Advantage on the Race Track
Racecar performance is measured by speed, lap times, and driver rankings. But the foundation of these metrics is the engineering of the car, including the engine, suspension, and body design. Aerodynamics and airflow management plays a vital role in every aspect of vehicle engineering, and balance is required between aerodynamic drag, down force, lift balance, lateral force and moment, and cooling flow rates for the engine and brakes.
A common factor among various race cars and high-performance vehicles is that aerodynamic devices such as wings, splitter plates, spoilers, and underbody ground effects are used to capture high pressure on the upper surfaces of the vehicle, and create suction on lower surfaces. These devices often produce highly transient flow features such as vortices and wakes, which must be well-understood in order to tune the vehicle shape. Insight into the aerodynamic behavior leads to ideas for improvement, and ultimately to reduced lap times