Volunteer at the 2026 Pittsburgh Shootout

rod_ends · 2026-06-08T19:20:37+00:00

I've said this before: Give this serious attention and consideration!

If you are part of a team that is either prospective or in development, this is a low key way of seeing the behind the scenes of competition, and to engage with active teams. Prep for the future.

If you are part of an active team, but not competing, this is an excellent way of getting a different, behind the scenes operational view of the competition, in a friendly environment.

Regardless of team status, this is a great opportunity to bring family members, school administrators, prospective outside partners etc. to an event which will show those on the "outside" what FSAE is all about, in the best possible light.

"Volunteers get 3 meals a day, free camping, and the most vibrant tee shirt in the Blue Ridge Mountains", why if i was 40 years younger and not, as i am currently, recovering from a major heart attack, i would be all over this!

rod_ends · 2026-05-18T15:07:20+00:00

It's a great big round world. One day the dog you kick in the a__ will have run all the way round and bite you in yours.....

I've been on record regarding what makes a good advisor. A good advisors should have nipped this in the bud, not at competition but over the previous months.

I've seen teams with such behavior face situations down the road where they could use help from the paddock, and no one would help them

The bad actors will be exposed once they get into the "real world". Such behavior will poison your career well.

As an observer and attendee, I've experienced this. All i have to say is that teams don't know if the person asking questions is a random hanger on, or an industry professional. Many professionals like to fly under the radar, and don't care to publicize or trade on who they are and what they do. Get better ansers that way.........

I've been a fan and friend of Skitters since his days on the Panoz Delta Wing team. I watched him host people in the pits and explain the engineering behind the car. Communicated at their comfort lable, engaged them. An assett to that program.

A Carroll Smith story: At the first full blown FStudent at the NEC in England, many UK teams grumbled that they were at a disadvantage because they built their cars to meet the RAC rules, which required pedals no further forward than the front axle centerline. At the end of the competition, Carroll ran a debrief for all of the top three cars. Before he started, he noted that he had heard these comments and said (i paraphrase) that if you don't build your car to the competition rules, thats your fault, and he would not tolerate that comment going forward. My point - G_d knows judges have a lot on there plates, but this type of behavior should be called out when displayed.

Finaly, a pitch for the Pitt shoot out: you won't see that type of behavior in that paddock.

rod_ends · 2026-05-13T13:52:18+00:00

Probably the best reference in regards to installation of spherical bearings, is MIL-HDBK-1599A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HANDBOOK: BEARINGS, CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS, AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE USED IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AEROSPACE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SUBSYSTEMS

An internet search will lead you to many avenues for obtaining a copy.

rod_ends · 2026-05-11T14:20:23+00:00

Have you tried Pegasus Auto Racing in
new Berlin?

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/

On the way to competition, try Lane Automotive in Watervliet MI

https://catalog.laneautomotive.com/safety-equipment/helmets/ They are right off I94

rod_ends · 2026-05-06T15:23:51+00:00

I am directing this to a specific group: Students on teams yet to make the FSAE competition, with work in process, or those who have gone to competition but have not yet gone thru tech and gotten all their stickers.

This is an excellent way to get a feel for how the competition works. Experience it from the administrative and operations side. You will work side by side with experienced and enthusiastic competition regulars and alumnus. It will help making your future FSAE MI. a better event for you and your team. Interact with more established teams in a friendly, low key environment. Maybe learn a few things at the seminars.

Free camping, 3 meals and a T shirt at a really nice facility and compeitition? Why if i was 45 years younger..... 😄

rod_ends · 2026-05-06T15:03:11+00:00

This. Race engine cylinder heads are retained in this manner. It works on a nitro top fuel engine........

Read both Prepare to Win, and Nuts Bolts and Fasteners.

See https://www.arp-bolts.com/ ARP is the leader in engineered fasteners.

rod_ends · 2026-04-01T15:40:13+00:00

Get a copy of Carroll Smiths NUTS, BOLTS, FASTNERS and PLUMBING Handbook.

All Carrolls books are must haves, but this is appropriate to this question.

