21 year old looking for volunteer work on a race team
Discussion
My name is Leanne Needham, i am a 21 year old girl who is doing a level 2 motorsport course at Leicester college and i am looking for some volunteer work for the summer. If anyone is interested or would like some more information feel free to contact me via my e-mail: leanne.needham@gmail.com.
Edited by leanne91 on Friday 7th December 21:20
Tony2or4 said:
I'm surprised that none of the lecturers on the course thought of giving the same sound advice as Bravonovember's.
This isn't ment to be nasty dig towards leicester college as I don't know how there corse is run, but a lot of colleges are now doing a "motorsport" courses as it attracts a lot of students thus the college gets more funding off the gov. Unfortunately the big wigs think that a motorsport and vehicle maintenance course are cut from the same cloth, what they arnt. So a vehicle maintenance lecturer would not be teaching the correct skills.A quick google search shows 20 diffrent colleges doing motorsport courses lets say they have on average 30 students each. The college i went to NC4M in silverstone takes on 90 now! Thats 600 wannabe apprentice what is complete saturation as there isn't that many motorsport teams in the UK.
leanne91 if you want to know how good your lecturers are ask them this simple question. 'You are running a modern single seater race car at lets say brands hatch. The driver comes down the pitlane, once stopped he has a brief chat with the race engineer. Who then tells you. "Up 1 1/2 flats on the rear." what part of the car is being adjusted?
I wouldn't be suprised if he didn't know. I did a welding evening course at a college that did "motorsport" the other year. They got the lads to strip and fit a bucket seat to a ford probe! I asked the motorsport lecturer the question above funnily enough he didn't know. Then again i a still a terrible TIG welder.
Don't get me started on motorsport degree's...
bravonovember said:
"Up 1 1/2 flats on the rear." what part of the car is being adjusted?
Dampers, Static Ride Height (or preload if droop limited), anti-roll bar, rear wing if using a threaded adjuster system...Besides, a driver probably wouldn't ask specifically for an adjustment, but would describe what the car is doing and discuss potential cures with the engineer. Otherwise they wouldn't need an engineer.
tristancliffe said:
bravonovember said:
"Up 1 1/2 flats on the rear." what part of the car is being adjusted?
Dampers, Static Ride Height (or preload if droop limited), anti-roll bar, rear wing if using a threaded adjuster system...Besides, a driver probably wouldn't ask specifically for an adjustment, but would describe what the car is doing and discuss potential cures with the engineer. Otherwise they wouldn't need an engineer.
Dan
djroadboy said:
Perhaps you should read the quoted post properly before trying to be a smart arse.
Dan
Okay, so the driver is talking to the engineer, and the engineer is talking to the mechanic. But the point remains that there are several things it could be referring to, so the example is poor. Hell, one and a half flats COULD refer to wheel nut tightness (but even I admit that's straining the point somewhat!).Dan
t.tristancliffe said:
bravonovember said:
"Up 1 1/2 flats on the rear." what part of the car is being adjusted?
Dampers, Static Ride Height (or preload if droop limited), anti-roll bar, rear wing if using a threaded adjuster system...Besides, a driver probably wouldn't ask specifically for an adjustment, but would describe what the car is doing and discuss potential cures with the engineer. Otherwise they wouldn't need an engineer.
Dampers: Guess it's running Koni 2612's??? All the engineer I have worked with wouldn't ask the above quote, have always been asked in Clicks, up or down for the etc
ARB: Again above quote wouldn't fit a blade style ARB of a f3 car.
Rear wing: Last car i worked on with a "threaded adjuster system" was a 1970's Formula 2 car. I did mention modern single seater.
Oh and Tristan what is your opinion on letting older F3 cars in britsh f3? Do you think it will hurt the F3 cup? Or are the entry fees far greater?
Ride Height: Ah now we're talking!
look pretty much every modern single seater from FF to GP2 have the same style rear suspension, ok ARB would probably be different and some aero cars may run a 3rd damper. I do think your argument was well a bit weak.
