Excitement, camaraderie, and variety are just three of the many reasons why millions of fans tune in to NASCAR. From the Daytona 500 to the Clash at the Coliseum, each race offers a unique and mesmerizing experience for the fans. But behind the scenes it takes ongoing preparation to get a stock car ready for race day. Indeed, NASCAR’s evolution over the past several decades has been defined by a drive for technological improvement. Competitive advantage can no longer be achieved by simply tweaking an engine; therefore, in the search for enhanced aerodynamics, CAD and simulation software such as Siemens NX play a central role in NASCAR engineering.
“People think I draw pretty pictures all day, but the precision that is required in race car design—for the car to perform the way we intend it to—well, it’s a lot harder than most people imagine.”
For Jon Rittle, an Aerodynamics Engineer for leading NASCAR team Joe Gibbs Racing, precision is critical to success. With the numerous rules and regulations in place to protect the roots of NASCAR’s culture, the authenticity of racing cars, and a level playing field, Rittle must innovate within tight constraints to optimize cars for competition. “With a regular mouse, if you click and you’re off a pixel or two, you must then undo or redo.” Ultra precise tools such as the 3Dconnexion CadMouse make a difference when working under pressure. The device comes with many time-saving features: quick zoom buttons for easy viewing, a dedicated middle mouse button, and radial menus allowing users to set and customize macros. Together, these attributes simplify inspection and increase the pace of work.
“I spend 98% of my time on a machine and my hand can hurt at the end of the day from clicking 1000 times on a mouse which isn’t the right fit. I don’t have that problem with 3Dconnexion products.”
With long and intense working hours, particularly leading up to a race, Rittle appreciates the ergonomic comfort of 3Dconnexion devices. Moreover, the race business is very mobile and engineers frequently move around between locations. “I like to be wireless. I have the CadMouse Compact Wireless and the SpaceMouse Wireless. I tried numerous other mice—wired because wireless never gave me a satisfactory performance—and there were delays and the precision was missing. The 3Dconnexion CadMouse wireless performs just like the wired version. There’s no lag or speed difference.”
3Dconnexion is proud to offer Joe Gibbs Racing the optimal CAD engineering tools designed for precision, comfort, and mobility.
About Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, and a driver development program. JGR is based in Huntersville, North Carolina, and is owned by 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Joe Gibbs. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning five Cup Series championships and six Xfinity Series owner’s championships, along with more than 350 NASCAR races, including four Brickyard 400s and four Daytona 500s.
