Xtrac exceeds 2 million IndyCar miles as it prepares new gearbox for 2012 ... company welcomes ICONIC’s goal to attract technology from automotive and aerospace industries

Xtrac, a global leader in motorsport transmissions, will this weekend mark its two millionth milestone in the North American IZOD IndyCar Series as it prepares its specification for a lightweight transmission for the new chassis being introduced in 2012. The UK and USA based gearbox manufacturer has been an exclusive supplier to the series over the past 10 years.

Xtrac’s unrivalled reputation for supplying premier league motorsport teams with reliable high-technology transmission systems, which help to optimise vehicle performance while reducing downtime and minimising running costs, should prove a significant factor in the development of an advanced lightweight gearbox to suit the new engine specification, following the recent decision by the ICONIC (Innovative, Open-Wheel, New, Industry-Relevant, Cost-Effective) advisory committee and the IZOD IndyCar Series to introduce a brand new chassis strategy for 2012.

“Passing this momentous milestone marks a highly successful decade and longstanding relationship with one of the greatest race series in the world,” says Peter Digby president and managing director at Xtrac. “We now look forward to submitting our proposals for a new lightweight transmission and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dallara for winning the contract to supply the new chassis. We have already indicated to the series promoters that we are willing to relocate to the new Speedway redevelopment area, which is very close to our existing facility in Indianapolis, where we’ve been based since 2003.”

The local relocation by Xtrac would put it even closer to Dallara’s new state-of-the-art technology centre to be located on Main Street, which was recently announced by the Speedway Redevelopment Commission (SRC). Dallara has stated that it will encourage its distributors and other businesses to also move into Speedway’s 700-acre redevelopment area, which broke ground with its first construction project in November 2009, ‘to continue to foster the growth of a vibrant, racing-centred community’.

“We would look like to thank Xtrac for its longstanding support as exclusive supplier of transmissions for the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2000 and for its commitment to have a base in Indiana since 2003,” says Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations.   “We are equally delighted that Xtrac has committed to relocate to our new redevelopment area and of course we wish them every success in their discussions with Dallara for a new lightweight gearbox suitable for the new chassis.” 

As a major international customer, the IZOD IndyCar series typifies for Xtrac the global nature of its business and represents a significant contract that has been successfully renewed six times since 2000 and which currently extends to the end of 2011.

“It’s serious business, but it’s also tremendous fun and deeply satisfying designing a gearbox able to handle the prodigious power of a 650bhp race car capable of reaching speeds in excess of 230mph,” says Digby. “We also applaud the ICONIC’s mission to reach out and challenge the automotive and aerospace industries to join in and enhance the relevancy of the series with advanced and innovative technology. We are fully supportive of technology transfer between industry sectors as demonstrated by our recent success at transferring motorsport technology into the military sector.”

The targeted minimum weight for the new car is 1,380 pounds (625kg), nearly 200 pounds (90kg) lighter than the current car.

“This will require a significant weight saving for the transmission without compromising reliability and our well established low running costs,” says Digby. “This will be an interesting and exciting challenge for our technical capabilities, and we’ll draw heavily on our experience in other premier motorsport series including our major involvement in Formula 1 and in the Le Mans 24 hour race”.

Currently halfway through the IZOD IndyCar 2010 racing season the two millionth milestone for racing, practise and testing will be exceeded during the next race, which will be held this coming Sunday 25 July at the Edmonton city centre airport circuit in Alberta, Canada.

“Our first IndyCar transmission was introduced in 2000 to improve race car reliability, driver safety, and to provide the series with a more robust and more durable gearbox,” adds vice president Andrew Heard who heads up the Xtrac Inc. operation based in Indianapolis. “We have delivered an exemplary record of reliability and performance – with some teams still running some of the early casings. To handle the power of an IndyCar all of the steel used for the rotating parts is produced to our own metallurgical specification, with strict quality control procedures carried out at every manufacturing stage.”

The first generation transmission was designed specifically to fulfil the IndyCar technical and commercial regulations says Heard: “To meet the requirements we put a lot of effort into achieving the lowest possible running costs, whilst ensuring that technically we had designed a reliable transmission built to the highest motorsport industry standards . A high level of design engineering effort went into this project, and the same standards will be applied to the new transmission.”

The year 2000 was an important time for Xtrac. It not only secured its exclusive contract to supply the Indy Racing League (as it was then known), but also relocated to a brand-new factory constructed on a 13-acre site at Thatcham near Newbury in England. By 2003 the company had established Xtrac Inc based in Indianapolis primarily to support the IndyCar series.

The legendary Indianapolis 500 race is the highlight of this famous open wheel racing series and is generally considered as one of the three most prestigious motorsport races in the world alongside the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – in both races many of the teams also compete with Xtrac transmissions.

The current IZOD IndyCar 6-speed transaxle applies more than 25 years of Xtrac experience supplying to the world’s top racing formulae and adopts the same design principles to minimise the mass, size and inertia. For the second generation transmission particular attention was paid to the gearshift and in 2008 Xtrac upgraded the transmission with a MegaLine Assisted Gearchange System supplied to every IndyCar chassis, which has been a great success further reducing running costs while enhancing driver safety.

Xtrac opened its new facility in Indianapolis for the start of the 2003 season, located just a few minutes’ drive from the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 6,900 square foot (640m2) building is equipped to offer engineering and spares support for the North and South American markets. This also includes gearbox servicing and track support for the GRAND-AM Sportscar Series, American Le Mans Series, and desert and closed-course off road racing. In 2008, Xtrac Inc. further expanded its Indianapolis operation and began locally assembling and sourcing components for IndyCar and this programme would be further expanded for the new transmission.

Notes to editors

Established in 1984, Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within F1, IndyCar, Touring Car, Rallying, Rally Raid, GRAND-AM and many forms of sportscar racing including a major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hours, Daytona 24 hour and Sebring 12 hour races. The company employs 250 professional engineers and technicians in the UK and USA, and has in recent years been building on its motorsport successes by securing projects in the aerospace, automotive, military, hybrid vehicle and marine industries.

Peter Digby is the company’s longest standing employee, joining in 1986, two years after it was formed. He was a former production manager for the Williams and Haas F1 teams. He helped establish the management buy-out in 1997 and Xtrac’s unique Employee Shareholding Trust, which has allowed virtually every employee to share in the success of business, which helps to maintain the company’s renowned customer service and competitive advantage.

Andrew Heard joined Xtrac in 1997 initially as a design engineer. He has been involved in supporting the IndyCar Series from the outset and in 2001, shortly after winning the contract, was permanently relocated from the UK to Indianapolis. In November 2002, Xtrac Inc. opened its doors on its new facility on the North West side of Indianapolis. This office expanded quickly and now has two fully equipped trailers supporting many of the major race series in North America.

Further information on Xtrac is available at www.xtrac.com. 

Media contact:  Rob Palmer on +44 1582 763255 or +44 7768 242761 or rpalmer@palmerpr.com . Images for this press release and previous news releases can be downloaded from www.newspress.co.uk

Picture – Xtrac Inc gearbox technician Jon Laski installing a gear cluster into a current IndyCar transmission at the company’s existing Indianapolis facility



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Xtrac discusses relevance of its motorsport technology with UK parliamentarians

Xtrac, the UK-based motorsport transmission specialist, will discuss its cutting edge technology with members of both houses of Parliament this evening at a prominent motorsport industry event being held at the House of Lords. A key theme for discussion will be the broader application of its engineering skills to other industry sectors. Examples of Xtrac driveline components will be included in a prominent ‘display of motorsport excellence’ set out in the Royal Courtyard within the Houses of Parliament.

“The UK benefits considerably from its multi-million pound motorsport industry, which exemplifies the rapid technical innovation we need to help tackle the problem of energy efficiency,” says Xtrac managing director Peter Digby also a recent past chairman of the Motorsport Industry Association. “Many of the technical solutions we develop for motorsport can be applied to the automotive mainstream and other transport sectors and especially the defence industry where we’re already making excellent progress.”
Some of the most important business leaders in motorsport, from around the world, will be attending the annual event, which is organised by the MIA and hosted by its president Lord Astor of Hever, who has been appointed as a Minister of Defence in the new coalition government. The MIA’s summer reception is regarded as the most prestigious social gathering on the international motorsport business calendar and will be attended by over 300 invited VIP guests.

Xtrac, which employs 235 professional engineers and technicians at its factory, close to Newbury in Berkshire, which forms part of the UK Motorsport Valley, is not only transferring technology to the defence sector as part of the MIA’s motorsport-to-defence initiative, but has also been successful at pursuing growth by securing projects in the aerospace, automotive, hybrid vehicle and marine industries.

“The low-to-medium production volumes in most of these sectors is well within our manufacturing capability and in the high volume automotive industry there are important niche segments as well as a need for prototype parts for vehicle test and development,” says Digby. “Our designs are optimised for maximum efficiency and minimum whole life costs providing high added value to our customers; the last thing that a top racing team needs is a low cost part with poor reliability that will cost them dear in the long run. It’s the same, for example, for a military vehicle when the cost of a breakdown while on patrol is not only measured in downtime and expensive repair costs, but potentially lost lives. “

Within the defence industry, Xtrac has recently applied its engineering skills to design new and more robust front and rear axles that improve the mobility of all-terrain military vehicles. Xtrac was able to apply highly relevant motorsport experience to these projects; the company is a long-established supplier of gearboxes for Dakar rally-raid vehicles competing in arguably the world’s toughest off-road endurance event requiring characteristics similar to military vehicles.

Xtrac has also developed an all-new two speed transfer case for the Supacat SPV400, which is bidding in a competitive tender to win a UK Ministry of Defence contract for a Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) urgently needed in Afghanistan and being procured under a MoD Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR). Xtrac forms part of a chain of over 30 British manufacturers backing the all-British, all-new Supacat SPV400 bid to win the multi-million pound contract, which could lead to major additional export sales with other defence forces. Approximately a third of the companies involved are members of the MIA.

