Book 2 is a sequel to Book 1, and, like Book 1, is intended to be worked through in a sequential order. 

Book 2 is written as a series of seminars rather than as a formula textbook. 

Both Book 1 and Book 2 cover only the basics, but those basics are not that simple.

A Basic Truth – “Understand and work with the basics before moving on to the flashy, shiny, wizzy bits.” Trying to work with the flashy, shiny, wizzy bits without understanding all the components involved in those bits is not particularly productive. For example, attempting to redesign a damper’s internal components without a thorough understanding of how dampers work and how they affect the car’s performance window is not exactly a winning strategy.

Metric Units: As most professional teams, even in North America, now work in metric units, the authors considered it a no-brainer to write the rest of the An Introduction to Race Car Engineering series in metric units. 

The two primary building blocks: Real-world experiences versus mathematical modelling, the starting point should always be “Real-world experiences.” 

The Software: Besides William C. Mitchell’s Debrief3 and a completely open professional version of WinGeo3 (previously sold for $3500.00 USD), Book 2 also contains 53 different Excel software packages that allow the user to build their base knowledge of vehicle dynamics and to study how the various algorithms and coefficients are developed and combined into larger and larger units. Working with these software packages in conjunction with on-track data allows the user to compare the calculated results with the on-track results. Users are always encouraged to predict the outcome before changing input parameters. Every time a new mathematical concept is introduced, a model using those concepts and algorithms is provided in Excel, with no locked cells. The user is always encouraged to use the Excel Trace Precedents and Trace Dependents components to trace through how the algorithms are developed, how each element of the algorithm works, and how and why they are linked together.  

Time Allotment: Book 2 is 89.7% software and 11.3% formulas, theoretical and instructional text. Book 2 is a marriage between the Text and Software. Neither of these components is of much use to the reader/user on its own.

The authors have spent considerable time making the Text and Software accessible to everyone, from someone just starting their journey into real-world vehicle dynamics to race engineers with experience in the real-world of vehicle dynamics as well as having a background in physics and upper-level mathematics. 

The user is constantly encouraged to add and work through endless numbers of additional examples. As well, the reader/user is encouraged to develop their own software using their preferred software packages, e.g., Excel, C#, MATLAB/Simulink, .NET, etc.

Algorithms: One must never forget that Algorithms are simply a set of instructions that are followed to complete a task. Algorithms cannot think or reason; they are merely imperfect tools. Complex problems require a complex series of algorithms; therefore, if the solution does not contain all the required mathematics, it will not be complete – the resultant comparative data may well be helpful to the race engineer, but it will not be comprehensive. “The math is correct, but the answer is wrong.”

Book 2 emphasizes the importance of understanding and using the basics, both empirically and mathematically, before moving on to the bright shiny bits. It also emphasizes the importance of moving back and forth equally between empirical (real-world) knowledge and the development and use of mathematical models. It also introduces the need for coefficients and other related components within the development of all vehicle dynamic models.

Basics first – Book 2 emphasizes the need to predict the outcome of a setup, design, driving, and/or track change before making it. “Predicting” is about developing a complete picture of the “Hows,” and even more importantly, the “Whys.”

The book stresses that the user needs to be able to comprehend the “Hows” and “Whys.” Not only intellectually, but also visually and physically. Book 2 aims to equip the serious reader/user with the tools to develop the components outlined above. “It’s not that Simple.”

Developing Methods of Exploration: Book Two focuses on developing methods of exploration, utilizing components of the scientific method. However, Book 2 does not provide the reader with clear, definitive answers. Because there aren’t any clear, definitive answers in the world of motorsports engineering! 
Among other things, Book 2 develops:
– A working tire map (incorporated into Wan32)
–  A working damper model (incorporated into Wan32)
– Harmonically related suspension models
-A large number of models exploring how the sprung and unsprung components are affected by damper builds and settings – (incorporated into the Book 3 Wan32)

Endless Rabbit Holes: The term rabbit hole refers to the tendency to keep digging deeper and deeper into how a particular aspect of vehicle dynamics actually works. Book 2 emphasizes the investigative process of exploring increasingly detailed layers of a vehicle dynamics concept or component. 

Causality:  In terms of motorsports engineering, causality is a way of understanding the endless events that determine a car’s performance.  

All Complex Algorithms are Biased: Algorithms provide the user with a set of instructions that leads to an outcome, but given a slightly different set of instructions, the user would end up with a different answer. When attempting to solve complex problems, such as those related to racecar vehicle dynamics, a large number of interconnected equations are required. But, because each equation has a level of bias built in, the more algorithms a problem requires, the higher the level of bias in the final solution.