Auburn Hills, Michigan, May 18, 2018 – The 52nd annual Louis Schwitzer Award has been presented to engineers Tino Belli from INDYCAR, Andrea Toso and Antonio Montanari from Dallara, and Chris Beatty from Chris Beatty Design Limited for the IndyCar Universal Aero Kit, which is a complete aero and body package utilized on the vehicles racing in the 2018 Indianapolis 500. The award and a $10,000 prize was presented by BorgWarner and the Indiana Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“With this award we celebrate the people behind the scenes that make the Indianapolis 500 the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ – the engineers that spend countless hours dreaming up, developing and implementing the technologies that continually improves the action on the track, whether through improved performance, safety, or efficiency,” said James R. Verrier, President and Chief Executive Officer, BorgWarner. “We are proud to acknowledge excellence in race-car engineering by immortalizing on the Louis Schwitzer Award trophy Chris Beatty, Tino Belli, Antonio Montanari and Andrea Toso, who developed the IndyCar Universal Aero Kit. Congratulations to this year’s winners!”
Presented by engineers to engineers, the Louis Schwitzer Award recognizes individuals for innovation and engineering excellence in racing technology associated with the annual Indianapolis 500. It honors the engineers with the courage and motivation to identify new concepts in racing technology. The Schwitzer Award focuses on new innovations with applications in the engine, powertrain, profile or chassis, in cars conforming to Indy Racing League Series specifications. Judges look for advancements that increase performance, safety or energy efficiency and emphasize the competitive potential in racing with additional applications in off-track vehicles. Recent past innovations to win the Louis Schwitzer Award include the PFC carbon disc brake system from PFC Brakes in 2017 and the Rear Beam Wing Flap from Dallara in 2016.
The IndyCar Universal Aero Kit (UAK18) is the perfect example of a successful collaborative engineering effort. It was developed with the non-negotiable constraints of price and the need for full compatibility with the existing chassis’, and the complete aero and body package had to be delivered under tight time constraints. This project showcases the challenges that modern engineers face to please many diverse and conflicting requirements. The UAK18 meets performance targets for all types of tracks from street courses like Long Beach to high-speed oval tracks like Indianapolis. Incorporating classic styling cues, it matches or surpasses all previous aerodynamic stability metrics, improves side impact safety, and makes for great racing.
The award memorializes Louis Schwitzer, the winner of the first auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in 1909 and designer of the “Marmon Yellow Jacket” engine that powered the Marmon Wasp to victory at the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. 100 years ago in 1918, after working in the automotive industry for many years, Schwitzer founded Schwitzer Corporation, which produced innovative cooling fans, water pumps and turbochargers. Throughout his career, Schwitzer achieved numerous technological accomplishments, supported higher education, led the IMS technical committee and maintained a strong association with SAE. Schwitzer Corporation joined BorgWarner in 1999.
BorgWarner’s involvement in the historic Indianapolis 500 race isn’t limited to the Borg-Warner Trophy™ and Louis Schwitzer Award. As the official turbocharger supplier for the Verizon IndyCar Series, the engine of every car in the Indianapolis 500 is boosted by BorgWarner’s line of EFR™ (Engineered for Racing) turbochargers. Built for reliable and powerful performance, EFR turbochargers feature Gamma-Ti (titanium aluminide) turbine wheels, ceramic ball bearings and stainless steel turbine housings.
From left to right: Steve Holman, Holman Engineering, Timothy Belli, INDYCAR, Andrea Toso, Dallara and John Norton, BorgWarner