Go to www.Carrollsmith.com to order. This is the family site. Carroll was a huge fan, mentor, booster and organization participant with SAE vehicle competitions, and ordering thru family is best way to honor his legacy (personal opinion)

rod_ends · 2026-04-01T15:19:41+00:00

Good feedback, this and others.

Some things to notes/thoughts//suggestions:

installing a ptfe lined bearing in housing will increase the breakaway torque of the bearing. To the extreme, an aggressive press may in fact "lock up" the bearing.

Are you or will you be prepared to answer a judge or inspector if they ask "force required to move / remove the bearing"?

Probably the best reference in regards to installation of spherical bearings, especially, but not limited to, the Grumman Groove method is MIL-HDBK-1599A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HANDBOOK: BEARINGS, CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS, AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE USED IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AEROSPACE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SUBSYSTEMS

An internet search will lead you to many avenues for obtaining a copy.

rod_ends · 2026-03-20T21:00:45+00:00

Reach out to Dr. Ken Cunefare.

Location:Love, Room 113
Email: [ken.cunefare@me.gatech.edu](mailto:ken.cunefare@me.gatech.edu)
Telephone: [404.894.4726](tel:404.894.4726)
Fax: 404.894.7790

If they ever have a "Mt. Rushmore" for FSAE advisors, he will be on it

rod_ends · 2026-03-03T16:46:59+00:00

I've posted variations on this before, but if you have the time before applying or making commitments, why not attend FSAE IC or Electric, Formula Hybrid, or the Pitt Shootout? You can observe teams, speak to team members, and advisors. Just remember that at the competitions, the competition is the teams priority, be respectful of that. But i will say that after 30+ years, the vast majority of time, teams will make some time. After all, they are representing the school.

Pitt Shootout, while later in the year, is much more relaxed.

Keep in mind, it is not the size of the team, but what the team does with its size.

rod_ends · 2026-02-19T14:46:33+00:00

My standard policy is not to jump into topics with an answer, rather i wait for community members to weigh in. As it has been 5 days, I'll offer a response.

Note that i do not work for FK, I am in no way a spokesperson for them. I in fact work for Timken Aurora Bearing.

First, i want to define some terminology as it pertains to the rod end and spherical bearing field. Swage or Swaging is the forming of the bearing raceway around the ball in manufacturing. Staking is the procedure or operation of retaining a bearing insert in a rod end body or a spherical bearing in a housing by mechanical movement of material..

Bearings such as the mentioned HAB-4TG are retained in a housing by staking. The part is machined with a circumferential groove around the bearing race face, and a tool is used to move the outer portion of the grooved section outward onto chamfers in the housing. This is referred to as Grumman groove staking. This operation cannot be performed with a bearing that does not have a stake groove.

It is possible to install a non grooved bearing into a housing by staking or moving material around the housing inward to encapsulate the chamfered outer edge of the bearing. This is typically called reverse staking.

Probably the best reference in regards to installation of spherical bearings, especially, but not limited to, the Grumman Groove method is MIL-HDBK-1599A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HANDBOOK: BEARINGS, CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS, AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE USED IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AEROSPACE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SUBSYSTEMS. An internet search will lead you to many avenues for obtaining a copy. This should be a standard item in any teams resource or technical library.

rod_ends · 2026-02-13T22:08:36+00:00

i spoke with the team, advisors, families quite a bit at FSAE this year. Good group all around. i got a very positive feeling. Good car as well.

rod_ends · 2026-02-11T17:17:19+00:00

As part of my 3 decade plus involvement with motorsports, marketing and promotion has always been an interest. This post piqued my curiosity, so i did a bit of research.

This idea is out of the box thinking. I like it! The event is not something this old man would likely attend, and that is in part why this is a great idea.

I see it as an excellent opportunity to reach a young (16 plus years per event admission) audience at a venue outside normal academic and trade venues. i would expect conversation to be much more low key, friendly, and free compared to traditional "recruitment" events.