Xtrac’s renowned pace of development and ability to pursue speedy solutions has also helped it win significant business in the marine industry. The highly innovative Axis Drive by Caudwell Marine features a unique gear system designed and manufactured by Xtrac. And with the increasing focus on energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in road cars, Xtrac has applied many of the engineering techniques learnt in motor racing to design suitable transmission systems and has produced more than 100 prototype gearboxes for hybrid and electric vehicle development.

“It’s not just about designing a highly efficient and reliable transmission, but making it as lightweight and compact as possible; the space available to house the traction motor, batteries and power electronics is at a real premium in hybrid electric vehicles,” says Digby. “Essentially this requires the same set of skills as packaging components into the tight spaces of a race car – something our industry is very good at.”

“As well as our technology pedigree another major attraction to clients is our exceptional ability to meet unremitting deadlines repeated each race weekend. Here, our ace card is that virtually all of our employees are highly motivated shareholders in our award winning Employee Benefit Trust share scheme, which is how we maintain our competitive edge.”

Within motorsport itself, Xtrac has been involved in energy efficient initiatives since 2001 and has played a key role in designing, developing and integrating a mechanical KERS system for F1 with partners Flybrid and Torotrak. Xtrac is also an active partner in a project to develop the flywheel hybrid system for road cars, where its key role is to manufacture the toroidal continuously variable transmission (CVT) between the flywheel and the vehicle powertrain.
Established for 26 years, Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within F1, IndyCar, Touring Car, Rallying, Rally Raid, GRAND-AM and many forms of sportscar racing including a major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hours, Daytona 24 hour and Sebring 12 hour races. Its world-class technical capabilities extend to research programmes in the development of new steels and new manufacturing processes, and as well as its fundamental design skills, Xtrac is highly proficient in gearbox analysis, simulation and rig testing, metallurgy, heat treatment and high precision manufacturing. Further information is available at www.xtrac.com.

Media contact: Rob Palmer on +44 1582 763255 or +44 7768 242761 or rpalmer@palmerpr.com .

Images for this press release and previous news releases can be downloaded from www.newspress.co.uk

New transfer case for Supacat’s Light Protected Patrol Vehicle programme provides further example of Xtrac’s military vehicle capability

Xtrac, the UK-based transmission technology specialist, has developed an all-new two speed transfer case for the Supacat SPV400, which is bidding to win the UK Ministry of Defence Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) programme. This latest announcement further demonstrates the company’s ability to transfer its state-of-the-art motorsport technology and know-how to the defence sector, and comes hard on the heels of developing brand new axles to improve the mobility of other vehicles operated by military customers worldwide.

The company, whose factory is located close to Newbury in Berkshire, forms part of a chain of over 30 British manufacturers backing the all-British, all-new Supacat SPV400 bid to win the multi-million pound MoD contract, which could lead to significant additional export sales with other defence forces. According to Supacat, the companies, which are spread across Britain, are underlining ‘their readiness to deliver a world beating vehicle that is urgently needed in Afghanistan’ should the SPV400 be selected.

Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of high technology gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport including F1. For this latest military project, its transfer case features high and low range gears, which can be actuated whilst the vehicle is on the move, enabling rapid transfer between on-road and more extreme off-road terrain.

Purpose designed to perform a wide range of patrol tasks in areas inaccessible to heavier vehicles, the Supacat SPV400 offers unprecedented levels of mobility and on the desert plain it can reach speeds up to 80mph. The transfer case centre differential provides a 50:50 torque split to the front and rear axles and is electronically controlled. The unit also has provision to drive a power take-off (PTO) as well as the power assisted steering (PAS).

“A successful tender would lead to the purchase of an initial batch of 200 transfer cases for 200 patrol vehicles, which for us is well within our manufacturing capability,” says Xtrac managing director Peter Digby. “The alternative for a company like Supacat is to order a standard off-the-shelf component from a high volume manufacturer with the inevitable design compromises.”

Additional business coming from the defence sector would help Xtrac in its ambition to grow the company beyond motorsport, where it is already the dominant global supplier with virtually all the world's top motorsport teams now relying on Xtrac's transmission expertise. Over the past 26 years Xtrac has taken itself from a fledgling start-up company to the pinnacle of motorsport by securing prestigious customers in most motorsport formulas including Formula 1, IndyCar, Touring Car, Rallying, Rally Raid and GRAND-AM as well as its major involvement in the renowned Le Mans and Daytona 24 hour races and Sebring 12 hour race.

“The business was founded on our ability to supply four-wheel drive transmission systems for rally raid type events over some of the world’s most hostile terrain,” says Digby, “so for us it’s a natural transition into the defence sector, where the requirement is similarly for high mobility vehicles that can stay the course.”

“Expanding our business into the defence sector will not only help sustain existing jobs, but could potentially create more employment if we can further grow the business,” says Digby, who like virtually every other employee is also a shareholder through the company’s award winning Employee Benefit Trust. “We currently employ 235 highly professional and highly trained personnel serving the motorsports industry, all highly motivated as shareholders, which is how we maintain our competitive edge.”

Now applying its skills to applications outside of motorsport, the UK transmission specialist is not only pursuing growth in the defence sector, but has also been successful at securing projects in the automotive, hybrid vehicle, aerospace and marine industries. Further information on Xtrac is available at www.xtrac.com.   

Note to editors

Please refer to Supacat press release announcing the chain of over 30 British manufacturers coming together in Coventry on 7 July to promote this all-British vehicle bid for the £100m UK MoD Snatch replacement vehicle. Further information on Supacat is available at www.supacat.com.

Ends

Xtrac media contact:  Rob Palmer on +44 1582 763255 or +44 7768 242761 or rpalmer@palmerpr.com . Images for this press release and previous news releases can be downloaded from www.newspress.co.uk

Supacat media contact: Celia Turner, CTPR, on +44 (0)20 7485 7760 or +44 (0)7703 344425 or email celia@ctpr.co.uk or Jamie Clarke, Supacat Ltd on + 44 (0)1404 891777/ +44 (0)7921 973916 or email jamieclarke@supacat.com

Picture 1 – Xtrac two speed transfer case for Supacat SPV400 Light Protected Patrol Vehicle

Picture 2 – Xtrac two speed transfer case for Supacat SPV400 Light Protected Patrol Vehicle

Over 30 British Manufacturers promote all-British vehicle bid for £200m UK MoD Snatch replacement

Today a chain of over 30 British manufacturers come together in Coventry to promote the all-British, all-new Supacat SPV400 bid for an Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) UOR value c. £200m Ministry of Defence contract to replace the Snatch Land Rover, which will have significant export potential. At NP Aerospace’s Coventry facility, where the Supacat SPV400 would be built, representatives from large and small automotive and defence companies across Britain will demonstrate their readiness to deliver a world beating vehicle that is urgently needed in Afghanistan should the SPV 400 be selected.

The SPV400 is a truly all-British designed and built vehicle and is competing for the LPPV Programme, which will lead to the purchase of an initial batch of 200 vehicles, valued at approximately £200m, and an option to buy a further 200 vehicles. The LPPV competition has created an entirely new class of protected patrol vehicle and therefore opens up significant export opportunities for the successful vehicle.

As all Intellectual Property Rights for the SPV400 are UK based, the automotive solution residing with Devon based Supacat and the protection system with Coventry based NP Aerospace, the SPV400 is wholly British owned, which means all export revenues will be fully exploited in the UK. Supacat holds the Design Authority, guaranteeing the UK retains full control over the technology and future design upgrades - and is free from US ITAR restrictions.

Over 90% of the SPV400 is UK sourced with the supply chain stretching from Darlington, where Cummins UK produce the engine, down to Devon, where the SPV400 is designed by Supacat. Some 15 of the key suppliers are concentrated in the West Midlands around the Coventry production facility, including GKN Aerospace and GKN Driveline, Pailton Engineering, CSES Engineering, Park Sheetmetal Ltd, Garforth & Goodman, Christy Hydraulics, Dana UK Axles, AFS Ltd, Lighting Aerospace.

“This decision is essential for our soldiers but also for British Industry because the Supacat/NP Aerospace team believe it offers the best and a truly British solution – the SPV400. Not only would it strengthen the UK’s innovation and engineering skills base and support manufacturing jobs, sustaining between 1000 and 1200 jobs throughout the UK, but it is a true British Export”, said Nick Ames, Managing Director of Supacat, the vehicle’s designer.

Purpose designed to counter the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices in Afghanistan and perform a wide range of patrol tasks in areas inaccessible to heavier vehicles, the Supacat SPV400 offers unprecedented levels of mobility and protection which, in combination, break new ground in military vehicle technology and development. A light patrol vehicle in the 7.5 ton class, it carries a crew of six (2 +4) and combines an integrated blast and ballistic protection system, including a protected all composite crew pod and V-shaped hull. On the desert plain it can reach speeds up to 80mph.

“In the UK we still have the capability to design and produce a world beating military vehicle and with the SPV400 the full export benefits will flow back to the UK, helping to underpin continued British development of equipment that best serves our troops on the front line”, said Roger Medwell, Chairman & Chief Executive of NP Aerospace. “This is an important piece of business for NP Aerospace’s future and for all the British companies in our supply chain and for their employees to sustain high quality engineering jobs”.

UK companies, Supacat and NP Aerospace, are respectively world leaders in high mobility, all terrain vehicles and in composite armour protection systems. NP Aerospace designed the SPV400’s composite crew pod and protection system with access to the UK’s classified armour technology. The materials used offer protection from a range of threats and at much lower weight than a traditional steel design.

Both have significant experience in working with the British Army, with Supacat currently supplying the Jackal and Coyote vehicles while NP Aerospace integrates and supplies the Mastiff, Ridgback and Wolfhound vehicles.

