Don Schumacher Racing and the Motorsports Engineering program at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) have united to develop a comprehensive program to help advance the performance of DSR Top Fuel teams in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Following the trend set by IndyCar and Formula One teams in recent years, DSR will work with IUPUI engineering students on exclusive research-and-development projects to improve engine, clutch, and chassis components, using technologies such as 3-D modeling, finite stress analysis, and computational fluid dynamics.

An office has been set up at DSR's Brownsburg, Ind., facility where a number of IUPUI students and faculty will work closely with Lee Beard and the other DSR Top Fuel crew chiefs.

"After the IUPUI Motorsports Engineering Program was formed last year," said DSR team manager Beard, who oversees all team operations at DSR, "I thought it would provide a great opportunity for the students to work on actual hands-on engineering projects while at the same time fulfilling DSR's need to scientifically develop race car components and chassis.

"While the students are advancing their knowledge of motorsports engineering, we at DSR are benefiting from their efforts as well as the technologies they are learning."

Although the program is presently limited to the Top Fuel dragsters in DSR's fleet (the U.S. Army car driven by Tony Schumacher; the Fram entry driven by Cory McClenathan, and the Matco Tools dragster piloted by Antron Brown), future projects are expected to include the DSR Funny Cars and Pro Stock Motorcycles as well.

Added Peter Hylton, IUPUI director of motorsports: "This project gives our students a chance to get close to one of the top teams in auto racing, and it gives DSR an opportunity to see what the new crop of engineers is like and at the same time learn a little bit from each other.

"Also, one of the great improvements in the last few years has been to use the computer capabilities to reduce the actual time and cost of testing on the racetrack as well as the expense of using a wind tunnel, which is also very time-consuming.

"This effort will ultimately help both DSR and our students understand how to maximize that advantage.

"This is intended to be a long-term relationship between IUPUI and DSR, and we would continue to have students and faculty working with DSR for a number of years on multiple projects," Hylton continued. "Who knows, one or more of them may find themselves working at DSR after graduation."

Said team owner Don Schumacher: "It is definitely the right time to step into the future to help advance drag racing technology. Our goal is to not only improve the performance of our race cars on the 1,000-foot dragstrip but to advance racing safety while helping educate motorsports engineering students. The partnership between DSR and IUPUI is very important to how we approach professional drag racing in the future."