Test driver
Encyclopedia
In motor sports it is common to have one or more test drivers that work with the mechanic
s to help develop the vehicle by testing new systems on the track.
Examples
1985 Firecracker 400 with DiGard Motorsports
In 1985, DiGard had Bobby Allison
battling for the championship. For the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, DiGard set up and raced what is called a Research & Development car (a one-off car entered to a race primarily for team improvement) with Greg Sacks
at the helm.
Instead of simply collecting data for the team, Sacks won the race.
However, it has been alleged -- reportedly admitted by DiGard crew chief Gary Nelson -- that the car sneaked through inspection with an oversize engine, and thus the team cheated.
The impact of the R&D car was significant: Reportedly angered that the team was focusing its attention elsewhere, Bobby Allison left the team mid-season -- two weeks after Sacks' July 4 win. Sacks was hired to race for the rest of the year, but never captured another Top-5 finish in 1985.
1993 NASCAR
Richard Childress Racing
has entered an R&D car
sporadically since 1988 and up until the mid 1990s.
In 1993, an RCR car intended as an "R&D car" driven by Neil Bonnett
was entered into the last race of the season at Atlanta
, and promptly dropped out of the race immediately after the first laps, finishing 42nd. It was extra security for Dale Earnhardt to win the championship; he needed to finish above 34th spot to defeat title rival Rusty Wallace
. Dale later won the championship when nine (of 42) cars had retired from the race.
, the term third driver is used to designate a test driver. Third drivers do not compete in Grands Prix, but are used by teams to help the race drivers and engineers with car set ups.
Third drivers can only be used in Friday practice sessions during a Formula One Grand Prix meeting. Teams that finished in the top four of the previous season's World Constructors' Championship are not allowed to have third drivers.
Having a third driver is usually seen as an advantage to a team. In the 2003 Formula One season
(when the third driver rule came into effect, albeit in a different form), Renault opted to take advantage of new rules that allowed them to take part in an extra Friday session with three cars. Renault subsequently had a successful season. Similarly, in the 2004 Formula One season
, BAR
ran third driver Anthony Davidson
and finished second in the World Constructors' Championship. In the 2005 Formula One season
McLaren ran third drivers and also had a successful season.
Despite this, not all teams opt to take advantage of the third driver rule, with some teams saying that it was too expensive to run a third car on a Friday.
Third drivers are not always used for performance reasons either. Teams have been known to use third drivers for publicity reasons, sometimes by fielding a local driver. Third cars are also allowed to run in different liveries to the race cars.
Starting with the 2007 season, the regulations were changed so that while a team could run a third driver during Friday practice, they were only allowed to run two cars. This meant that any track time the third driver had was at the expense of one of the teams race drivers, because of this most teams chose not to run a third driver, in order to give their race drivers maximum practice time. Third drivers are still used occasionally, most notably Sebastian Vettel
drove for the BMW Sauber
team on Fridays at the start of the 2007 season, scot Paul di Resta
is scheduled to run Friday practice for the Force India
team at selected Grands Prix in the 2010 season.
Also, on several occasions third drivers have acted as reserves, racing if one of the team's two race drivers is injured or otherwise unable to race, as in Bruno Senna
's case in the Renault F1
team in the 2011 season.
, Dick Trickle
and Jim Sauter
as test drivers to prepare the setups for cars competing in the IROC series.
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
s to help develop the vehicle by testing new systems on the track.
NASCAR
In NASCAR, test driving has mainly related to "Research & Development cars". A team might hire a driver and put him in the race to gather more data. NASCAR teams rarely have specific test drivers on staff.Examples
1985 Firecracker 400 with DiGard MotorsportsDiGard MotorsportsDiGard Motorsports was a championship-winning race team in NASCAR Winston Cup that had its most success in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
In 1985, DiGard had Bobby AllisonBobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
battling for the championship. For the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, DiGard set up and raced what is called a Research & Development car (a one-off car entered to a race primarily for team improvement) with Greg Sacks
Greg Sacks
Greg Sacks is a NASCAR driver. He is married to his wife Vicky and lives in Ormond Beach, Florida. Together they had three children: Paul, Brian, and Rachel. He and his sons are partners in Grand Touring Vodka.Sacks has spent most of his career as a Research & Development driver for many NASCAR...
at the helm.
Instead of simply collecting data for the team, Sacks won the race.
However, it has been alleged -- reportedly admitted by DiGard crew chief Gary Nelson -- that the car sneaked through inspection with an oversize engine, and thus the team cheated.
The impact of the R&D car was significant: Reportedly angered that the team was focusing its attention elsewhere, Bobby Allison left the team mid-season -- two weeks after Sacks' July 4 win. Sacks was hired to race for the rest of the year, but never captured another Top-5 finish in 1985.