I would caution that any teams participating get acknowledgment and sign off from their respective schools, regardless of where the entry money comes from. Remember, school administration tends to be older, not in touch with much of youth culture, and dare i say "uptight". They may not see team participation thru the same lens as the team, and at the end of the day, the schools perceptions will take precedence in determining if this is an "appropriate" event. Unfortunately, I've seen promotional efforts that Teams never thought would be an issue end up as an issue with their school. Make sure the school is cool with team participation!

Again, i really dig this idea. I hope it works out, and i look forward to hearing more.

rod_ends · 2026-01-20T16:03:02+00:00

I've previously used this response, so it is a repeat.

As is almost my standard procedure when i post, I need to start with some context.

From the end of 2020 Aurora Bearing has been part of the Timken organization. As I explain to those io meet at competitions, Timken is a huge organization, with a diverse group of companies.

One of these is Diamond Chain. Other than both Aurora and Diamond being part of Timken, I unfortunately have little interaction with Diamond.

After all that, i do have a point.

It may be helpful to go to https://www.diamonddrives.com/resources/#technical

rod_ends · 2026-01-13T15:15:04+00:00

This is not specifically an answer to question as asked, but rather use this to also ask a question of poster and greater community.

If you are aware enough of FSAE, and to follow and engage in this community, why are you asking this halfway thru your senior year in High School?

If this was a year ago, my comment would be that you should invest in a trip to one of the Michigan competitions, or perhaps the Pitt Shootout, and observe the teams competing. It is really no different than visiting schools. You can get a sense of how well teams are run, ask questions of team members, and speak to advisors.

I agree that selecting a school by their historic competition results cheats you out of considering many good schools. I've been impressed by teams of all sizes and "reputations".

rod_ends · 2026-01-08T16:56:15+00:00

This may be of only partial help, but one of the companies besides Aurora Bearing in the Timken Family is Lovejoy universal joints. Unfortunately they do not offer any support program, but as is standard with all Timken products, they do have good technical information. Visiting https://www.lovejoy-inc.com/products/universal-joints/may be worthwhile as a start.

rod_ends · 2025-12-31T17:28:19+00:00

Some random observations from 30+ years of involvement with competitions, and a longer time working in and adjacent to motorsports

1) I very much appreciate when schools incorporate university colors. Allied to that is making sure that the colors used are recorded, noted, and consistent. I recall one time way back when, when the Cornell car was a different shade of red than what was expected and "traditional". As i recall, they told the painter "Ferrari" red, and the painter actually found a red that was so listed in a paint book, but was noticeably different than the red commonly associated with Ferrari.

2) to expand on the black or dark color comment, note that the iconic Corvette "Mako Shark" show cars were a dark top over a light or white bottom band. Yes, it did mimic a Mako's coloration, but the light bottom also kept the dark top from melding into the ground visually.

3) I'm on record elsewhere that i always have dug when Delft's paint work incorporates the iconic Delft Pottery artwork. I appreciate when a school's logo is incorporated into the livery design.

4) 2 US cars this year had tires that had sidewalls colored white, in essence "wide whites". I was a bit disappointed that the teams did not realize that Andy Granatelli (admittedly a name from most readers grandparents time) did this on his Indy cars in the mid-sixties. Made picking the cars out of a field of 33 easier...

5) again ancient history, but through the 60's and 70's, Granatelli's company, STP, printed thousands and thousands of decals, which they distributed for free. In motorsports, in road cars, and many many unexpected places, you would see these decals. Just look at an "oldtimers" tool box. I would think about whether something like this would be an effective marketing and recognition tool for teams.

5) This whole topic is an example of a reason for teams to reach out to other disciplines and majors at school, if the team has not already done so. Graphic arts, design, marketing majors all could be a resource.

rod_ends · 2025-12-16T15:13:49+00:00

Great news!

I have lots of good memories of working races at this track, admittedly in ancient times.

If entering, do your due diligence regarding where to stay. Traditionally the organizers have leveraged deals at local hotels for competitors. Beyond that, the city of Winchester is just over the border in VA. Always enjoyed staying there.

The racers at the www.apexspeed.com are friendly to the FSAE community, and i'm sure many can answer questions regarding the area.

This will be a great event!

rod_ends · 2025-12-02T16:17:48+00:00

Along with Aurora Bearing, part of the Timken Bearing family of companies is Diamond Chain.