SPV400 Supply Chain
Berkshire, Newbury XTRAC - Two speed transfer case
Cambridge Titan Motorsport – Power Steering
Derbyshire, Heanor Advanced Composites Group Ltd - Composite Materials
Devon, Bideford Whiteland Engineering – Hubs
Devon, Honiton Supacat - Prime Contractor and SPV400 Vehicle Designer
Humberside, Scunthorpe Russell Ductile – Uprights/Fabrications
Leicester Chamberlin Casting– Wishbones/Castings
Leicester, Melton Mowbray KS Composites – Composite Structures
Middlesex, Uxbridge Trimite Ltd – Paint & Coatings
Notts, Sutton in Ashfield Mitchell Diesel - Gear Box
Staffordshire, Tamworth Alcon - Brakes
Shropshire Hutchinson Rodgard - Wheels
Shrewsbury W.A. Lewis – Armoured Hull
Somerset, Taunton SFM Technology - Fabrications
South Wales,Pontypridd AKG UK LTD –Cooling System
Wiltshire Westwire Harnessing Ltd – Electrical Harnessing
Yorkshire,
Darlington Cummins UK - Engines
Bradford Commercial & Plant Exhausts - Exhaust

West Midlands
Birmingham
AFS Ltd – Fabrication
GKN Aerospace – Glazing
Dana UK Axle - Differentials
Coventry
NP Aerospace - Armour Protection + Volume Production
Pailton Engineering – Steering
CSES Engineering – Electrical Assemblies
Lighting Aerospace – Fabricated Components & Assemblies
Park Sheetmetal Ltd – Fabricated Components & Assemblies
Garforth & Goodman – Machining
Christy Hydraulics – Hydraulic Fittings
Warwickshire
Rugby Shaw Sheetmetal Ltd –Fabricated Components & Assemblies
Sutton Coldfield GKN Driveline - Drive Shaft
Nuneaton Universal Fabrications Ltd – Fabricated Components, Assemblies
Worcester, Pershore
Winstanley & Co Ltd - Pershore - Fabricated Components & Assemblies

PR information contact:
Celia Turner, CTPR, on +44 (0)20 7485 7760/ +44 (0)7703 344425 or email celia@ctpr.co.uk or Jamie Clarke, Supacat Ltd on + 44 (0)1404 891777/ +44 (0)7921 973916 or email jamieclarke@supacat.com

About the SPV 400
The SPV400 provides unprecedented levels of protection and mobility for light patrol vehicles in the 7.5 ton class carrying a crew of six (2 +4). The SPV400 combines an integrated blast and ballistic protection system, including a protected all composite crew pod and V-shaped hull. Using the latest composite and ceramic armour systems, the crew pod is constructed as a separate module, sealed off from potential secondary projectiles, such as kit and electronic devices, which are housed in a rear compartment. All seats are mine blast protected. Its exceptional all terrain, high mobility performance is comparable to the Supacat-designed Jackal, capable of 80mph on desert plain, with the agility to manoeuvre in tight urban environments.

“With NP Aerospace, Supacat has purpose designed the SPV400 with crew survivability built in from the outset to provide troops with the protection and mobility they need against the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices”, said Nick Ames, Managing Director, Supacat.
A modular and future-proofed design allows the SPV400 to be upgraded to meet evolving threats and requirements. The V shaped hull protects the crew in an under-belly mine strike scenario, while the modular approach enables the SPV400 to be repaired in theatre following mine blast incidents by replacing the damaged module(s).

Air suspension provides troops with a smooth ride, reducing crew fatigue and conventional steering reduces complexity.

About Supacat
Supacat specialises in the design and development of high mobility vehicles and other specialist transport systems for military and civil customers. The company was founded in 1981 to develop the Supacat 6x6 high mobility vehicle and is a UK centre of excellence in all terrain transport technology. From its facility at Dunkeswell, Devon, UK, it employs 120 people across a range of engineering disciplines, including design, testing and prototype manufacture through to maintenance, repair and overhaul and low rate production. It provides a complete support management service for its own as well as other manufacturers’ vehicles.
Supacat designed the Jackal weapons-mounted, long-range patrol vehicle and the 6x6 Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle (Light) – both variants of the High Mobility Transporter (HMT) concept designed by Supacat and built under licence from Lockheed Martin. Currently in service with British Forces there are over 260 Jackal 2, 200 Jackal 1 and over 70 Coyote vehicles.

About NP Aerospace

NP Aerospace was set up in Coventry in 1926 by Courtaulds Ltd and is now majority owned by The Morgan Crucible Company plc.
NP Aerospace specialises in the design and manufacture of leading-edge armour systems and is the survivability and systems integrator for over 1,000 vehicles delivered to meet Urgent Operational Requirements over the last 4 years.

NP Aerospace has produced the composite armour monocoque pod for the SPV400 vehicle. The unique moulding is the culmination of 30 years experience in the delivery of armour systems for the British Army and incorporates well proven technology. The pod is a structure and high-performance armour system in one, and it has been designed so that it can be upgraded to meet future threats. The proven materials used are inherently fire resistant and offer protection from a wide range of threats and at much lower weight than a traditional steel design.

Xtrac's 24Hr Reliability Wins Again

Le Mans 2010 saw more Xtrac products being employed than in any previous year with 23 of the 55 cars using Xtrac gearboxes and other cars using differentials, engine gears, starter systems, driveline and suspension components. This surfeit of product underlines the dominance earned by Xtrac in endurance racing which extends back to the company’s inception. With competitors’ products failing on the very first lap of the race, reliability was clearly shown to be the crucial factor in not only finishing but in winning the race too.

Audi secured their fourth 1-2-3 clean sweep and their ninth outright victory of which all diesel cars powered cars used an Xtrac gearbox, a tally which now equals Ferrari in the roll of honour, an impressive record indeed from their twelve starts in this classic event. On top of their stunning reliability, the three R15+ Audi’s all lapped the race at a record breaking average speed beating the previous record set back in 1971 in the days when the “Mulsanne” was truly straight, without the two chicanes.

Oreca won the unofficial petrol powered class coming home 4th overall behind the three Audis. Long standing Xtrac customer Saleen secured the GT1 class victory with the Labre Competition run SR7. Having used an Xtrac gearbox since 2000, it was a fitting victory in the final year of the GT1 class for this GT car’s constructor and the race team.

With transmission solutions now for every class of Le Mans car, Xtrac are building upon their experience to produce new LMP and GT packages designed to suit the latest regulations and to ensure that Xtrac’s legendary Quality, Performance & Reliability attributes once again prove to be a vital ingredient to victory.

Two new axles from Xtrac improve mobility of military vehicles

Xtrac, the transmission technology specialist, has developed high performance front and rear axles designed to further improve the mobility of all-terrain high mobility four-wheel drive vehicles operated by military customers worldwide, including the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).   Xtrac was able to apply its considerable motorsport expertise to this military vehicle project; the company is a long-established supplier of gearboxes for Dakar rally-raid vehicles competing in arguably the world’s toughest off-road endurance event requiring characteristics similar to military vehicles.

The new axle units are making their debut at the DVD2010 exhibition, the UK’s first major defence equipment show following the general election.  Held on 23-24 June at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, the show is organised by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), which is the part of the MoD responsible for equipping the UK's armed forces for current and future operations.

Milspec, a company associated with the high mobility vehicle specialist and MoD contractor Specialist Mobility Training (SMT), has worked with Xtrac and the vehicle design authority to develop the front and rear axles for a potential ‘mobility uplift’ programme.  Designated ‘Milspec 1002’ in Xtrac parlance, the axles can be seen on the SMT stand at the exhibition.

The new axles have been designed and packaged to be fully compatible with an existing vehicle platform.  Test vehicles equipped with the new axles have successfully completed extensive trials, run over thousands of miles with extremely demanding test regimes, all completed without failure.  Xtrac’s technical capabilities for this project were underpinned by its intensive research programme – particularly in the development of new steels, manufacturing processes, simulation and rig testing.

As well as its fundamental design skills, Xtrac has applied its expertise in analysis, metallurgy, heat treatment and high precision manufacturing to produce axles capable of withstanding extreme off-road conditions, while enhancing vehicle mobility over the roughest terrain.   Detailed finite element analysis combined with a deep understanding of state-of-the-art transmission technology has helped to minimise stresses throughout each axle, enhancing durability and improving reliability.

Each axle employs a speed sensitive locking differential, which is less aggressive for this application than the normal torque sensitive configuration and is better able to deal with the sudden shock loads that can rapidly decrease reliability.   The differentials are passive and lock automatically without intervention of the driver, which makes it easier to maintain control of the vehicle, even by the youngest and least experienced army recruits, thus potentially reducing the training burden.

In designing the new axles, Xtrac was able to apply its longstanding experience of supplying driveline components able to handle the prodigious levels of power and torque produced by off-road rally-raid vehicles.  It helped Volkswagen this year win the legendary 14-day Dakar Rally with a 1-2-3 victory in what is generally considered to be one of the toughest challenges in motorsport.  With reliability the key to success, the Race Touareg sports utility vehicles proved to be the fastest and most robust over the toughest sections of the rally, now staged in South America.   Xtrac has long been associated with this event.  When the company was formed in 1984, some of its earliest projects included four-wheel drive transmission systems for the original Paris Dakar rally, whose harsh off-road environments over some of the world’s most hostile terrain have long tested the durability of vehicles to their absolute limit.

“For many motorsport series - and the Dakar Rally is a good example - the start point is often the standard road car which is transformed into a high performance vehicle by upgrading significant component parts such as the engine, transmission, body shell, cooling, suspension and brakes,” says Xtrac chief engineer Martin Halley.  “You can apply the same philosophy to military vehicles – if you need to enhance the performance for a particular field of operation then you can similarly upgrade mission critical components with the latest technology.”

