Me, my job and I

Twenty four year old Allison has designed Juno’s first single seater racing car with his brand new Formula Ford car - the JA08.

We put Allison in pole position and find out how he got into motorsport, if it is all glitz and glamour and his new pride and joy - even though he can't give it a test drive!

Engineering in motorsport is very specialised - how did you get into it?

When I was in the sixth form at school my science department organised a trip to a UCLAN open day and the launch of the motorsport course. I never really knew much about what was available until then but I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. Whilst at UCLAN I got involved with the racing team running Formula Fords and then moved on to help out with Juno in my spare time.

What does the job entail?

A bit of everything really! My main role is the designing the cars using computer aided design (CAD). I still do a bit of assembly work on the cars, mainly on new designs to check everything works and goes together as it should.  

Is it glamorous working in motorsport?

Actually working at the track isn’t very glamorous at all! It can be great fun but most of the time you only see an airport, motorway, hotel and race track! 

Can designers and engineers expect to earn a good wage?

Yes, although they can also expect long hours and a few headaches along the way!

So is it stressful?

Yes it can, there are tight time schedules and deadlines and the car must be ready. If you have a problem with a car that needs to be sorted and fixed you must keep at it until it’s done. It's very rewarding though when it all comes together and you achieve what seemed impossible.     

The best thing about your job?

I love the diversity of the work, you are never really doing the same thing twice. There are always different problems to solve and areas to improve. It is always a challenge, you never stand still with a car development because none of the other teams do!

Anything you hate?

Nothing really! Although the chance that the car you have been working on for the last few weeks or months could be smashed at the first corner isn’t a nice thought!

What skills do you need to be a good engineer?

It’s quite a broad range, you need good computing skills to use the CAD package, you need to communicate well to get your ideas across to others, mathematics and physics are important. Being a mechanic is also a big bonus as working on the cars helps understand how the cars work and what works well design-wise and what should be avoided.     

What qualifications do you need?

There are quite a few routes, I studied a motorsport engineering degree course, however, some people study mechanical or aeronautical engineering. You can work your way through motorsport as experience does count for a lot although for most design jobs you do need to have studied a degree course.    

Describe a typical day…

At the moment we are designing and making a brand new car so I spend my time between the workshop and office. I like to be involved building a new car because you see all the things you have designed come together but it’s also important to see if it all fits and works as it should. I spend a lot of time on the CAD system drawing and modelling the parts. I then send these off to our sub contractors to be manufactured and follow these through to arriving and fit them to the prototype car when they arrive. In the workshop I work on all areas of the car, the past few days I have been making the exhaust system for the Formula Ford.

With development work we have feedback from the drivers and data at race weekends and tests. From the feedback we highlight where the car needs to be improved - things such as straight line speed, brakes and high speed cornering. I then come up with a range of parts or modifications to the car which we make and then test at the race track. Parts that work are then fitted to all the cars or offered to customers as an upgrade, parts that don’t get scrapped and I think of something else!     

What are you most proud of designing?

I’m proudest of the new Formula Ford, I have designed the whole car from the ground up. I have also built the first prototype car and can’t wait for it to hit the track. 

Are you a motorsport fan?

Yes I am, I like most forms of racing but I particularly like sportscars because they all look so different and the racing is so close.

What's your favourite motorsport moment?

I was a big Damon Hill fan so seeing him win the championship in 96 was great, I lost a bit of interest in F1 after that. I watch it a bit more now, though, as the racing is closer.

What driver or celebrity would you most like to design a car for?

I would have loved to have designed a car that Ayrton Senna drove. He was my hero and really started my interest in Formula One and racing when I was younger.

What car do you drive?

I don’t actually drive...much to the amusement of some people! It doesn’t affect my work at all though as driving to work every day is nothing like hurtling around a race track at 150mph!

What’s your lifelong ambition?

Ultimately, I want to be the head designer of a Le Mans winning project. It is one of the few races that has everything, endurance, speed, prestige, etc. I would also love to have my own design consultancy, at some point I would like try design work outside of motorsport, possibly architecture or something similar.