Ben Bowlby Wins RACE TECH Aerodynamicist of the Year Award

Ben Bowlby (L) accepts the reward at the Race Tech Symposium

Arnaud Martin, Ben Bowlby and Flybrid Systems were the recipients of the Race Engine Designer, the Dino Toso Racecar Aerodynamicist and the Most Innovative New Motorsport Product of the Year awards respectively in a night of celebration during the RACE TECH World Motorsport Symposium.

Arnaud Martin, head of engine design at RML, the leading team that runs the Chevrolet Cruzes in the World Touring Car Championship, produced an entirely new 1.6 liter engine from a clean sheet of paper. While the blue and white cars picked up 21 wins in 25 races, claimed the pole position at every single round and also led for more than twice as many laps as all the other teams combined, what was particularly impressive about this engine was that Arnaud and his small team of engineers produced it in just eight months on a very limited budget.

On receiving the award from Soheila Kimberley, RACE TECH’s Publishing Director, Arnaud said that he was grateful that his team’s work had been so recognized and honored and that he was proud to be joining such a prestigious list of previous winners.

The Dino Toso Racecar Aerodynamicist of the Year award was presented to Ben Bowlby for his work in designing the groundbreaking DeltaWing racecar that will be raced in “Box 56" at Le Mans this year. While admitting that the award was going to the designer of a car that had yet to turn a wheel, RACE TECH Editor William Kimberley said that no matter what happened, 2012 would be the year of the DeltaWing and that Ben was pushing the boundaries that promised a step change in aerodynamic efficiency and fuel economy, as well as improved safer and closer racing.

Ben made a special tribute to Dan Gurney, the former Formula One driver and president of All American Racers, who was making the project possible, not only in supplying all the resources possible to Ben and his team in California but for his inspirational guidance and advice.

Jon Hilton, Managing Partner of Flybrid Systems, received the award for the Most Innovative New Motorsport Product of the Year for the Flybrid CFT – Clutched Flywheel Transmission – KERS flywheel-based system. It was seen on the Hope Racing car at Le Mans in 2011, the first ever to start the 24 hour race with a hybrid drive system. Different from other hybrid systems it offers a step change in size, weight and cost reduction and in a world where energy recovery systems have suddenly become a major talking point, it represented a pretty compelling case to receive the award.

On receiving the award, Jon said he was enormously proud to have received such an award in recognition of the work that his company, that was only celebrating its fifth birthday in January, had achieved. He also went on to say that such had been the interest from the automotive sector that the company could well be doubling in size over the next year.