A longstanding advocate and now co-sponsor of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) motorsport-to-defence initiative, Xtrac will be strongly supporting the MIA’s presence at the DVD2010 show.   Peter Digby managing director of Xtrac is a recent past chairman of the MIA and Lord Astor of Hever, another strong supporter of the technology transfer initiative and a parliamentary under secretary of state in the coalition government’s ministerial defence team, is honorary president of the MIA.   

Another leading advocate for the MIA motorsport-to-defence initiative, Col. NHC Wills OBE, team leader of the Protected Mobility Team, Defence Equipment and Support, has commented on the MIA website that: “we can get some really good wins from the motorsport-to-defence initiative... as we will have cutting edge technology to solve problems that we would not have had otherwise."

In addition to the motorsport industry’s technology pedigree another major attraction to the defence sector is the fast turnaround achieved by motorsport companies operating in a highly competitive environment, where deadlines often extend no further than from one race weekend to the next.  The motorsport-to-defence initiative has already resulted in numerous successful transfers of technology between the two industries and there is mounting evidence that the relationship continues to strengthen.

Established for 26 years, Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within F1, IndyCar, Touring Car, Rallying, Rally Raid, Grand-Am and many forms of sportscar racing including a major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hours (where the company enjoyed a 1-2-3 finish this year with Audi), Daytona 24 hour and Sebring 12 hour races.  Now applying its skills to applications outside of motorsport, the UK transmission specialist has seen rapid growth in the defence and marine sectors. 

2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship

The 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will see Xtrac as the sole appointed Transmission supplier / Technical Partner to the series, building on the plethora of championships where Xtrac is already an approved or exclusively approved supplier. Xtrac are extremely proud and feel privileged to have been selected by TOCA along with other thoroughbred suppliers such as GPR Motorsport, AP Racing and Cosworth Electronics to support this championship.

Taking effect in 2011, the cars will have a performance parity with current S2000 cars until 2013, after which time the performance of the NGTC cars will be increased. Xtrac are designing a new front wheel drive (FWD) transverse gearbox to suit the regulations whilst one of their existing longitudinal sequential gearboxes is already suitable for the rear wheel drive vehicles.

Testing of the FWD gearbox is due to be completed in October with production supply commencing thereafter. The prototype NGTC car will also take part in the official BTCC practice sessions at the final round of the 2010 championship at Brands Hatch in October.

NGTC Specifcation download PDF, click here...

NGTC Update download PDF, click here...

1-2-3 / 1-2-3 / 1-2-3

After 3 rounds, Škoda have extended their lead of the IRC series ahead of Peugeot and Ford. The event also saw Skoda secure its first one-two-three finish in the IRC. The three manufacturers now have a win each and Xtrac is honoured to have been the transmission supplier to Škoda with their historic 1-2-3 and to Ford with their debut victory in Monte Carlo in January. The next round of the IRC will be the all tarmac event - Rally Islas Canarias which runs between 29th April and 1st May.

Škoda’s incredible 1-2-3 finish follows on from Volkswagen’s 1-2-3 on the Dakar Rallye and Citroen’s 1-2-3 on the Mexico round of the WRC held earlier this month. With such a great start to the season for Xtrac’s Rally Transmissions and differentials, Xtrac are looking forward to continuing to support their customers in their pursuit of winning their respective world championships.

IRL Contract Extended into its 12th Year

Xtrac is very pleased to confirm that the IRL recently extended its supply contract to provide the gearbox for the Indy Racing League to include the 2011 season.

Xtrac were originally awarded the contract for the 2000 – 2002 season and then successfully won the next tender for the years 2003 – 2005 with its successful ‘295’ series gearbox which are now built at Xtrac’s Indianapolis premises.  This has proved so cost effective and popular with the teams that the contract has been extended 5 times.  In 2008 Xtrac upgraded the transmission with the fitment of the excellent MegaLine Assisted Gearshift System that is so liked by the drivers and has lead to even greater cost reductions in spares usage.

Xtrac’s Managing Director says ‘We are so pleased to extend our relationship with the IRL.  It has been a pleasure to work with Brian Barnhart, Les McTaggart and all their colleagues at the Indy Racing League.  I know that everyone at Xtrac in the UK and our recently expanded Xtrac USA facility is proud to be associated with the formula’.

During 2009 Xtrac carried out an intensive research campaign with most of the teams to ascertain their future requirements and wishes, and that can be utilized in any future transmission tenders.

Xtrac breaks the mould by supplying Hispania, Lotus and Virgin F1 teams with complete gearbox – significantly reducing transmission system costs

Xtrac, the transmission technology specialist and long-established supplier of gearbox components to almost every Formula 1 team on the grid, is supplying the Hispania Racing F1 Team and Lotus F1 Racing with a newly designed gearbox, designated as project 1044, developed for the 2010 season.

Including the aluminium casing, it’s Xtrac’s first total transmission system supplied into F1 since 1996, when the company previously supplied complete gearboxes and not just the vital internal components it has continued to supply ever since, which have enabled teams to build their own bespoke transmissions.

New team Virgin Racing will maintain this recent tradition of specifying a unique casing, which is a major structural part of the vehicle, but will otherwise also be using the entire project 1044 internal kit supplied by Xtrac. Hispania and Lotus meanwhile will use the complete Xtrac transmission including the casing.

All three F1 teams are racing with a Cosworth engine, for which the transmission was originally conceived as part of the FIA proposals put forward in 2008 to significantly reduce costs through the option of a standard powertrain. In the context of F1, where every component is normally designed and manufactured as a bespoke item, Xtrac’s “batch-produced” gearbox with common parts offers significant cost savings, while technically remaining highly competitive. It also benefits from an extensive rig and engine dynamometer test programme.

With a contemporary longitudinal layout, commonly utilised in F1 gearboxes, the transmission could be easily adapted to other F1 engines. It positions the gear cluster forward of the differential to ensure excellent vehicle weight distribution, while meeting critical aerodynamic requirements at the rear of the vehicle. It’s also designed to be as compact as possible to help accommodate the larger fuel tank and tighter packaging requirements imposed by the 2010 regulations.

At only approximately 40kg the basic architecture balances the usual requirements for low weight, reliability and robust performance. The design philosophy behind the internal components also benefits greatly from Xtrac’s extensive experience in F1 and as a leading designer and supplier of complete transmission systems, including the casing, to other major motorsport series around the world.

Established for 25 years, Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within F1, IRL, Touring Cars, Rallying, Rally Raid, Grand Am and many forms of sportscar racing including a major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hour, Daytona 24 hour and Sebring 12 hour races. More recently the UK transmission specialist has been applying its skills to non motorsport applications, with rapid growth in the defence and marine sectors.

Further information download PDF, click here...

Great start to 2010 - Dakar and Monte Carlo Rally

Dakar Rally – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th

Xtrac is pleased to report that its gearboxes and differentials were fitted to the cars that occupied the top 5 overall finishing positions in the 2010 ‘Dakar’ rally, which for the second successive year was held amongst the spectacular but grueling terrain of Argentina and Chile.

Carlos Sainz led a Volkswagen 1-2-3 in his Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 finishing first after 16 days of close competition with team mate Nasser Al Attiyah who finished second just 2’12” behind Sainz with American Mark Miller in 3rd place.  Since the 2004 Dakar, Xtrac have been the sole supplier to Volkswagen for the Touareg differentials and gearboxes.

4th and 5th positions were occupied by the X-Raid entered BMW X3 CC’s equipped with Xtrac’s front and rear differentials.  Another great result for this event which Xtrac has been involved in for over 25 years.

Monte Carlo Rally – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th

The famous Monte Carlo Rally was again the inaugural round of the 2010 FIA International Rally Championship. 

M-Sport bravely chose to debut their new Super 2000 Ford Fiesta with Xtrac’s new FIA approved ‘633’ gearbox and rear differential at this event.  The car was driven by their WRC regular driver Marko Hirvonen who proceeded to lead the rally from start to finish, beating fellow countryman Juho Hanninen driving a Skoda Fabia S2000 with 3rd position occupied by Nicolas Vouilloz also driving a Skoda Fabia S2000.  Another 2 Skoda Fabia’s, also equipped with Xtrac’s ‘532’ gearbox and rear differential with our unique patented hand brake disconnect mechanism followed closely behind finishing 5th and 6th.

Other manufacturers using the 532 gearbox and rear differential include Fiat Abarth, Proton, MG and Opel.

Grand AM Road Racing extends relationship with Xtrac through 2012 Season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2010) - Recognizing the success of its participation in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 both on and off the track, Xtrac has agreed to extend its relationship with GRAND-AM through the 2012 season. The sponsorship is active in both the Daytona Prototype and GT classes, which will be back in action this Saturday and Sunday as the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series season takes the green flag with the 48th Rolex 24 At Daytona. 

The contingency structure provides rewards in every round of Rolex Sports Car Series competition, going to both the winning Xtrac-equipped Daytona Prototype and GT-class machines, as well as to the Xtrac entries that finish fourth.

"Xtrac is very pleased to be furthering our relationship with the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, by providing the top teams with the highest quality, yet affordable transmissions and driveline components," said Andrew Heard, Vice President, Xtrac, Inc.

With the belief that competition is the engine that drives its business forward, Xtrac has a proven record of performance and reliability on racetracks across the nation and in some of the sports biggest events, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

"We are very pleased to extend this relationship with Xtrac, as they are a key component for so many of our teams' winning efforts," said Kevin Hindson, GRAND-AM Vice President, Marketing and Communications. "GRAND-AM is motivated to continue to grow the paddock with suppliers and partners that not only deliver on the track, but also bring the support services that our racers require to be successful. We are pleased to see that Xtrac values its involvement with the series, and we are looking forward to the future with them."

The contingency program is just one of over 20 such sponsorships in place for GRAND-AM drivers and teams to take advantage of, with the family of GRAND-AM marketing partnerships that continues to grow in both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

About GRAND-AM    

GRAND-AM Road Racing, which operates and sanctions the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, is the foremost sanctioning body of sports car racing in North America. The 12-race Rolex Series 2010 schedule and the 10-race Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge 2010 calendar deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the U.S. and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International.  GRAND-AM Road Racing showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe, and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about GRAND-AM at www.GRAND-AM.com.

