Race Mechanic & Performance Engineering Assistant
Overview
I work with Simon Green Motorsport during Britcar Endurance and Club Enduro race weekends, combining hands-on mechanical work with vehicle setup, strategy, and performance analysis.
Before each session, I prepare and check the car, manage tires and pressures, and complete any required mechanical work. Throughout the weekend, I also make pit stops, maintain the garage setup, complete post-session checks, full vehicle setups, and implement setup changes based on driver feedback/data.
What have I learned?
Working with Simon Green Motorsport has shown me how a real race weekend operates and how much work goes on behind the scenes to keep the car running properly. Even at this level, the car needs constant checking, setup changes, and small fixes throughout the weekend.
One of the biggest things I have learned is how important driver feedback is. The drivers have different levels of experience, so part of the challenge is understanding what they are feeling and turning that into a useful setup change. Sometimes the issue is clear in the data; other times, it comes down to asking the right questions and helping the driver explain what the car is doing.
I have also gained a much better understanding of tire management. Tire pressures, temperatures, conditions, and operating windows can have a major effect on both performance and driver confidence. If the tires are not working properly, the driver can lose confidence very quickly, even if the rest of the car is performing well.
The endurance format has also taught me the importance of preparation and planning. This includes checking fuel usage, calculating fuel requirements, planning pit stops, and ensuring the car is ready for long runs. Working alongside the head engineer has helped me understand how all of these smaller decisions come together during a race weekend.
Strategy and Performance Analysis
I contribute to pre-race planning and live strategy by tracking lap times, race position, pit windows, Safety Car periods, fuel usage, and what the other cars are doing.
During the race, the strategy can change very quickly. A Safety Car, slower traffic, a change in pace, or an unexpected pit stop can completely change the plan, so it is important to keep reviewing the situation rather than relying on one fixed strategy.
Fuel is also a major part of this. I help calculate fuel usage and estimate whether the car can reach the end of a stint or race without adding unnecessary weight. These calculations are simple, but they need to be accurate and updated as the race develops.
After each session, I speak with the drivers, review tire conditions, check fuel consumption, and review timing and telemetry data. The aim is to understand what happened, whether the setup changes worked, and what should be adjusted next. This could be a change to tire pressures, vehicle balance, driving approach, or the overall race plan.
Skills Developed
Race Operations
Vehicle Preparation | Pit Stops | Garage Operations | Tire Management | Post-Session Checks
Vehicle Setup and Performance
Vehicle Setup | Driver Feedback Analysis | Tire Behavior | Timing Analysis | Telemetry Analysis
Race Strategy
Pre-Race Planning | Fuel Calculations | Pit Windows | Safety Car Strategy | Competitor Monitoring
Data and Software
Python | VBOX | Motorsport Data Visualization | Race Data Analysis
