Performance Engineer - IndyCar

Penske Racing South•Mooresville, NC

10d

About The Position

The Performance Engineer supports IndyCar vehicle performance at race and test events. Working with the Race Engineer and engineering group, this role converts vehicle, driver, timing, simulation, and test data into actionable setup and development recommendations. The role supports event preparation and execution, analyzes performance data, assists with driver performance analysis, and prepares run plans, simulations, reports, and event documentation. It also develops analysis tools and workflows and collaborates with engineering groups across the team. The Performance Engineer uses offline simulation and supports Driver-in-the-Loop simulator sessions and other performance testing, including 7-post, wind tunnel, and rig testing. The role correlates simulation and test results with on-track data, owns assigned development projects through validation, and maintains working knowledge of INDYCAR regulations and team engineering standards.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
Minimum three years of experience in race engineering, motorsport performance, vehicle dynamics, simulation, or a related field.
Strong practical knowledge of aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, race car setup, data acquisition, telemetry analysis, and statistical analysis.
Ability to interpret complex data quickly and communicate concise, actionable conclusions under pressure.
Experience developing analysis tools or automated workflows using MATLAB, Python, VBA, or comparable languages.
Ability to collaborate across engineering and operations groups.

Nice To Haves

Professional motorsports trackside experience; IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA, WEC, Formula 1, or comparable experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Support the Race Engineer with event preparation, car setup, final build specification, and session execution across mechanical, aerodynamic, gearing, tire, and systems areas.
Analyze telemetry, timing, video, driver feedback, and competitor data before, during, and after events to provide setup and performance recommendations.
Support driver performance analysis and coaching using data, video, timing reports, onboard information, and comparative references.
Prepare run plans, simulation studies, analysis packages, reports, and event documentation.
Develop and maintain analysis tools, math channels, automated workflows, and software to improve engineering decisions.
Participate in engineering meetings and event debriefs, document findings, and define follow-up actions.
Collaborate across race engineering, vehicle dynamics, data/systems, simulation, aerodynamics, dampers, tires, and design.
Use offline simulation tools to evaluate setup sensitivities, operating windows, and event-specific configurations.
Plan, support, analyze, and correlate Driver-in-the-Loop simulator sessions and other performance testing, including 7-post, wind tunnel, and rig testing.
Correlate simulation and test results with on-track data, identify gaps, and recommend improvements.
Own assigned development projects from problem definition through implementation and validation.
Maintain working knowledge of INDYCAR regulations, technical bulletins, team build specifications, and internal engineering standards.