I am really for taken on young blood and actively encourage teams I work for to take on apprentices and pay them a fair wage. What a lot don't. I just feel some college's take advantage of young kids wanting to be a race mechanic taken the money off the gov. Then teach them skills what are completely useless as they don't have a clue about the motorsport industry.
Edited by bravonovember on Sunday 9th December 01:35
bravonovember said:
Don't want to start an argument, but lets take your Dallara F307, pretty sure I have worked on that car in it's past.
Dampers: Guess it's running Koni 2612's??? All the engineer I have worked with wouldn't ask the above quote, have always been asked in Clicks, up or down for the etc
ARB: Again above quote wouldn't fit a blade style ARB of a f3 car.
Rear wing: Last car i worked on with a "threaded adjuster system" was a 1970's Formula 2 car. I did mention modern single seater.
Oh and Tristan what is your opinion on letting older F3 cars in britsh f3? Do you think it will hurt the F3 cup? Or are the entry fees far greater?
Ride Height: Ah now we're talking!
look pretty much every modern single seater from FF to GP2 have the same style rear suspension, ok ARB would probably be different and some aero cars may run a 3rd damper. I do think your argument was well a bit weak.
Dampers - some run hexagonal adjusters, so flats would be an appropriate adjustment. Not on a Dallara F3 on Konis admittedly, but there are other cars/brands.Dampers: Guess it's running Koni 2612's??? All the engineer I have worked with wouldn't ask the above quote, have always been asked in Clicks, up or down for the etc
ARB: Again above quote wouldn't fit a blade style ARB of a f3 car.
Rear wing: Last car i worked on with a "threaded adjuster system" was a 1970's Formula 2 car. I did mention modern single seater.
Oh and Tristan what is your opinion on letting older F3 cars in britsh f3? Do you think it will hurt the F3 cup? Or are the entry fees far greater?
Ride Height: Ah now we're talking!
look pretty much every modern single seater from FF to GP2 have the same style rear suspension, ok ARB would probably be different and some aero cars may run a 3rd damper. I do think your argument was well a bit weak.
Edited by bravonovember on Sunday 9th December 01:35
With the blade adjusters there is a hex adjuster on the bottom that could be used. And some other cars use different mechanisms for adjustment.
Formula Renaults have threaded front wing adjusters, and I doubt there are no cars with a similar system for the rear wing, build into the endplate. If there aren't, there should be!
My point was that the little test for the OP isn't appropriate, and was just as weak as my counter-'argument'.
Entry fees for British F3 are far greater, but I'm not keen on the idea of allowing the older cars back in. It pushes the price of the cars back up again, doesn't add anything to British F3 really, and wouldn't be popular with drivers anyway. But I don't think it would 'harm' F3 Cup.
I haven't heard this proposal anyway - where did you hear it?
I shall let you both know that the course i am doing is run by a teacher who does motorsport, he drives in rally or circuit so im pretty sure he knows what he is on about. I have noticed a lot more collages doing a motorsport course but many students who go to university to study it have had no on hand experiance yet i have due to college. I never wanted an argument to start on here but im open to opinions.
leanne, if you cant het any volunteering work with teams why not try marshalling. will learn a fair bit about the teamwork in motorsport especially when drivers run out of talent. plus you do get better paddock access than the average bear, even volunteer for assembly and you will be talking to drivers and support crew. the banter is good too
leanne91 said:
I shall let you both know that the course i am doing is run by a teacher who does motorsport, he drives in rally or circuit so im pretty sure he knows what he is on about. I have noticed a lot more collages doing a motorsport course but many students who go to university to study it have had no on hand experiance yet i have due to college. I never wanted an argument to start on here but im open to opinions.
Honestly, if your post was completely blank there would still have been an argument. 
Leanne, while the others are busy telling everyone how 'dead good they are at doing motorsport' and derailing your thread may I offer you some costructive advice to help you start out in motorsport.
Buy Autosport mag, this time of year is probably not the best time (March, April onwards will be better) as it won't be covering all the national race series as its the off season. Look towards the back where it covers the results to get names of the various drivers and teams, Google these and you will eventually come up with a long list of teams to approach.
Also depending on how adventerous you are also don't be afraid to target teams running in European championships as they will find it hard to get people to work for free as it will involve days off work, which most people with 9-5 jobs can't do.
