Project Inception and Team Formation

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Dale Earnhardt Inc's Secret Weapon of Restrictor Plate Domination: The "Wind Tunnel Engine"

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What happens here

The speaker introduces the purpose of the build: to test air cleaner cowls and air flow to carburetors in a wind tunnel, due to the disbandment of the shared NASCAR R&D program (RAD) and the need for a scientific approach to data collection away from the track. He highlights the involvement of Steve Hmiel (who became his boss), John Klausmeier, and Gino, forming a team to tackle this challenge within a tight six-week deadline for a GM wind tunnel date. The concept was born from the need to test new cowl designs like "Slugger's Cowl" developed by Michael Waltrip's crew chief, Slugger Labbe.

Goal: Define the problem (need for scientific air cleaner testing), establish project requirements, and form a collaborative team for the R&D build.

Tools and materials

Personnel — Designing, building, and programming the test rig
Slugger's Cowl — The specific air cleaner cowl design that prompted the need for the testing rig
Whiteboard/Drawing tools — Conceptualizing and planning the project

What they say

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that's never going to work." So, we're here at the garage shop with Aaron Brown. He used to work at Daylor and Hart Incorporated. He's got this pretty unique piece of R&D. Well, just let him tell you about. This is our history right here. Seriously, what what is this thing? Early 2001, I guess, is when they had the RAD program. The RAD program then got disbanded. Now, what was that for people who don't know what that is? That was the Richard Andy Dale Speedway deal. So after Dale passed, then the RAD program gets disbanded. But Dale Nhard and Steve Dale Earnhard Incorporated, Steve Meal, they still wanted R&D program. The engineering program was coming along. So we kind of just started doing our own thing. And in doing that, Steve Mu became my boss, which was odd. So Steve, Steve, which was kind of cool, not odd, but you know, Steve was he was tough to work with. You know, you didn't get out of boys or any of that. I mean, you did your job and you better do it right or he'd let you know it, you know. So Steve came in in one day and it was John Clausmire, Gino and myself. I think HA Min was sitting there and and Steve came in and goes, "Hey, we need to test cows and air cleaners in the wind tunnel." Slugger had came up with this really nifty new cow that they started running and I think 01 or 02 I think that came around and we used to call it Slugger cow. So we needed a way to test it other than going to the racetrack and wasting a whole bunch of time in the track and really not getting super scientific data at the racetrack. So Steve said we need to build something that we can test cows and air cleaners in wind tunnel. And I kind of looked at John and John was an intern I believe at the time and Gino's sitting there and Gino's kind of just staring off at the wall like he usually did. I said, "Yeah, we can work on something like that." He goes, "Good, cuz I got you a wind tunnel date at GMA in 6 weeks to see if it works." Then he just left. He just walked out of the office, you know, he just walked out. And so John Clausmire and I and I think HJ Morgan

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