Racing and (Rotating) Engineering

18 May 2024, Doha.

Racing and Engineering (moreover rotating engineer) is very closely related, why? I will explain my statement from my perspective.

Racing is always about SAFETY, RULES, and CONSISTENCY.

Every time we signup to championship we always read the rule book, just like an engineer reading the specification, what allowed and what forbid.

Racing is community that emotionally close, so losing someone that you compete with, will hit entire community, that is why we really-really care about SAFETY, even in the rule book so many procedure and technical rules to ensure SAFETY is priority, e.g. Car shall have rolled cage, driver shall use certified suit (fire resist), helmet, gloves, shoes, etc. while procedure, there is rule of max speed at pitstop, how to rejoin race after spinning out and goes to gravel, not allowed to exceed track limit etc. Note: please never compare real ladies and gentlemen that do racing on track/circuit in real championship with somebody that randomly do speeding in public road (just craving for shortcut of recognition/respect) or do illegal gambling race in public road, we are different like day and night.

Talk about sport for unity, I think racing also one of the sport reflecting this, we compete but we make sure we not hurting each other or make our competitor injury, different with full contact sport. Example, inside track we compete and try to be faster than other, outside track, we discuss, we share our problem and share our experience or trick. So, it is real form of sport for unity.

RULES, we directly go to my favorite subject TECHNICAL, in the rule book it is written what part that allowed to be changed or modified, and which part that shall not be changed and remain factory, just like following a specification of engineering. (almost all engineering discipline is work based on rules, codes (API, ASME, etc.). I write more detail in my blog, several item may change in some class like bore, camshaft, fuel system etc. In compare like stroke is not allowed to be extended or changed then there is FREE FOR ALL, that only imagination and material strength that will limit this crazy class.

CONSISTENCY is about respecting the timetable, respect the agenda, discipline on maintaining your fitness, your food, your sleep, your soul/mental, keep the same best time lap each time will bring you to victory. Reflecting this to Engineering just like project control or cost control engineer that always pay attention on schedule, milestone, cost and budget. You define your aim and target, you prepare the plan, you discipline-ly executed the plan.

Another topic is about MENTAL.

Some new racers always have mental breakdown, have high acid level on the stomach and sometimes throw up before the race, it is ok, it means racing already contact with your soul (even famous James Hunt does this, he is in world F1 championship).

Me personally as Muslim, I always do my 5-times prayer every day and more intense during racing (since my 1st start of national racing championship in Indonesia, if I remember well, 16yo), due to so many things to worry about and I cannot control everything, such as; all the bolts torque, nuts tighten or lose? shaft fatigue, sand on track, tire molecule condition, asphalt high temperature spot, the metal to metal contact and thin layer of lubricant between piston ring and liner, oil drip on track, foreign object flying on track, etc., no, it is too many, it is beyond what human can process, so I let Allah guide me, my aim is to be healthy, happy, and mentally fulfilled and the most important things is remember Allah via this sport.

Do what you love, have fun and always remember purpose of our creation is only to do "Ibadah" to Allah (QS : Az-Zariyat 56).

More detail technical discussion I write in my blog below:

https://www.27augusta.web.id/2024/05/ctc-friday-ride-from-lusail-metro.html