There are dozens of race categories in the UK from circuit racing, hillclimbing, drag racing, drifting, rallying etc, etc. Ask friends, family, neighbours, lecturers etc if they know anyone competeing, have them pass on your details or get their contact details and call and email them offering them your help. Or if they are local enough drive over and knock on their door.
You will get plenty of refusals but eventually if you try hard enough and keep trying you will find a team that will need and be glad of an extra pair of free hands.
There is no secret to getting in with a team, all it will take is the right contact at the right time with the right person and you'll be in, the more you try the luckier you will be.
One last piece of advice, while you are looking, you will hear people say to you 'oh you will never be able to do that as it's impossible to get into', don't listen to them and don't let them waver you from what you want to do and where you want to go.
Buy Autosport mag, this time of year is probably not the best time (March, April onwards will be better) as it won't be covering all the national race series as its the off season. Look towards the back where it covers the results to get names of the various drivers and teams, Google these and you will eventually come up with a long list of teams to approach.
Also depending on how adventerous you are also don't be afraid to target teams running in European championships as they will find it hard to get people to work for free as it will involve days off work, which most people with 9-5 jobs can't do.
There are dozens of race categories in the UK from circuit racing, hillclimbing, drag racing, drifting, rallying etc, etc. Ask friends, family, neighbours, lecturers etc if they know anyone competeing, have them pass on your details or get their contact details and call and email them offering them your help. Or if they are local enough drive over and knock on their door.
You will get plenty of refusals but eventually if you try hard enough and keep trying you will find a team that will need and be glad of an extra pair of free hands.
There is no secret to getting in with a team, all it will take is the right contact at the right time with the right person and you'll be in, the more you try the luckier you will be.
One last piece of advice, while you are looking, you will hear people say to you 'oh you will never be able to do that as it's impossible to get into', don't listen to them and don't let them waver you from what you want to do and where you want to go.
Edited by marine boy on Sunday 9th December 21:08
bravonovember said:
"Up 1 1/2 flats on the rear." what part of the car is being adjusted?
Speaking as a Race Engineer, I tend to be a bit more precise when giving mechanics instructions. Avoids any confusion. The last thing a mechanic needs is some vague instruction that he has to clarify, which further wastes time.For the originator of the thread, it's all about knocking on doors and actually speaking with people. There are little race teams all over the place and if you only need the experience of being in a trackside environment there are plenty of club level outfits that would be willing to accept cheap help. Don't expect much pay, but you should expect your expenses to be covered.
The days of the interweb have made it much easier to locate teams and contact them. When I was a young herbert we had the Yellow Pages and, if you bought the New Year double edition copy of Autosport, you might be lucky enough to have a copy of the Autosport Directory.
I was also speaking as a race engineer. And mechanic. And driver. As I am all three...
My Autosport subscription finally turned up this morning, so now I'll read about the F3 proposal!
Yup, Da Costa is pretty damn good. And I'm not ashamed to be 6-9 seconds per lap slower because, as I was 2nd fastest by some margin, everyone else was even slower. My qualifying session was rubbish though, so I was 9th on the grid despite being (by my biased reckoning) 2nd quickest.
Plus, how many people can say they've thought about overtaking Antonio Felix da Costa?!
My Autosport subscription finally turned up this morning, so now I'll read about the F3 proposal!
Yup, Da Costa is pretty damn good. And I'm not ashamed to be 6-9 seconds per lap slower because, as I was 2nd fastest by some margin, everyone else was even slower. My qualifying session was rubbish though, so I was 9th on the grid despite being (by my biased reckoning) 2nd quickest.
Plus, how many people can say they've thought about overtaking Antonio Felix da Costa?!
marshal_alan said:
leanne, if you cant het any volunteering work with teams why not try marshalling. will learn a fair bit about the teamwork in motorsport especially when drivers run out of talent. plus you do get better paddock access than the average bear, even volunteer for assembly and you will be talking to drivers and support crew. the banter is good too
i wouldnt know were to start looking, i can only use public transport to get around, any ideas??Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff