History of Motorsport Technology Conference
Next conference: July 2014
In association with our media partner MotorSport Magazine
The History of Motorsport Technology Conference was an integral part of National Motorsport Week 2012, held between the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Leading motorsport engineers and designers who have contributed to the sector’s key technological developments and internationally recognised motorsport writers presented their work at Cranfield University. Presentations covered the context in which these developments took place including the development of the motorsport technology cluster in the UK.
Organised by Clive Temple, Programme Director, MSc Motorsport Engineering and Management at Cranfield University, this was the first in a series of conferences dedicated to the history of motorsport technology. Cranfield University recognises the contributions of engineers, designers and the writers who have charted these developments. The next conference is planned for July 2014.
Presenters included:
- Peter Wright, FIA and former Managing Director of Lotus Engineering and Technical Director of Team Lotus - Welcome and Keynote address
- Charles Armstrong-Wilson, freelance journalist and former Editor of Racecar Engineering - The lost prophet; How ground effect was proposed for racing cars half a century before it was adopted
- David Tremayne, freelance motorsport writer and co-founder of Grand Prix+. FIA Records Commission Member. UK land speed record challenger. Former Editor of Motor Sport Magazine - Technology and the Land Speed Record
- Mark Hughes, Autosport Grand Prix reporter, F1 Technical Analyst Sky Sports, and F1 Correspondent to the Sunday Times - The major schools of motorsport engineering
- Joe Saward, writer and co-founder of GrandPrix+ and former Grand Prix Editor of Autosport - The problem with secrets and lies
- Karl Ludvigsen, internationally respected author, consultant and former Executive of Ford, GM and Fiat - Engineering insights from an innovator’s career: the remarkable Colin Chapman
- Mike Pilbeam, Managing Director, Pilbeam Racing Designs. Former Chief Designer at BRM - F1 race car design and development in the 1960s and 1970s
- Graham Humphrys*, Chief Engineer, GT 1 Design and ex-March, Spice, Lola, RML, Williams and Aston Martin - Group C: a decade of change
- Brian O'Rourke, Chief Composites Engineer, Williams F1 - F1 Impact and structural testing since the 1980’s
- Graham Campion, Business Development Manager, Cranfield Motorsport Simulation - History of motorsport simulation
- Neil Spalding, Director Sigma Performance, Moto GP journalist and Author 'MotoGP Technology', Eurosport MotoGP technical commentator - Hondas RC211V; It was all in the metal
- Chris Aylett, CEO of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) and Professor Mark Jenkins, Cranfield University, F1 Professor - Motorsport Valley UK; past, present and future
Mick Hill of Creative Data AG submitted his visual work which covered technical developments. Alongside there were a number of poster presentations and displays:
- Dr Mark Craig, Cranfield University - Surface Engineering and Motorsport; Looking to the Future
- Luke Crowley, Cranfield alumnus - Radial Engagement Gearboxes in Motorsport: a History
- Craig Scarborough – Illustrations and Explanations of Formula 1 Technology
- Mick Hill - Technical Illustration and Photorealistic Art with a Digital brush
- John Waghorn – Matra Engine Type MS76 V12
- Clive Temple - Mercedes Benz F0 110F Formula 1 Engine
Iconic competition cars and bikes were exhibited - view the History of Motorsport Technology Conference photo album at FlickR.
Following the conference there was a reception and dinner. Guest of honour was three times F1 World Champion, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE. Other guests included Nick Fry, CEO of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1, Steve Parrish, BBC Moto GP Commentator and racer, and Ciaron Pilbeam, Race Engineer for Red Bull's Mark Webber, alumnus of Cranfield University. Radio Le Mans' John Hindhaugh was the dinner's MC.
* In recognition of William Boddy MBE, the Bill Boddy Award for the best presentation was presented to Graham Humphrys.
Cranfield is one of the world’s leading university centres for motorsport. The University has been actively engaged in motorsport research, consultancy, education and testing since the 1970s. Cranfield’s facilities are second to none and include the Cranfield Impact Centre and Cranfield Motorsport Simulation.