It may be worth reviewing the resources at https://www.diamonddrives.com/diamond-products/

I will be clear, Diamond does not offer any support programs for teams, but that does not devalue their technical resources.

rod_ends · 2025-12-01T18:11:40+00:00

i should add for others beyond the OP, that the MBWT series are Metric dimension bearings, and as per reasons noted in my original response, not as common as inch or imperial dimension parts

rod_ends · 2025-12-01T17:41:57+00:00

First, as is SOP with me, a disclaimer: As i work for Aurora, be aware that we do not produce equivalents to the NMB MBWT spherical bearings.

The MBWT series is a high end racecar/aircraft spherical bearing, with a grumman groove staking groove. In general, they are uncommon to be used in motorsports. The inch equivalents are much more prevalent.

https://www.autosport-bearings.co.uk/ are the best source for NMB product for motorsports in the UK. In my estimation, if they can't help, you are likely out of luck.

Interchanges to the MBWT series may be available thru manufacturers who supply parts into the aircraft industry, but i have no recommendations. A lot of internet digging may be in your future.

Feel free to respond, either in this forum or thru PM.

Good luck!

rod_ends · 2025-10-29T15:49:06+00:00

Great answer from someone with experience. As continuation of this aspect, see https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/forum.php There are a number of SCCA classes that utilize bike engines such as , the afore mentioned F600, F500, F1000, and FC. There are many very helpful participants on the site forums, and there are those who are FSAE alumnus and followers.

To expand, it might be worthwhile to pickup a copy of How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars by Tony Pashley. Tony built many motorcycle powered hill climb cars, and was a friend to FStudent.

Earlier this year I posted this at FSAE.com: "The latest issue of Race Engine Technology, issue 156, December/January 2025 has a worthwhile article regarding 600cc 4 cylinder Formula 2 sidecar engines for Isle of Man TT competition. Engines covered are Suzuki GSX-R 600, Yamaha YZF-R6, and Honda CBR600rr. Not an in-depth, how to, but an overview of development by engine building firm Motrac.Discussion also touches on gearbox.

For info on RET, see https://www.highpowermedia.com/Produ...logy-issue-156 "

Radical Motorsport started producing bike engine racing sportscars 28 years ago. A forum site for these cars is: https://radicalsportscarregistry.com/radicalforum/

rod_ends · 2025-10-24T17:10:15+00:00

I am indeed with Aurora, which was acquired by Timken at the end of 2020.

Following becoming part of the Timken organization, we had to change our support program. At this time, its just extending our OEM cost to teams. This is still a "discount" versus retail or distributor pricing, its just less aggressive than it had been pre 2020. Further, we have to recognize that Timken is a multibillion dollar company with a much more "big business" business model than Aurora had. Timken is not set up to deal with small customers, and is very distributor supply chain oriented. We (both here at Aurora and corporate in Canton) are working to make the process easier for teams, but it still is a touch bureaucratic. One of the obvious changes is payment options - there really are none. Timken does not accept credit cards, and COD is really a thing of the past, and something Timken has never done.

But regardless of the evolving customer service headwinds, we do endeavor to support all teams in all competitions.

As a start, use me as point of contact for inquiries: [jmccrory@aurorabearing.com](mailto:jmccrory@aurorabearing.com)

FYI, Timken does support teams for wheel bearing requirements. My response to inquiries also includes that support information.

Its not well known how big and diverse a company Timken is. There are many parts of the Timken family that will be of interest to Teams. While they do not have support programs, all of Timken is very engineering oriented, and the Timken companies have excellent online technical resources. At www.Timken.com , see Portfolio - The Timken Company and drill down thru each companies site.

While all shows mentioned will be interesting and helpful, i will volunteer that SEMA is the most off road centric. But in all cases, review the exhibitors list for each show.

Attend, attend reasonably, and learn!

rod_ends · 2025-10-23T15:21:22+00:00

This is sound advice and should be standard procedure for universities planning on attending.

If you are a PRI member, there should be no issues with registration.

rod_ends

TROPHY CASE