PRO RACER: Aurora Straus rounds a curve at the Pirelli World Challenge in Virginia in April 2018.

RICHARD DOLE/LAT IMAGES

STANDARDS

NGSS: Core Idea: PS2.A    

CCSS: Reading Informational Text: 7    

TEKS: 6.2D, 6.8C, 7.2D, 8.2D, 8.6B, P.2H, P.4B

Speed Racer

Teen race car driver Aurora Straus tears up the track as fast as the laws of physics will allow

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What forces slow down race cars? What forces help them gain speed?

COURTESY OF AURORA STRAUS

Aurora Straus

Last March, Aurora Straus—the only female teen professional race car driver in North America—held up a trophy before a cheering crowd at a Texas racetrack. The 19-year-old had just earned her first professional win. But unlike most of her competitors, Aurora hadn’t grown up dreaming of a career in auto racing.

Aurora’s path to victory started unexpectedly at age 13, when her dad enrolled her in racing school. He had only wanted her to learn how to control a skidding car on icy winter roads around their hometown of Cold Spring, New York. “Nobody expected me to race,” says Aurora. But the first time she zipped around the track, she fell in love. “It was one of the most exciting moments in my life.”

Many of the students at the racing school Aurora attended had years of experience racing high-speed go-karts from a young age. Aurora was the slowest driver in the class. To get up to speed, she says, “I worked harder than I had ever worked at anything before.” She also learned to use physics and math to her advantage to gain an edge on the track. Now when she gets behind the wheel, it’s Aurora who’s leaving everyone else in the dust.

Last March, Aurora Straus held up a trophy before a cheering crowd at a Texas racetrack. The 19-year-old was the only female teen professional race car driver in North America. She had just earned her first professional win. Most of the other drivers had grown up dreaming about a career in auto racing. But not Aurora.

Aurora’s path to victory started by accident. When she was 13, her dad signed her up for racing school. He wanted her to learn how to control a sliding car on icy winter roads. That was a problem around their hometown of Cold Spring, New York. “Nobody expected me to race,” says Aurora. But the first time she zipped around the track, she fell in love. “It was one of the most exciting moments in my life.”

Aurora wasn’t like the other racing school students. Many of them had raced high-speed go-karts from a young age. Aurora was the slowest driver in the class. She needed to get up to speed. She says, “I worked harder than I had ever worked at anything before.” She also learned to use physics and math to help her gain an edge on the track. Now when she gets behind the wheel, Aurora leaves everyone else in the dust.  

TAKING THE TURNS

Aurora competes in professional road racing. In her sport, each track has its own unique set of twists and turns—any of which could send her flying into the wall if not navigated correctly. That’s because as a car heads into a turn, inertia—an object’s tendency to resist change in its motion—would keep it barreling straight ahead. Luckily, as a driver steers around a curve, centripetal force pulls the car toward the inside of the turn, helping the car follow a curved path instead.

Centripetal force experienced by a race car comes from its tires gripping the track as they turn. But if the car takes a turn too sharply, its weight shifts, causing the outside tires to lose their grip. “[The car] is not getting the force to pull it toward the center of that turn, and it will skid to the outside,” says physicist Stephen Granade.

Aurora’s sport is professional road racing. Each track has a different set of twists and turns. Those turns could send her flying into the wall if she doesn’t handle them well. That’s because of inertia—an object’s tendency to resist change in its motion. When a car heads into a turn, inertia would keep it moving straight ahead. But centripetal force helps pull the car toward the inside of the turn as a driver steers around a curve. So the car follows a curved path instead.

Centripetal force on a race car comes from its tires. They grip the track as they turn. But if the car takes a turn too sharply, its weight shifts. That causes the outside tires to lose their grip. “[The car] is not getting the force to pull it toward the center of that turn, and it will skid to the outside,” says physicist Stephen Granade.

RICHARD DOLE/COURTESY OF AURORA STRAUS

POWERED BY DATA: Aurora checks on data recorded during her practice laps.

To increase grip, the back of Aurora’s race car is outfitted with a device called a spoiler, which Granade likens to an upside-down wing. An airplane wing’s shape allows air to flow faster over the wing than under it. That creates lift, a force that pulls the plane upward. “You flip that effect over for cars because you don’t want them to lift up,” says Granade. Instead, airflow around the spoiler generates downforce that presses the car against the track.

