Formula (Non-wing) Quick Start Learning Guide
Get started on your race car project today with this Quick Start Learning Guide to help you choose books that will provide the best initial value, information and guidance.
Tips On Choosing Wingless Formula Car Books
As the formula car is scratch-built and often races in a very narrow performance band, we suggest you start with a solid understanding of vehicle dynamics that will enable you to maximize the performance of the car through your design.
Other good books to consider would be chassis/suspension design, motorcycle-engine powered race car design, metal and composites fabrication and fasteners/metallurgy. Although not winged, aerodynamics still play a significant role in racing where the engine power is close, and so books on aero design should be considered as well. Depending on how your design or concept evolves, other categories should be considered.
| Book Category | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerodynamics |  Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed  (5 / 5)An in-depth and comprehensive guide to race car aerodynamic theory and practice. It covers everything a designer needs to know--from basic theory and aero devices (i.e. wings, venturis, diffusers, spoilers and more) to their applications on different types of race cars. Written with the non-engineer in mind, it also provides many examples and diagrams that show how to optimize the air flow around and through a race vehicle. Get "Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed":    | |||
| Chassis |  Chassis Engineering: Chassis Design, Building & Tuning for High Performance Handling  (4.5 / 5)Chassis Engineering is a great introduction to race car design. In a practical and down-to-earth way, it covers the fundamentals of how race cars handle and the requirements for designing and constructing a car. The book includes chapters on chassis design, suspension design, frame construction, aerodynamics and tuning. Overall it provides the reader with the foundation of how the key components of a race car work and interact together. Get "Chassis Engineering: Chassis Design, Building & Tuning for High Performance Handling": | |||
| Chassis |  The Race Car Chassis : Design, Structures and Materials for Road, Drag and Circle Track Open- and Closed-Wheel Chassis  (4 / 5)Aspiring designers will find Forbes Aird's book on chassis design to be a good introduction to the fundamental purposes, structures and materials of race car (or road car) chassis. What the book might lack in formulas and design calculations, it makes up for in sheer breadth of chassis design and construction ideas. It provides sufficient information to the reader to leave them with a solid understanding of the various chassis types, materials and construction so they can make informed choices about designing their own chassis. Get "The Race Car Chassis : Design, Structures and Materials for Road, Drag and Circle Track Open- and Closed-Wheel Chassis": | |||
| Fasteners/Joining |  Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook (5 / 5)Teaches how to use the correct fasteners and fastener materials. This book includes extensive information on fatigue properties, joints, mounts, and vehicle plumbing. Get "Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook": | |||
| General |  Racecar: Searching for the Limit in Formula SAE (4.5 / 5)An account of the experiences of students involved in the Formula SAE university race car design and construction contest. Get "Racecar: Searching for the Limit in Formula SAE": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Engineer To Win: The essential guide to racing car materials technology (5 / 5)A comprehensive, easy-to-read guide on metallurgy (metal properties), fastening and plumbing. The book applies this information to many aspects of race cars with the goal of building cars that do not break or leak. Get "Engineer To Win: The essential guide to racing car materials technology": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Metal Fabricator's Handbook (4 / 5)Teaches welding techniques, metal forming, hammerforming and practical metal fabrication projects. Project include forming custom body panels, tanks, roll cages/safety cells and exhaust headers. Get "Metal Fabricator's Handbook": | |||
| Suspension |  Suspension Geometry and Computation (4 / 5)Teaches detailed theory, analysis and examples for designing suspension geometries. This is an advanced and very detailed design book that provides an engineering-level understanding of suspension design which is recommended for automotive engineering students. Get "Suspension Geometry and Computation": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146) (5 / 5)A comprehensive book on the vehicle dynamics of race cars (and applicable to road cars). Includes the most in-depth theoretical knowledge about vehicle handling, suspension and dynamics available in a single book. Along with clear explanations of principles there is a large mathematical component for engineering design. Can be used as a university textbook for vehicle engineering/Formula SAE/Student. Get "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146)": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Race Car Vehicle Dynamics: Problems, Answers and Experiments (5 / 5)Companion student workbook of problems, answers and experiments for readers of the Race Car Vehicle Dynamics book. Get "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics: Problems, Answers and Experiments": | |||
| Whole Car (Design and Build) |  How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars (4 / 5)How to design and construct a motorcycle engine powered race car. This book explains how select and integrate the engine into a car as well as the design of the other aspects such as chassis, powertrain, brakes, fuel, coolant and electrics. Get "How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars": | |||
| Whole Car (Design) |  Race Car Design (4.5 / 5)Explains the fundamental design of chassis, suspension, steering, brakes, transmission and fuel systems in race cars. Specifically mentioned is its usefulness for Formula SAE/Formula Student engineering students involved in race car design. Get "Race Car Design": | |||
| Whole Car (Design) |  Red Bull Racing F1 Car: An Insight into the Technology, Engineering, Maintenance and Operation of the World Championship-Winning Red Bull Racing RB6 (5 / 5)Created in the format of a Haynes auto repair manual, this book includes photographs and information about the design of the Red Bull RB6 Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey. For aspiring race car designers, it provides a close up view to components and insights into their design and optimization. Get "Red Bull Racing F1 Car: An Insight into the Technology, Engineering, Maintenance and Operation of the World Championship-Winning Red Bull Racing RB6": |
More Information
For complete information on the design and construction of the Formula (Non-wing) race car type and a full listing of books and learning resources, see our Formula (Non-wing) race car type article.