Find the Race Car Books You Need

Finding the Race Car Books You Need

To help you find the right books for your project, we’ve put together these tips and suggestions to make it easier.

I know what type of race car I want to build…

If you know what type of race car you want to build and are just getting started, consider using our Quick Start Learning Guide. It includes the “Whole car” type books mentioned in the instructions below, as well as other books to look at early on in your project. However the instructions below will, in concert with the Race Car Book Finder, give you a broader range of books to choose from.

  1. Locate and buy the best “Whole Car” book for your race car type. A “Whole Car” book is one which covers almost all aspects of the design and construction of the vehicle. So for instance, if you are building a drag racer you would want to find a book that is something like “How to build a drag racer”. This type of book will give you a broad understanding of how your race car will be put together and hopefully more. If you can’t find such a book, start with a book on Vehicle Dynamics, as shown in step 3 below.
    Here’s how to filter the for the “Whole Car” type books in the Race Car Book Finder:
    Instructions on filtering for "Whole Car" book
  2. Read the book. Take the time to read the “Whole Car” book to establish your general knowledge and identify what specific areas you need to know more about to design or build your car. (Suspension, aerodynamics, welding, upholstery, etc.)
  3. Consider purchasing a book on vehicle dynamics. Vehicle handling and dynamics (if not already addressed by your “Whole Car” book) are important subjects in race car design and driving. Understanding how a vehicle handles enables you as a designer/builder to predict the effects of changes to the vehicle before picking up a wrench. To find Vehicle dynamics books in the Race Car Book Finder, filter Book Category by “Vehicle Dynamics/Handling”
  4. Locate and buy the most appropriate books that specialize in the areas you identified. These books will serve to answer the specific questions your “Whole Car” book doesn’t answer.
    Here’s how to filter the for the specialized books in the Race Car Book Finder:
    Instructions for finding specialized books
  5. Read the specialized books. It may be helpful to read these books while developing your concept or perhaps even before if you’re an avid reader. Inevitably you will identify areas that require more knowledge and this is where your specialized books come in. Reading them along side the need for them is also helpful in building and retaining knowledge.

I don’t know what type of race car I want to build…

If you haven’t already decided on a race car type, we suggest you check out our Race Car Types guide. It has ratings and detailed information relevant to amateur builders and can help you to decide.

Other race car book tips

  1. Seek to develop a holistic view of the race car. To extract maximum vehicle performance, race car design requires more than just understanding isolated principles. It requires a holistic view of the race car—its structural design, its functions and how it handles.
  2. No single book will have all the answers. Never have we seen a book that teaches everything about building a race car. Some books cover a lot, but never in enough detail to answer all the questions.
  3. Specialized books can still miss the mark. A book on aerodynamics may teach everything imaginable about aerodynamics but it may not teach it in a way that is useful to you. If possible, find books that speak to your race car building goals–not going to the moon. That said, some of the most advanced books may bewilder you with their mathematics but often teach a great deal if you give them a chance and read the text.
  4. Get the most out of your books. Even books that don’t initially seem useful can contain nuggets of information gold. Often diagrams will provide great detail about how someone has approached their design if you take the time to look. Other times a book will provide an example of a vehicle similar to yours and you can use their hard work and design data to save you time.

Go back to Race Car Design & Construction Books

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