Vehicle Dynamics Class Spends a Day at the Races
Talk about kicking the curriculum into high gear.
A mechanical engineering class at UAB recently traded the classroom for the racetrack when it spent the day enjoying behind-the-scenes access to the Paddock at Barber Motorsports Park. The exclusive field trip came during the March 27 practice session for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.
The day included a private meeting with engineers from Dallara Automobili, the Italian manufacturer that designs the chassis for all Indy cars in the race. Students also toured the museum and watched the action from a private area with a birds-eye view of the Pit Lane.
“We are extremely grateful to the personnel at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum for helping arrange this event for our students,” said Andrés Morales, instructor for ME 430: Vehicle Dynamics. “This was a rare opportunity for them to engage with world-class engineers and discuss real-world dynamics right in the middle of the action.”
Morales and more than 20 engineering students participated in the field trip. Special thanks to Liz Johnson for organizing the event.