For more information, contact:

J.J. O'Malley, 386-310-6588, jomalley@nascar.com

Xtrac is significant participant at Cleaner Racing Conference and Autosport Exhibition

With virtually all of the world's top motorsport teams including F1 relying on Xtrac's expertise in high performance transmissions, the company will be a welcome participant at the 4th European Cleaner Racing Conference as well as displaying new and exciting driveline products at the Autosport International Exhibition, being held at the NEC in Birmingham this week.  

At the exhibition, Xtrac will participate in the Engineering Show on 14-15 January, where it will be exhibiting in Hall 9 on stand number E141.  The centrepiece of its display is the new Axis Drive by Caudwell Marine, which features a unique gear system designed and manufactured by Xtrac.  The Engineering Show is an important event for the transmission specialist, attracting significant international buyers every year.  The company, which has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, will also be supporting the industry’s annual awards ceremony by sponsoring the ‘Business of the Year’ award.  

To help start the proceedings, Xtrac technical director Adrian Moore will join a discussion panel of experts at the Cleaner Racing Conference that will bring delegates up to speed with the topical subject of low carbon and electric vehicle developments.   A pioneer for the past decade in energy efficient motorsport initiatives, Xtrac’s participation will make a significant contribution to the conference, having been increasingly selected as a technical partner for the development of more energy efficient road vehicles. 

“The UK benefits considerably from its multi-million pound motorsport industry, which exemplifies the rapid technical innovation we need to help tackle the problem of energy efficiency,” says Moore.   “Significantly, many of the technical solutions we develop for motorsport can be applied to the automotive mainstream and other transport sectors.  Indeed, our engineering skills are increasingly being sought after by the aerospace, defence and marine industries to help develop new products.”

Organised by the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA), the conference is supported by Autosport International and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).   Immediately preceding the racing car show, the conference will help draw attention to the motorsport industry’s ability to engineer practical energy efficiency solutions.   Xtrac, for example, has been heavily involved in the design and manufacture of more than 100 prototype gearboxes for advanced hybrid and electric vehicles intended for the automotive mainstream.  To highlight this capability the company will display at the Engineering Show its latest high efficiency ‘6011’ electric vehicle transmission.   

“The space available in electric and hybrid vehicles to package all the driveline components is at an absolute premium,” says Moore.  “To help develop an optimum solution, we can utilise our years of experience of packaging high performance powertrains within the compact dimensions of a race car.  This is but one example of where our engineering expertise and experience can help.”
With increasing focus by the automotive industry on electric powertrains, Xtrac has applied many of the high precision techniques learnt in motor racing to design transmission systems suitable for electric drives, and has successfully demonstrated its rapid product design and development capability in several mainstream projects.   

Xtrac has been just as busy in the marine industry and taking pride of place on the company’s stand this year is the new and revolutionary Axis Drive by Caudwell Marine, which is being seen for the first time at an international motorsport exhibition.  The award winning marine propulsion system is a unique and innovative design that adopts a clean sheet approach and includes literally hundreds of new innovations.    The patented drive mounting method was designed to go through the transom (a transverse beam for strengthening the stern of a motorboat) and installs the engine at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal drive shaft, which has the effect of improving compactness, internal boat space and the steering axis. 

Significantly, the design includes a patented mid-section gearbox that enables the drive to yaw its steering and trim its pitch without a U-joint and without articulating the engine.  Designed and manufactured by Xtrac, the gear system for the Axis Drive helps reduce power losses and gear noise and includes a dry sump arrangement.   Its electro-hydraulic clutch provides smooth and effortless shifting, and the multiple stage transmission provides reduction ratios of 2.68 and 1.88.  It is specified for a 1,000 hour extreme duty cycle.  

The South African developed and internationally patented Axis Drive is aimed at the leisure boating market in the 16 to 40 foot range.  Although marine propulsion systems for the leisure boating market have improved over the past few decades, there have been no fundamental changes.  Caudwell Marine says the system has ‘rewritten the rule book on how to get greater efficiency to the propeller in the water and consequently enhance the total boating experience’.   Available with three gasoline and three diesel engines, the model on display is the ‘350VI’ 4.5-litre V8 petrol unit, which is rated at 350 horsepower.

Back on dry land and for engineers with responsibility for designing vehicles with robust off road performance, such as in the Defence industry, Xtrac has developed its ‘522’ super heavy duty differential.   This special axle unit is designed for both front and rear drive applications, typically for cross country or rally raid vehicles, and is of a type that is highly suitable for use in light armoured vehicles.  The oil system and universal mountings allow the differential to operate in virtually any orientation, which combined with its high quality and low cost make this product ideal for a wide variety of endurance type events.  The unit builds on the company’s distinguished record for reliability and performance in the famous Dakar rally raid event. 

Meanwhile, in its core business of developing high performance transmissions for motor sport applications, Xtrac has busy supplying gearboxes to the A1 Grand Prix ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ race series.  It has been sole supplier since the series began in 2005.  Xtrac will display the current gearbox featuring its lightweight magnesium casing and high torque and power capability.  The transmission was designed from a clean sheet of paper to suit the new chassis introduced for 2009, which is powered by a Ferrari V8 engine. 

Xtrac is also displaying its latest ‘633’ system; a complete 4WD gearbox and driveline designed to meet FIA Super 2000 regulations.   Xtrac is an approved supplier for many high performance series and this new gearbox is a development of the ‘532’ six-speed sequential transmission and rear differential designed for four-wheel drive rally cars, which typically have power outputs of 280bhp and deliver 250Nm of torque.  The new transmission reflects the FIA requirements for a reliable and durable system at low cost, which can offer excellent value for money.

The main benefits of this transmission system to the rally teams include easily removable gear clusters for ratio changes and differentials with external adjustment for the front, centre and rear.  The main benefit for the rally driver is a light and positive sequential gearbox and high performance differentials, which fulfil the FIA mandated minimum weight of 90kg for the whole transmission.  A range of homologated gear ratios is available, with the critical gearbox components being able to fulfil the recommended FIA duty cycle. 
For endurance sportscar racing, Xtrac will present its latest ‘672’ gearbox, which has been designed for LMP2 applications.  The rear mounted, transverse gearbox is a derivative of the type ‘529’ transmission, which is one of Xtrac's most successful Le Mans winning gearbox designs and has arguably become the gearbox of choice for an LMP1 or LMP2 series car.   Designed in such a way that various size clusters can be used, it also allows gear cluster changes without disassembly of the rear of the car.

The ‘516’ gearbox on display is a high performance front wheel drive transmission designed specifically for the World Touring Car Championship.  It makes use of reduced centre distance F1 derived gear ratios to minimise the size and weight of the gearbox and to minimise inertia.  The gear change system incorporates the latest polynomial barrel track design and low inertia gear change rack to improve gear change response and driver feel.  The low positioning of the gear cluster enables easy removal from the car under the chassis rail, and lowers the centre of gravity.  The gear cluster is fully exposed when removed from the gearbox allowing quick inspection, and easy access for ratio changes.

Xtrac will also display its ‘512’ Moto GP gear cluster, which takes an entirely new approach to the problem of designing a gearbox for high performance racing bikes.  Essentially, it breaks with the tradition of conventional sliding gears, by scaling down a racing car design, which is more compact and helps to optimise the packaging.  It also increases the range and flexibility of gear ratios.  Most significantly, the system has been highly praised for the confidence it offers in the feel of the gear change, which is a critical issue for the rider.  The gearbox is completely integrated with the engine and shares a common oil system.   The material specification is again shared with F1 technology.

Other driveline components on display include a ‘622’ high precision rack and pinion steering assembly.   With years of experience supplying F1 teams, Xtrac has designed its own range of steering rack assemblies, built to a similar high specification, which can be used in other high performance vehicle applications.  The advanced design incorporates fully ground gears, a rack extension of titanium or steel and high specification bushes.  The rack and pinion is contained in  a single housing of lightweight magnesium. 

The showcase of products also includes Xtrac’s ‘420’ in-car gear lever designed as a low cost solution for use with its sequential gearboxes.   The lever supports universal installation, and is designed to link to gearboxes installed in the front or rear of the vehicle, with the linkage mounted above or below the transmission tunnel.  Included with the lever is a reverse gear detent lift handle.  The lever is offered in two versions, a basic specification for manual shifts, and a power shift version with micro switches to provide an input signal to the ECU.  Value engineered to meet strict cost constraints, this lever offers high quality at a cost effective price.

Established for 25 years, Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within F1, IRL, Baja, Touring Cars, Rallying, A1GP, Dakar and other forms of sportscar racing including a major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hours.  Further information on Xtrac is available at www.xtrac.com.  

Super 2000 flies the flag for UK transmission technology

Since 2007 Xtrac customers have been competing in the FIA Super 2000 category with the very successful transverse engine 4WD ‘532’ gearbox, rear differential and unique patent pending handbrake disconnect mechanism. The transmission has the possibility of a spool or centre differential, as well as adjustable front and rear differentials. It has been homologated for use by 5 manufacturers including MG, Opel, Proton, Skoda and Abarth, with excellent reliability and race results.

To quote one customer recently

“We have now completed 3,500 KM. All of which has been on tarmac except for a short gravel test of 100 KM. We have thoroughly inspected the transmission every 1000 KM’s and have yet to replace any parts. This includes bearings, seals, dog rings, gears, selector forks and even diff plates.”

With the FIA allowing additional gearbox designs to be homologated from 2010 – 2012 and no centre differential allowed, Xtrac has taken the opportunity to introduce a direct descendent of the earlier transmission – the ‘633’. The targets for the new range of transmissions were to have a smaller, lighter package, due to the spool only configuration, and increasing the durability of the gearbox for Super 2000 applications. The gearbox is available with either a conventional final drive set up (‘633A’) or an epicyclic final drive (‘633B’) that offers lower centre of gravity and gearbox outputs, and allows the front differential to be closer to the engine block with more space for the steering rack if needed.

