Performance Engineer - IndyCar

Racing America Inc.; Mooresville (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Team Penske is seeking a Performance Engineer to support IndyCar vehicle performance at races and test events. The role includes data analysis, simulations, and development tasks to optimize performance.

The candidate should have a motorsports engineering background, trackside exposure, and strong analytical skills, with the ability to collaborate with Race Engineers and the broader engineering team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering; MS preferred.
• Motorsports engineering background and track experience.
• Minimum 3.0 GPA.
• 3+ years in Race Engineering or Motorsport Performance.
• Knowledge of wind tunnel testing methods and vehicle dynamics.
• Data acquisition, data analysis and statistical analysis expertise.
• MATLAB and CAD software (NX, CATIA, Pro-Engineer, SolidWorks) required; Python recommended.

Responsibilities

• Assist Race Engineer with vehicle setup including mechanical, aerodynamic, and gearing changes.
• Review data, videos, and timing to improve driver performance in real time.
• Develop and maintain software and math for performance optimization.
• Conduct competitor analysis to identify improvement areas.
• Perform pre, post, and real-time analysis for IndyCar events.
• Participate in weekly meetings, race weekend debriefs, and test debriefs.
• Drive vehicle simulation programs and offline simulations for events.
• Engage in 7-Post testing and wind tunnel testing as needed.
• Take ownership of defined development tasks and collaborate with the Race Engineer.

Skills

Motorsports engineering

Data analysis

Vehicle dynamics

Communication skills

Collaboration

Wind tunnel knowledge

Data acquisition

Statistical analysis

Driver coaching

Education

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

M.S. in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

NX CAD

CATIA

Pro/Engineer

SolidWorks

Python

Job description

Team Penske is seeking a Performance Engineer to support IndyCar vehicle performance at races and test events. This role involves assisting with vehicle setup, driver coaching, data analysis, simulation, and development tasks to optimize performance. The ideal candidate has motorsports engineering experience, trackside exposure, strong analytical skills, and the ability to collaborate closely with Race Engineers and the broader engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Race Engineer in set-up and final build including mechanical, aerodynamic and gearing changes.
• Assist in event driver coaching. Reviewing data, videos, and timing reports to help find areas of improvement for the drivers in real-time.
• Development and maintenance of software and math for performance optimization.
• Understand competitor analysis and identify improvement areas.
• Pre, Post and Real-time analysis of performance and data reduction in conjunction with the Race Engineer across all aspects of the IndyCar.
• Participate in weekly engineering meetings, race weekend debriefs, and test debriefs to define development opportunities.
• Participate and help drive vehicle simulation programs.
  • Understand and use offline simulation tools in preparation for events and development.
  • Participate in preparation and execution of Driver-in-the-loop simulation sessions for upcoming events and development.
• As required, participate in 7-Post testing.
• As required, participate in Wind Tunnel testing.
• Take ownership of a defined development task.

• Work alongside assigned Race Engineer to perform tasks and create workload balance.
• Follow technical specifications dictated by technical bulletins and car build specifications set forth by the team.
• Collaborate with other members of the engineering group to facilitate communication and development.

Qualifications

• The successful candidate will have at minimum a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, Master of Science preferred.
  • Motorsports engineering background.
    • IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA, WEC or F1 championships preferred.
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Minimum 3 years of engineering experience in Race Engineering, Motorsport Performance, or related field.
  • Professional motorsports track experience.
• Knowledge of wind tunnel testing methods.
• Knowledge of vehicle dynamics.
• Extensive knowledge of data acquisition, data analysis, and statistical analysis.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on innovation and continuous improvement required.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills required.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals.
• Experience with MATLAB and CAD software (NX, CATIA, Pro-Engineer, SolidWorks) required.
• Experience with Python coding recommended.

Desired / Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with data acquisition and test automation software
• Knowledge of testing strategies and procedures
• SharePoint experience
• Microsoft Suite
  • PowerBi desired
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)