Book Recomendation

Thread Tools