The updated rear differential and handbrake disconnect is shorter to allow for improved fuel tank positioning and the oil system has been optimised to assist rear differential cooling.

Options include a variety of output flange configurations and bespoke castings. Versions of the ‘633’ gearbox are already testing and the first homologation is due very soon.

Most importantly both the ‘532’ and the ‘633’ range of gearboxes have been rated to 600Nm so are well within the capabilities of the new range of 1600cc turbo charged engines.

Meanwhile, in South America

For 2009 Xtrac was chosen as the sole supplier for two new South American Championships, with the debut of Xtrac’s ‘396B’ gearbox in the Brazilian Copa NEXTEL Stock Car series (See Summer 2008 newsletter) and the ‘426’ gearbox in the Argentinean TC2000 Touring Car championship.

Xtrac engineers travelled to Sao Paulo to supervise the launch and installation of the ‘396B’ gearbox - a further evolution of the well-established Grand Am Daytona Prototype sports car gearbox , in the completely re-designed Brazilian NEXTEL Stock Cars. For 2009, this popular series had a new chassis (designed in Italy by Nisci), sealed 480bhp engines and gearboxes for all the competitors. Manufacturers Chevrolet and Peugeot are represented by series-mandated body styles which are equalised aerodynamically. The season consists of 12 rounds across 9 different venues, beginning and ending at the Sao Paulo circuit.

With the gearbox sealed by the organiser, all service duties are conducted at the JL Industries facility in Sao Paulo. Xtrac engineers conducted a thorough training seminar at the start of the season for their staff and assisted in organising routine maintenance procedures.

Immediately after the Stock car event, Xtrac's engineers arrived in Cordoba, Argentina for the opening round of the TC2000 Touring car championship which saw the introduction of the ‘426’ gearbox as the sole gearbox for this long-running series that celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. Both the engine and gearbox projects (40 sets of each) were delivered from scratch within 100 days from date of order, quite an accomplishment by all parties involved, suppliers as well as constructors and teams.

Testimony to the popularity and prestige of this Championship is the fact that eight automotive manufacturers and ten body styles are represented. Oreste Berta SA were selected to provide power plants and were instrumental in bringing Xtrac to the series. TC2000 cars and regulations are technically challenging with a standard sheet metal skin masking a full tube-frame chassis and sophisticated aerodynamics.

The series organisers hosted a technical training seminar for all teams in which the primary focus was the Xtrac gearbox. During the seminar the Xtrac engineers undertook assembly demonstrations utilising a test gearbox and then a question and answer session finished off the day.

Fourteen teams were responsible for the thirty-two cars that completed the conversion to 2009 specifications in time for the opening round.

Many of the factory teams operate technical and driver development programmes, and the majority of drivers are recognised sporting celebrities. The Xtrac team visited every team and advised on installation details and answered any technical questions.

Xtrac’s first full season in South America has been a huge success and what has been noticeable is the intense passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by all the South American customers.

Xtrac – building up in the USA...

Since opening in 2003 Xtrac’s facility in Indianapolis has continued to support an ever expanding range of motorsport categories. Originally conceived as a support centre with spares inventory and engineering back up the need to support both our North and South American clients has necessitated the expansion of the facility to allow for not just the servicing but also the building of transmissions and differentials on site.

Despite an uncertain economy, Xtrac remains firmly committed to the American racing markets. In January, gearbox builds for the Daytona 24 hour event were undertaken and these builds were closely followed with more for the Indy Racing League series and the Indy 500 itself.

The expansion of the services offered at our Indianapolis facility is a natural evolution creating an ever positive presence in the marketplace and helping us build closer relationships with our clients.

Click here for Xtrac USA

To enable the building of transmission and differentials the build facility was reconfigured to accommodate batch-building of sub assemblies and complete gearboxes. The project focused on increased efficiency within the main warehouse, an increased footprint of the machine shop, improved component work flow and the addition of a completely new assembly shop. Each gearbox and differential assembly is subjected to the same vigorous spin rig build ‘sign off’ test that would occur had it been built at the Thatcham facility, with fully aligned test procedures and IT infrastructure.

The modifications made have enabled Xtrac Inc to support their customers more efficiently and has also provided the extra capacity to enable Xtrac Inc production to expand in response to anticipated future demands.

Not only Indy but also Charlotte, North Carolina

Xtrac is pleased to announce that with effect from January 2010, a new permanent engineering presence is being set up at premises in Mooresville near Charlotte, North Carolina. Paul Barton, one of Xtrac’s Senior Commercial Engineers will be based at the facility.

Paul will be working very closely with Xtrac Inc in Indianapolis and the engineers in the UK to offer customers high level and confidential engineering support and will be building upon the experience he gained whilst previously working at Xtrac’s Indianapolis facility.

Xtrac offers a range of products suitable for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, including gearboxes, crown wheel and pinions, service contracts and engineering consultancy.

Xtrac’s Managing Director, Peter Digby, said “This is an exciting and long overdue development in Xtrac’s growth. We have been involved with NASCAR now for the last 5 years and want to offer our customers the ability to deal directly with Xtrac’s team of engineers and analysts”.

Click here for Xtrac USA

Testing, testing torsion bar manufacture to rigorously high standards

Xtrac have recently installed and commissioned an MTS servo hydraulic test machine. The machine has full force and displacement control with a main test frame capacity of 100kN with a secondary capacity of 25kN. There is a working height of one metre on the T-Slot bed of size 1.5 x 2.0m with a multi channel data logging facility, networked to the IT infrastructure in a dedicated and confidential laboratory within the Thatcham facility.

The test machine can be used to carry out a specific customer test programme for example material coupon testing (metallics and carbon fibre) or component proof testing. There is also a climate chamber with up to 250 deg C capability.

Mounted on the test machine is bespoke designed torsion bar spring scragging ’pre stress’ and torsion bar rate measurement modular hardware which can be adapted to suit torsion bar spring sizes used typically in formulae such as Formula One and Sportscars.

Having the machine enables Xtrac to offer a complete design and manufacture service for torsion bar spring solutions using high specification titanium alloys and steels.

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects/temporary_exhibitions/E2008,-d-,190,-d-,2.aspx

Xtrac is committed to energy conservation whether it is through designing more efficient transmission system or through application of technologies such as energy recovery which could be utilised in all forms of motorsport and also in Xtrac’s ever increasing range of Automotive applications.

F1 requirement for gearboxes to last more than one race has implications for vehicles generally says transmission expert Xtrac

The advent of new high performance steels for motorsport gearboxes developed by transmission specialist Xtrac - the latest specification of steel being required to significantly extend the life of a Formula One gearbox - could be broadly applied to a wide range of vehicles to improve their driveline reliability and efficiency says the company’s chief metallurgist Steve Vanes.

Best known for the gearboxes and driveline components it develops for numerous motorsport formulas and high performance road cars, Xtrac will help spread its specialist knowledge this week by joining a group of experts from industry and academia looking at cutting-edge technologies that could enhance the performance of transmission systems generally.

The high level seminar, which has been organised by the Aerospace Industries Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, aims to transfer vital expertise between different transport sectors. The advanced techniques that can be used to improve gearbox performance and the technical knowledge conveyed will help facilitate the development of more efficient, reliable and competitive designs. The seminar is being held on Wednesday 14 October 2009 at AgustaWestland Helicopters in Yeovil.

“From a cultural point of view the world of motorsport has changed considerably,” says Vanes, “and the costs and relevance of its technology to wider consumer markets has become more important. For example, the trend towards engine downsizing in road vehicles to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions can be complemented by the downsizing of transmissions, requiring the intervention of new technologies and manufacturing processes for stronger and more lightweight components. ”

Before joining Xtrac in 2003, Vanes specialised in the heat treatment of steels with Lucas Industries and then added to his materials expertise by working on high tech bearings for Timken Aerospace. He’ll present a technical paper at the seminar on Xtrac’s development of special steels for motorsport transmissions, citing the recent cost cutting measures in F1, which have lead to the development of a brand new specification of steel; necessary to extend the service life of gears, shafts, bearings, dog rings, hubs, selector forks, final drives and other highly stressed driveline components.

“Previously, the typical life of a set of gears for a main shaft was approximately 350,000 cycles,” says Vanes. “The requirement to further extend the life of an F1 gearbox could equate to a life of more than 2.5 million cycles. Shifting the emphasis in F1 to endurance and reliability has the additional benefit of making the technology more relevant to road cars – as well as further hastening our steel development programme.”

Over the years, Xtrac has progressively developed a whole family of special steels to meet various motorsport requirements, the most recent being for the increased longevity and fatigue resistance required in F1 gearboxes. Xtrac steels are tempered at higher temperatures than normal steels (200-350oC compared with 140-150oC), expanding the possibilities for surface enhancement processes such as physical vapour deposition (PVD is used in the manufacture of items ranging from semiconductor devices to coated cutting tools for metalworking), which require high temperatures that would affect the underlying hardness of normal steels. The development of ultra high strength steels (up to 2,000MPa), which can be tempered at temperatures more compatible with physical vapour deposition, extends considerably the range of low friction coatings and solid lubricants that can now be exploited – which in turn can have a dramatic impact on transmission efficiency and reliability.

“Fundamental to the creation of a new specification of steel is our understanding of the interaction of the material’s innumerable physical and chemical properties with its heat treatment and the possibilities for sophisticated coatings and lubrication, which ultimately influences component performance,” says Vanes. “You might perceive it as standard practice, but in fact developing all new steels with the specific properties we require for race components is actually a fairly innovative concept even within the context of the motorsport industry. The process has evolved over the past 20 years, so we now have considerable experience in this field from our earliest evaluations, which gives us a clear picture of how alloy type and heat treatment affect mechanical and ultimately component properties. The underlying principles and processes we’ve developed can be applied to the automotive mainstream and other transport sectors including aerospace and would help to improve the efficiency of transmissions generally.”

