Engineering Consulting and Development Services
Providing engineering consultation and driving services to reduce development time and costs of individual components to entire vehicles. From creation to execution of test plans regardless of size/scope to solving technical challenges.
Providing solutions to the complex technical challenges of large OEM auto manufacturers and world-class motorsports programs, to the challenges faced during the engineering, development, and validation of supercars, production cars, race cars, niche coachbuilders, and catering to the testing and car setup needs of race teams and individuals own track and street cars.
Success depends on ensuring the right processes are in place to maximize the efficiency and cohesiveness of everyone clearly understanding the objective, and effectively working together in the same direction to overcome challenges to achieve those goals in a timely manner.
My unique experience, technical understanding, and proven style of communication bridges the gap between the subjective feedback, “feel”, and desired traits of a car, with objective analysis to make educated decisions to quickly achieve program goals. The ability to translate technical “engineering-speak” and making it digestible and easy to understand closes a major divide between engineers and decision-makers, management, marketing, or the general public. This is a key element that greatly improves the efficiency and success during development.
Background:
As a systems engineer with a unique background and 19 years of experience in the automotive field, I have refined the skillset of holistically viewing complex engineering challenges as a system, recognize and bridge technical and communication gaps between compartmentalized divisions within a company to work in a more unified direction to achieve the goals of the program.
As a racing and development driver with an engineering mindset, I have greatly reduced development time and costs for many programs. This is achieved by implementing various processes to streamline the efficiency and accuracy of testing, and bridging the communication divide between the subjective aspects of driver “feel” and feedback on handling characteristics, with the objective engineering understanding and making more accurate decisions to achieve the program goals quicker.
My career has led me down a path that involved working directly at every level from the ground floor in manufacturing, to engineering, testing validation, management, marketing, and reporting directly to the CEO of multiple large organizations during major projects. This experience has created the awareness and understanding of communication gaps between departments and individuals, and the significant impact they have on the efficiency and success of complex engineering programs such as developing a vehicle or competing in motorsports at the highest level.
My position in these organizations allowed for the rare opportunity and freedom to refine the ability to improve the communication deficits between mechanics and engineers, engineers and managers, managers to marketing, etc. This was a recipe for success due to better decisions being made from a clearer understanding of the problem and solution.
The knowledge gained from these experiences, along with working as a development driver on multiple projects learning from industry greats, world-class engineers, innovators, chassis designers, vehicle dynamicists, aerodynamicists, powertrain engineers, composite engineers, programmers, and crew chiefs, created an unparalleled understanding of the complex relationship between different systems and their effect on the end result, and the ability to effectively bridge technical and communication gaps to align many different divisions within a company to work cohesively towards the main objective.
This experience and ability led to the successful engineering consulting for Roush Fenway Keslowksi’s NASCAR Cup program in 2022, during the development phase of the “Next Gen” platform that featured an independent rear suspension for the first time in the series history. RFK’s average road course finish improved that year to 6.6, which was a big improvement over the previous year of 12.8th place. These skills has also played a part of the overwhelmingly positive feedback on the Shelby GT350, GT500, and Ford GT road cars.
It’s somewhat easy to make a car go fast. However, it is extremely difficult to make a car go fast, be predictable and easy to drive, while being balanced and engaging to drive. That is the holy trinity that is rarely accomplished.
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Engineering Consulting
As a systems engineer with a unique background and 19 years of experience in the automotive field, I have refined the skillset of holistically viewing complex engineering challenges as a system, recognize and bridge technical and communication gaps between compartmentalized divisions within a company to work in a more unified direction to achieve the goals of the program. (this is redundant paragraph)
This experience and ability led to the successful engineering consulting for Roush Fenway Keslowksi’s NASCAR Cup program in 2022, during the development phase of the “Next Gen” platform that featured an independent rear suspension for the first time in the series history. RFK’s average road course finish improved that year to 6.6, which was a big improvement over the previous year of 12.8th place.
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Manufacturer Development and Engineering
For companies in the business of developing entire vehicle systems like production cars, supercars, niche vehicles to individual components such as dampers, tires, brakes, aero, powertrain, shifting algorithms, ABS and traction control strategies, implementing proper procedures can not only result in a competitive advantage, but it can greatly improve testing efficiencies, accuracy, and reduce development cost and time. The more complex the component or system, and the more divisions, people, or firms involved in a program, the more important it is to recognize and break down compartmentalized divisions to improve the flow of technical communication so everyone works on the same page towards achieving the clear objective.
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Race Car Setup and Testing
Race teams ranging from amateur racers up to professional race teams are on the never-ending journey to improve lap times and performance. Some situations call for a higher emphasis on the car’s subjective drivability to cater to the safety of customers and arrive-and-drive programs where improving the setup of the car to make it fast and easy to drive is invaluable.
Improving testing efficiency reduces the time and cost for teams to achieve their goals. Creating detailed test plans to focus on, identify, and solve specific challenges, quickly evaluating the car and subsequent changes and providing detailed feedback from behind the wheel, working with the team’s engineers or offering engineering organizational and direction services, develop an understanding of the platform’s strengths, weaknesses and handling envelope, creating a roadmap of the effects of changes, and consulting in the development of race cars to improve performance within the limitations of rules or resources.
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Street/Track Car Basic Setup
It is very common for people to get lost or frustrated with the performance of their street or track-day car after spending thousands of dollars on modifications. I can quickly assess the effects that these modifications have on the overall character of the car, whether it is the suspension, powertrain, or aerodynamics, make available adjustments to optimize the setup, achieve the customer’s goals, or provide a roadmap of what is needed to achieve those goals.
"...one of the best-driving cars, well, ever."
-Jonny Lieberman
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