The back of Aurora’s race car has a device called a spoiler. This helps increase grip. Granade says a spoiler acts like an upside-down wing. An airplane wing’s shape allows air to flow faster over the wing than under it. That creates lift, a force that pulls the plane upward. “You flip that effect over for cars because you don’t want them to lift up,” says Granade. Instead, air flows around the spoiler to create downforce. This presses the car against the track.

DOING THE MATH

Aurora takes into account all the ways these forces can affect her performance. Weeks before a race, she uses a computer program to solve equations that calculate the fastest possible speed for her car on each turn. “Those equations aren’t that different from what you learn in high school math,” she says.

Aurora studies all the ways these forces can affect her driving. Weeks before a race, she solves equations with a computer program. It figures out the fastest possible speed for her car on each turn. “Those equations aren’t that different from what you learn in high school math,” she says.

GAVIN BAKER/LAT IMAGES

START YOUR ENGINES: Aurora races in Lakeville, Connecticut, in July 2017.

Later, during her practice laps on the track, sensors in her car record her velocity, or speed in a given direction, as well as the pressure applied to the brake pedal and how fast she switches back to the gas pedal. Comparing this real-world data with her computer calculations reveals where she can make time-shaving adjustments come race day.

“The difference between first place and third place is often tenths of a second or even less than that,” Aurora explains. “Studying data can be the difference between winning and losing a race.”

Later she takes practice laps on the track. Sensors in her car record her velocity, or speed in a given direction. They also record the pressure on the brake pedal and how fast she switches back to the gas pedal. She compares this real-world data with her computer results. That shows where she can make time-shaving changes on race day.

“The difference between first place and third place is often tenths of a second or even less than that,” Aurora explains. “Studying data can be the difference between winning and losing a race.”

WES DUENKEL/COURTESY OF AURORA STRAUS

BACK TO SCHOOL: Aurora is now a first-year student at Harvard University.

TEMPORARY TEAMWORK

Aurora employs another physics trick to help her win. As a race car speeds down the track, it experiences drag, or air resistance. “The force of the air hitting the front of your car pushes the car backward,” says Granade. As the air passes over the rear of the car, it forms swirling eddies that create more drag.

To reduce this resistance, Aurora often follows inches behind another car—a technique called drafting (see Getting a Boost). The car in front pushes air out of the way, says Aurora. “It creates a tunnel of sorts,” she says. With both vehicles so close together, air moves around them as if they’re a single car. That reduces drag on both cars so they can both move faster.

The two drivers cooperate only for a short time. “It’s a team sport until the last few laps,” says Aurora. “Then it’s just you and the car, and everyone else is your enemy.” The rear car might use the extra momentum it’s gained from drafting to zip around the lead car. From then on, it’s a battle to the finish.

Aurora uses another physics trick to help her win. When a race car speeds down the track, it runs into drag, or air resistance. “The force of the air hitting the front of your car pushes the car backward,” says Granade. When the air passes over the rear of the car, it forms rolling currents. This creates more drag.

To reduce drag, Aurora often uses a method called drafting (see Getting a Boost). She follows inches behind another car. The car in front pushes air out of the way, says Aurora. “It creates a tunnel of sorts,” she says. Both cars are so close together that air moves around them as if they’re one car. That reduces drag on both cars, so they can both move faster.

The two drivers work together only for a short time. “It’s a team sport until the last few laps,” says Aurora. “Then it’s just you and the car, and everyone else is your enemy.” The rear car has gained an extra push from drafting. It might use this to zip around the lead car. Then it’s a battle to the finish.

GIRL POWER

This fall, Aurora began her first semester at Harvard University in Massachusetts, where she plans to study mechanical engineering and literature. She wants to continue racing full-time for as long as she can, but she’s also considering a career in race car design. “Racing is 50 percent driving and 50 percent engineering,” she says.

Aurora hopes her success will encourage more women to get involved in the sport. “Role models are powerful,” she says. “If you see someone who looks like you doing something, it gives you more confidence that you can do it.”

This fall, Aurora began her first semester at Harvard University in Massachusetts. She plans to study mechanical engineering and literature. She wants to keep racing full-time for as long as she can. But she’s also thinking about becoming a race car designer. “Racing is 50 percent driving and 50 percent engineering,” she says.

Aurora hopes her success will lead more women to join the sport. “Role models are powerful,” she says. “If you see someone who looks like you doing something, it gives you more confidence that you can do it.”   

CORE QUESTION: Describe two ways Aurora uses physics to improve her chances of winning a race.

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