“As well as understanding the interaction of the steel with its heat treatment, another fundamental relationship exists between the metallurgist and designer. In motorsport, the development of new materials and the design of components are always at the cutting edge. The feedback from races and analysis of parts is instant, which accelerates the whole development process. If a part doesn’t break then the designer is motivated to push the envelope even further; yet being even marginally over the limit will immediately reveal itself when a part does fail. This rapid pace of development is probably unique to motorsport and not only helps bring forward the development of new materials but also helps optimise the design of individual components.”

Established for 25 years, Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within F1, IRL, Sportscar, including its major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hour race, Touring Cars, Rallying, A1GP, Dakar and Baja racing. For a lot longer, indeed almost as long as there have been vehicles, engineering steels have been extensively developed and researched creating a wide and varied range of commercially available alloys. Relatively few however have found favour in motorsport applications, leading to the development by Xtrac of its special motorsport steels, developed in collaboration with Corus. In fact the relationship with Corus Engineering Steels stems back to the early 1990s with the introduction of the first bespoke steel by Xtrac (XVAR1), a vacuum arc re-melted version of the primary gear steel (En36C) then used in motorsport applications.


More info online at : http://autospeed.com/cms/A_111693/article.html

Further information on Xtrac is available at www.xtrac.com. Further information on the seminar is available at http://events.imeche.org/EventView.aspx?EventID=591

Xtrac media contact: Rob Palmer on +44 1582 763255 or +44 7768 242761 or rpalmer@palmerpr.com . Images and previous press releases can be downloaded from www.newspress.co.uk. For a copy of Steve Vanes’ technical presentation please contact Rob Palmer.

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Xtrac Showcase to MOD Engineers

Innovative vehicle components with applications beyond motorsport were presented by transmission technology specialist Xtrac at a special Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG) conference held at Twickenham Stadium today.

Xtrac was part of a group from the Motorsport Industry Association specially invited to showcase its advanced technology and world-class design capabilities to hundreds of Ministry of Defence engineers and scientists.  The influential MOD conference had been encouraged by Lord Drayson to focus on the importance of rapid technical innovation as exemplified by the motorsport industry.

MIA CEO Chris Aylett and Bloodhound SSC’s Richard Noble both addressed the conference on ‘The Need For Speed’ underlining the industry’s exceptional ability for rapid product development and meeting almost impossible deadlines each race weekend.    The MOD agreed to allow MIA members this unique opportunity to showcase its products, enabling its engineers to consider the motorsport industry’s renowned pace of development and ability to pursue innovative and speedy solutions.

For defence engineers with responsibility for designing vehicles with robust off road performance, Xtrac presented its ‘522’ super heavy duty differential.   This special axle unit is designed for both front and rear drive applications, typically for cross country or rally raid vehicles, and is of the type that would be highly suitable for use in light armoured vehicles.  The oil system and universal mountings allow the differential to operate in virtually any orientation, which combined with its high quality and low cost make this product ideal for a wide variety of endurance type events.  The unit builds on the company’s distinguished record for reliability and performance in the famous Dakar rally raid event. 

Other Xtrac components presented to the MOD engineers included a ‘622’ high precision rack and pinion steering assembly.   With years of experience supplying F1 teams, Xtrac has designed its own range of steering rack assemblies, built to a similar high specification, which can be used in other high performance vehicle applications.  The advanced design incorporates fully ground gears, a rack extension of titanium or steel and high specification bushes.  The rack and pinion is contained in single housing of lightweight magnesium.  

The MOD engineers also had the opportunity to study Xtrac’s ‘420’ in-car gear lever designed as a low cost solution for use with its sequential gearboxes.   The lever supports universal installation, and is designed to link to gearboxes installed in the front or rear of the vehicle, with the linkage mounted above or below the transmission tunnel.  Included with the lever is a reverse gear detent lift handle.  The lever is offered in two versions, a basic specification for manual shifts, and a power shift version with micro switches to provide an input signal to the ECU.  Value engineered to meet strict cost constraints, this lever offers high quality at a cost effective price.

Established for 25 years, Xtrac a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within Formula One, IRL, Baja, Touring Cars, Rallying, A1GP, Dakar and other forms of sportscar racing including a major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hours.  Increasingly, demand for Xtrac’s advanced engineering and manufacturing capabilities has come from other transport sectors to help design and develop new and innovative products.

 “The MOD engineers were keen to learn about the UK’s multi-billion pound motorsport industry and its advanced engineering skills,” said Xtrac development director Cliff Hawkins.  “Our ability to innovate and do so quickly are among the qualities needed by the MOD to help develop new military vehicles.  Our skill set is transferrable and increasingly sought after by the aerospace, automotive, defence and marine sectors as they seek to step up the pace and develop new products a lot faster.”

An interview with Xtrac technical director Adrian Moore published recently in Dealer Management Weekly will appear in the widely read US motor industry publication Automotive Digest on 1 September 2009.

Interview editor Connie Shedron had the opportunity to speak with Adrian at the ‘Race goes Green’ conference held at Long Beach California preceding a race of the popular American Le Mans Series in April. Adrian had been invited to join a panel of global motorsport experts to discuss future technology trends and the potential for the motorsport industry to develop technical solutions that could help reduce the environmental impact of vehicles generally.

Automotive Digest and Dealer Management are weekly electronic newsletters published by Automotive Information Network, which provides a digest of automotive industry news published by major national magazines, newspapers and news agencies. The network reaches an audience of nearly 75,000 automotive executives.

With its emphasis on quality, precision and power, Xtrac, leading supplier of high-performance transmissions systems for the motorsport industry, believes that its real competitive advantage lies within its talented and highly qualified workforce.

‘Employing the best of the best is key to Xtrac’s continued success,’ says apprentice co-ordinator Warren Page. ‘We rely on a multi-skilled workforce with both technical and manufacturing knowledge and expertise. That’s why we run our own apprenticeship programme – to develop genuine potential and equip our workforce with relevant experience and qualifications.’

Xtrac recruits two apprentices each year to undertake its bespoke three-to-four-year programme. Aged between 16 and 19, and with a minimum of four GCSEs, the apprentices are recruited straight from school or college. An interest in mechanics and a passion for motorsport is a genuine advantage. Each apprentice spends 16 months visiting every Xtrac department, developing a wide range of skills. Alongside this is essential on-the-job training. The apprentices also attend Newbury College to study for Key Skills qualifications and a range of national and higher national certificates. Each apprentice also works towards the City & Guilds NVQ Level 2 in Performing Engineering operations. They undertake 10 units for a broad-based understanding of engineering principles and practices, as well as to fine-tune specific skills. ‘The City & Guilds NVQ not only equips our apprentices with knowledge and skills, it also provides them with a recognised and respected qualification – one that Xtrac can rely on for quality and relevance. It really delivers,’ says Warren.

Warren supports every apprentice at Xtrac and works closely with them to help identify which area of the business they want to specialise in at the end of the initial 16-month phase. Then, the apprentices undertake either the City & Guilds NVQ Level 3 in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering (for work based on the factory floor) or the NVQ Level 3 in Engineering Technical Support (for computer-aided design and quality assessment).

The benefits of these awards are clear to Page. ‘The NVQs help our apprentices develop the confidence to work on their own and make decisions for themselves. Many of them quickly move on to management and all of them are multi-skilled. Their expertise makes them a real asset to Xtrac. We can be 100 per cent confident that those achieving NVQ Level 3 can perform independently and to a high standard, and that they have a thorough understanding of all the related technology.’ Xtrac is justifiably proud of its apprenticeship programme and the high calibre of permanent employees it produces. ‘We’ve got a great history with our apprentices,’ Page is happy to reveal. ‘They all stay with us on completion of the programme and many of them are now running work teams within departments. The City & Guilds NVQs really do underpin our apprenticeship programme. They are directly relevant to what we do on a number of fronts – technical skills, knowledge of equipment, systems and materials, quality, safety, communication. They are also kept up to date – vital in the constantly developing motorsport sector. Association with City & Guilds qualifications can only enhance Xtrac’s reputation for developing a talented, winning workforce.’

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Race for clean cars is increasing demand for motorsport engineering skills says Xtrac

The motorsport transmission specialist Xtrac is experiencing increased demand for its advanced engineering skills, which are required to help develop new hybrid and electric vehicles; the technology provider and supplier of transmission components to F1 teams and other race formulas says the demand for prototype gearboxes shows no signs of abatement.

“I have recently checked through our records and remarkably over the last couple of years we have made over 70 gearboxes for hybrid and electric vehicles with all manner of innovative automotive powertrain configurations,” says technical director Adrian Moore.  “By the end of the year we will be getting close to producing 100 prototype transmissions; mostly destined for technology evaluation road cars.”

A pioneer for almost a decade in energy efficient motorsport initiatives, Xtrac has been increasingly selected as a technical partner for the development of more energy efficient road vehicles.  In 2006 it produced the gearbox for the world's first commercially viable diesel-electric powertrain, prepared by Zytek - another motorsport engineering company - for assessment by carmakers in a vehicle fully meeting the requirements of the UK government’s Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge (ULCCC).

More recently, Xtrac has underscored its involvement in the development of motorsport’s high-profile KERS or kinetic energy recovery system to produce a road-going version of the technology through a consortium consisting of Flybrid, Ford, Prodrive, Ricardo and Torotrak.  Headed by Jaguar Land-Rover and supported by the UK government’s Technology Strategy Board, the consortium aims to prove the effectiveness and viability of a flywheel hybrid system for high volume series production.

The increased level of road car business experienced by Xtrac exemplifies the trend for the automotive industry to tap into the engineering knowledge and manufacturing know-how of companies that have honed their skills serving the highly competitive world of motorsport.  The high-level technology provider is also increasingly involved in advanced engineering projects for other industries such as the aerospace, defence and marine sectors.