1993 NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Championship
Richard Childress RacingRichard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
has entered an R&D car
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
sporadically since 1988 and up until the mid 1990s.
In 1993, an RCR car intended as an "R&D car" driven by Neil Bonnett
Neil Bonnett
Lawrence Neil Bonnett was a NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. The Alabama native currently ranks 35th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder...
was entered into the last race of the season at Atlanta
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
, and promptly dropped out of the race immediately after the first laps, finishing 42nd. It was extra security for Dale Earnhardt to win the championship; he needed to finish above 34th spot to defeat title rival Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace
Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...
. Dale later won the championship when nine (of 42) cars had retired from the race.
Formula One
In Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, the term third driver is used to designate a test driver. Third drivers do not compete in Grands Prix, but are used by teams to help the race drivers and engineers with car set ups.
Third drivers can only be used in Friday practice sessions during a Formula One Grand Prix meeting. Teams that finished in the top four of the previous season's World Constructors' Championship are not allowed to have third drivers.
Having a third driver is usually seen as an advantage to a team. In the 2003 Formula One season
2003 Formula One season
The 2003 Formula One season was the 54th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 9, 2003 and ended on October 12 after sixteen races...
(when the third driver rule came into effect, albeit in a different form), Renault opted to take advantage of new rules that allowed them to take part in an extra Friday session with three cars. Renault subsequently had a successful season. Similarly, in the 2004 Formula One season
2004 Formula One season
The 2004 Formula One season was the 55th FIA Formula One World Championship season, running from March 7 to October 24, 2004. The season was dominated by Michael Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro...
, BAR
British American Racing
British American Racing was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. BAR began by acquiring Tyrrell, and used Supertec engines for their first year...
ran third driver Anthony Davidson
Anthony Davidson
Anthony Denis Davidson is a British former Formula One racing driver from England, born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. He has raced for Minardi, Super Aguri and been a test and/or reserve driver for the British American Racing, Honda and Brawn GP teams...
and finished second in the World Constructors' Championship. In the 2005 Formula One season
2005 Formula One season
The 2005 Formula One season was the 56th FIA Formula One World Championship season, contested over a record 19 Grands Prix. It commenced on March 6, 2005, and ended October 16....
McLaren ran third drivers and also had a successful season.
Despite this, not all teams opt to take advantage of the third driver rule, with some teams saying that it was too expensive to run a third car on a Friday.
Third drivers are not always used for performance reasons either. Teams have been known to use third drivers for publicity reasons, sometimes by fielding a local driver. Third cars are also allowed to run in different liveries to the race cars.
Starting with the 2007 season, the regulations were changed so that while a team could run a third driver during Friday practice, they were only allowed to run two cars. This meant that any track time the third driver had was at the expense of one of the teams race drivers, because of this most teams chose not to run a third driver, in order to give their race drivers maximum practice time. Third drivers are still used occasionally, most notably Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
drove for the BMW Sauber
BMW Sauber
BMW has been involved in Formula One in a number of capacities since the inauguration of the World Drivers' Championship in . The company entered occasional races in the 1950s and 1960s , before building the BMW M12/13 inline-four turbocharged engine in the 1980s...
team on Fridays at the start of the 2007 season, scot Paul di Resta
Paul di Resta
Paul di Resta is a British racing driver from Scotland, currently competing in Formula One with Force India. He is also a former DTM champion.-Personal life:...
is scheduled to run Friday practice for the Force India
Force India
Sahara Force India Formula One Team, the trading name of Force India Formula One Team Limited, is a Formula One racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom which currently holds an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 2007 when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and...
team at selected Grands Prix in the 2010 season.
Also, on several occasions third drivers have acted as reserves, racing if one of the team's two race drivers is injured or otherwise unable to race, as in Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna Lalli is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver and the nephew of the late three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. His mother is Ayrton's older sister, Viviane. His father, Flávio Lalli, died in a motorcycle crash in 1996. He wears a slightly modified version of his uncle's...
's case in the Renault F1
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
team in the 2011 season.
IROC
IROC has historically employed former NASCAR drivers Dave MarcisDave Marcis
Dave Marcis is a retired driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit whose career spanned five decades. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final win in 1982...
, Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
and Jim Sauter
Jim Sauter (NASCAR)
Jim Sauter is a former NASCAR race car driver from Necedah, Wisconsin.-Racing career:Sauter started racing in 1964 in a modified at Raceway Park in Savage, Minnesota. He moved up to late models the following year. Sauter moved to Wisconsin, and his career took off after he won the North Star 500...
as test drivers to prepare the setups for cars competing in the IROC series.