Next to one-off events such as the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Time Attack racing, where drivers compete solo for fastest lap times, is one of the remaining bastions of (almost) regulation-free technical development. In recent years, the level of aerodynamic optimization of cars has moved on at pace, with many competitors undertaking CFD and, in some cases, wind tunnel programs to develop their vehicles.
In the case of US-based PhD Racing, founded by engineer and racer Jackie Ding, the team has recently been working on improving the performance of its Toyota Supra A90, which runs in national Time Attack competitions. The team enlisted the services of Indianapolis-based Verus Engineering to run a CFD study of the car, based on a model generated via 3D scanning, and develop a new aero package to improve downforce in the most efficient way possible.
Ding has documented the process in a pair of videos that provide a great insight into both the CFD simulation process and the operation and influence of the different features on the car, as explained by Paul Lucas, a CFD engineer and co-owner of Verus.
