Enabling simulations 38 times as fast as before, Chip Ganassi Racing has selected a high-performance computing (HPC) solution based on Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 from Microsoft (News - Alert). The NASCAR team from Chip Ganassi Racing uses computer simulation software optimal starting configurations for its cars before each race.

 

To modify the software to run on Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, Chip Ganassi Racing worked with Microsoft and Stackpole Engineering Services Inc., its simulation software vendor. By using a five-node, HPC cluster, Chip Ganassi Racing can now run a simulation in less than an hour. Previously, it took 24 hours for the team to run a simulation. The team can now optimize race car performance and ultimately be more competitive at the track, as Chip Ganassi Racing can run simulations faster and more often by taking advantage of HPC.

 

Chip Ganassi Racing, based in Concord, N.C., was founded as a one-car IndyCar team 18 years ago and the company has grown into a highly-competitive racing team that competes in the NASCAR Nextel Cup, NASCAR Nationwide, Indy Racing League, Indy Pro and Rolex Grand-AM series. Although the team has been using simulation software for several years, it feels that the usefulness of the software has been restricted by the massive computing power required.

 

With this new technology, Chip Ganassi Racing can identify optimal starting configurations to model expected race-day conditions, such as temperature, how performance under those scenarios is affected by wheel camber, tire pressure, spring rates and other variables that affect suspension geometry and also track characteristics.

 

“With Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, we were able to easily put a solution in place that helps our teams better prepare for race day,” said Mark Paxton, research and development engineering manager for the NASCAR team at Chip Ganassi Racing. “With simulation times reduced from 24 hours to about 30 minutes, we now can run multiple simulations for each race and better tune the situations for each car, track and set of track conditions. Faster simulation times give our car teams more time to rerun simulations if issues arise at the track or expected race-day conditions change.”