Racing in 40 Years

For this week’s blog I would like to reach out to the readers for some of their ADVICE! For the past few months I’ve been challenged with the task of developing a concept for the future of motor racing in the year 2050. This project is funded by Volkswagen so along with developing a concept for the future of motor racing I also have to keep them in the loop by incorporating their design language. Which is very challenging due to VW’s lack of racing history. 

                Along with the VW concept I have also recently been selected to participate in Ferrari’s 2014 World Design Challenge. In this competition 7 of the top design schools from all over the WORLD were chosen to select 6 of their students to produce a maximum of 3 fifth scale models that will represent the school. The models will be displayed at the Ferrari complex in Maranello, Italy in July. From there the winners will be selected. The brief for this project is to design a future mid-engine Ferrari for the year 2040. With Ferrari’s essentially being race cars it makes this project right up my alley!

                So between these two projects you could say I have been a little busy, But I’ve managed to put together some of my concepts and ideas for these projects and would love for anybody to give me a little advice on the concepts, designs, or ANY opinions on what they would like to see in the future of motor racing. I know most of my friends and followers here are REAL gearheads and racers so I would love to hear any of their input! Getting advice from REAL racers is very important to me so feel free to tell me what you REALLY think, the good, the bad, and the UGLY!

p.s. just keep in mind the job of a designer is to get the pretend gearheads (suit wearers) excited about the future. So incorporating FAR OUT star trek technologies is usually a must! 

 

Cowl Art

Probably my favorite thing to design and paint. DRAGSTER COWLS!

Vintage Spint Cars

                This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the vintage show at Lawrenceburg Speedway. For those of you who aren't familiar with my brother and I you will find out our number one influence on all of our builds, designs and LIVES in general comes from racing (particularly open wheel dirt track) 

                Every year Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg Indiana host a vintage night which gives vintage race car owners and drivers the chance to bring their cars out and drive them at FULL SPEED around the track in between the heat races at an actual USAC sprint car race. There are very few tracks around the country that will let vintage race cars make actual HARD laps due to insurance and liability issues, but each year Lawrenceburg Speedway persistently puts on a better and better show

                Events like this that keep the history alive are extremely important to the sprint car community. Just like the history of anything the history of dirt track racing provides a window to the past that gives future generations a look at the evolution of racing. 

                Seeing vintage race cars in a museum is one thing but actually seeing these cars FLYING around a race track at 100+ MPH will give anybody a memory they will not forget. So BRAVO to Lawrenceburg Speedway and the few other race tracks around the country that throw caution to the wind and allow these vintage race cars to make full speed laps. These type of events will always have a significant importance in sprint car racing.  

The Future of Racing

Have you ever wondered what that future of motor racing will be? Well,I am currently working on a project that is going to attempt to answer that question. Being a student at the College for Creative Studies each semester I am given an opportunity to design a conceptual vehicle through one of the many sponsored studio classes. The sponsors for these studios are always one of the giants in the auto industry who help us in several ways to develop some of the most innovative vehicles that the world has ever seen!

This semester I am participating in a Volkswagen sponsored studio. Volkswagens design brief was simply to design a car for yourself in the year 2050. So NATURALLY I chose to do a  race car!

So now I’m faced with the question of, What will motor racing be like in 35 years? Right out of the gate I decided that fossil fuels will be a thing of the past. I truly enjoy todays forms of racing that utilize internal combustion engines but with all the HIPPIES complaining about the effects on the environment I just can't see them still being around. So from there I gave myself the question of how can we still keep racing COOL while becoming eco-friendly.

I have already came up with several solutions but before I give you guys my thoughts I would like to hear yours! So feel free to comment and let me know what YOU think the future of motor racing will hold!

Worlds Fastest Sprint Car

Congrats to Damion Gardner on being the FIRST to break the 200 MPH mark in a sprint car! Check out this killer video that gives a little back story on Damion and the entire project!