“Our speed of response and can do attitude are essential requirements in the race to produce a new generation of green cars and help overcome the significant technological challenges presented by hybrid and electric vehicles,” says Moore, who has been invited to join a panel of motorsport experts to discuss future technology trends at a Cleaner Racing Conference being held in the U.S. on 16 April 2009 organised by the Motorsport Industry Association.

“Panellists drawn from the world of motorsport will discuss the potential of our industry to develop technical solutions that can help reduce the environmental impact of vehicles,” says Moore.  “They will be joined by senior executives from the automotive and aerospace communities and new energy companies to discuss how motorsport’s advanced engineering capabilities can help solve the energy efficiency problem.”

The British company can address a US audience with some authority; it supports important race series such as the Indy Racing League, Grand AM Sportscar Series, American Le Mans Series, SCCA, NASCAR and the NHRA from its engineering facilities located just a few minutes drive from the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The US operation is linked electronically to the company’s headquarters at Thatcham in Berkshire, which forms part of the UK’s famous motorsport valley.  A rolling exchange of engineers between the two sites ensures that the latest engineering and quality standards are maintained throughout the company.

“There are many additional partners and industry bedfellows with an important role to play in the development of energy-efficient vehicles,” says Moore.  “For example, the recent announcement by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to expand the FreedomCAR project with the inclusion of electric utility companies - driven by the development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and the need for coordination between electric-based vehicle technology and the electric utility infrastructure - shows that no resource can be ignored in the development of a new generation of clean cars.”

“Others heavily involved in this type of work include organisations such as the US Oak Ridge National Laboratory,” says Moore, “which is similarly partnering with the automotive industry to meet US national goals for the use of renewable fuels and can provide wide ranging research and development facilities for tackling transportation issues.”

The ‘Race goes Green’ conference is being held in Long Beach, California on 16 April 2009 preceding a race of the popular American Le Mans Series.

Further information on Xtrac is available at www.xtrac.com.  Further information on the conference is available at www.the-mia.com.

Historic Dakar Diesel Victory

The 31st running of the legendary Dakar Rally took place in the South American countries of Argentina and Chile. A new continent for what is arguably one of the toughest motorsport events in the world but one which offered the same level of difficulty as found in Africa, saw the Volkswagen team take a historic victory with the first Diesel powered car to win the event outright. Previously the best placed Diesel vehicle was in 2006 when Volkswagen finished in second place.

If winning was all that Volkswagen had realised that in itself would have been a fantastic achievement, but the team scored an amazing 1st, 2nd and 6th position – all with Diesel powered cars utilising Xtrac gearboxes and differentials. Additionally, Volkswagen secured 10 stage victories from a possible 13, again proving the utter dominance and reliability of the Volkswagen Touareg.

Xtrac have worked with the Volkswagen Audi Group for over 10 years developing ground breaking Diesel transmissions and the greatest endurance races in the world such as Dakar, the Le Mans 24 hours and the Sebring 12 hour events have only ever seen Diesel powered victories by cars using Xtrac transmissions.

Xtrac would like to congratulate all of their customers for their performances in this most gruelling of events, especially the 6 who finished in the top 10 of the car class.

With years of experience supplying high precision racks and pinions for F1 teams to construct their own steering assemblies, Xtrac has seen a unique opportunity to design its own range of steering rack assemblies, built to a similar high specification, which it can then supply to other race formula.
  
The Xtrac design comprises a rack and pinion steering assembly, featuring fully ground gears, a titanium or steel rack extension and high specification bushes.  It weighs less than 1.8kg complete.  The steering rack is assembled and tested under strict quality control procedures.   This has required Xtrac to invest in a special test rig to validate each assembly and ensure each one is built to the same consistent high standard.  

The initial application for Xtrac’s high specification steering assembly will be LMP1 and LMP2 cars, which typically use an in-column electrical power assistance system, which the Xtrac system is designed to interface with.   The steering rack and pinion assembly design is modular so can be made bigger or smaller for other vehicle installations. The rack and pinion is contained in a one-piece lightweight magnesium housing, allowing various length arms to be fitted, further easing its application into a variety of race cars.  

Particular attention has been paid to the ease of backlash adjustment during build to ensure the assembly provides the optimum feel for the driver with the least set-up time.  A mount and drive system is included to permit the fitment of a potentiometer to monitor steering angle.  
The new steering rack assembly further benefits from Xtrac’s continued investment in the latest manufacturing processes, which allow the company to compete globally and meet the exacting standards of the motorsport industry.

As part of Xtrac’s developing business outside of the motorsport arena, Xtrac have worked with South African company, Caudwell Marine, on a revolutionary new marine drive leg design. The Axis Drive™ is the brainchild of South African entrepreneur Mike Beachy Head who has led the engineering team to develop the concept from inception to its first production phase and launch at the International Boat Builder’s Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) in Miami Florida in October. Well known for putting Cape Town’s Thunder City on the map as the world’s largest civilian owned operational fleet of ex – military jets, Beachy Head has driven the Axis Drive development with the same passion and determination.

These very qualities attracted the interest of a similar minded entrepreneur in the form of UK-based billionaire John Caudwell. After flying in a Lightning T5, his sense of adventure, passion for speed and like -minded people drew him to become interested in both Thunder City and the Axis Drive™ concept. After successfully selling his Phones 4 U business in 2007, a business which had developed into a multibillion pound enterprise, Caudwell chose to invest in Thunder City and Caudwell Marine due to their global positioning and conceptual excellence.

There is significant export potential for the revolutionary Axis Drive™ recreational marine propulsion system. As a challenger product in the competitive but large US leisure marine industry, Caudwell Marine’s initial partnering with like-minded independent boat builders has generated significant interest. The solid experience gained over 12 years by sister company Thunder City, which has become a global icon for the maintenance and performance of its fleet of 15 classic jets, has set the standard for the development and technical expertise required for this new project.

Caudwell Marine chose Xtrac as a supplier capable of taking the design from a very early concept through pre production prototypes to production prototypes. Xtrac’s expertise is being able to evaluate a basic design using state of the art analysis tools and in house expertise built up through almost 25 years of business.

Although marine propulsion systems for the leisure boating market have improved over the past few decades, there have been no fundamental changes. Caudwell Marine systems have now rewritten the rule book on how to get greater efficiency to the propeller in the water and consequently enhance the total boating experience as well as speeding up the boat assembly process. The South African developed and internationally patented design incorporated into the ‘vertical intelligent architecture™’, provides exciting improvements for the leisure boating market in the 16 to 40 foot range. Strong supply and technology relationships have been established with global development partners including Nissan Infinity engines, Xtrac transmission systems, Cosworth, Ford and Ilmor.

Xtrac recently participated at the Professional MotorSport World (PMW) Expo and presented for the very first time its new transmission system developed for the A1 Grand Prix ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ race series.   Xtrac also unveiled its new range of steering rack assemblies as well as the latest gearboxes and differentials for rally, touring and sports cars.   The three-day exposition ran from 11-13 November 2008 at the Koelnmesse exhibition centre.

To complement their attendance at the PMW show, Xtrac also exhibited at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show held this December in Orlando, Florida and will do so again at the Autosport International show held at the NEC in Birmingham during January 2009.

Commenting on the series of shows which also included visiting the new Motorsport Expotech in Modena, Xtrac’s managing director, Peter Digby states “Attendance at these valuable shows, not only allows us to market our company’s latest developments and meet new potential clients but it also permits us to meet with our existing clients in a cost effective and time efficient manner”

The new A1GP gearbox, designed and manufactured by Xtrac at its technical centre at Thatcham in Berkshire, was required for the 2008/9 series, which commenced racing this September.  It follows a six year agreement between the A1GP organisers and Ferrari to consult on the design and manufacture of a new race car, which is powered by a Ferrari V8 engine.  The longitudinal gearbox with its magnesium casing was designed from a clean sheet of paper to suit the new chassis.   The transmission is mated to a Magneti Marelli paddle shift gear selection system. 

Xtrac have designed a 4WD gearbox and driveline designed to meet the latest FIA Super 2000 regulations introduced in 2007.   Xtrac is an approved supplier for many high performance series and its ‘532’ six-speed sequential transmission and rear differential for four wheel drive rally cars, which typically have power outputs of 280bhp and deliver 250Nm of torque, reflect FIA requirements for a reliable and durable transmission at low cost, which can offer excellent value for money.

The new  gearbox is now being used in the MG and Proton S2000 cars and the Monte Carlo Rally will see both Skoda and Fiat cars campaigning with the ‘532’ gearbox. Following confirmation of the FIA’s plans for 2011-2013  Xtrac can confirm that the gearbox is also available for the new S2000+/WRC formula.

Whilst Xtrac supplies works sportscar teams with gearboxes designed to an ultimate specification, it can also offer a customer version of its ‘529’ gearbox, which has arguably become the gearbox of choice for a LMP1 or LMP2 series car.  This gearbox has been used extensively at Le Mans, LMS and ALMS races. Designed in such a way that various size clusters can be used, this gearbox is now well suited for use in GT1 and GT2 cars where it has already been used to good effect.

Xtrac’s award-winning ‘516’ transmission last year received the “Most Innovative New Motorsport Product of the Year Award”.  The award was presented for its pioneering work in developing a reliable, lightweight and cost-effective high performance gearbox for race teams competing in the World Touring Car Championship.  The new gearbox applies Xtrac’s longstanding expertise and adopts design principles to minimise its mass, size and inertia.  Particular attention in the design was paid to improve gear-change response and feel, and differential performance.

In addition to its rear differential for four wheel drive rally cars, Xtrac can also offer its well proven ‘522’ unit, which is popular with cross country rally raid vehicles participating in Rally raid events.   These units provide just two examples from the wide range of differentials Xtrac can offer professional rally and race car teams.

Since 2007, Xtrac have been in the process of implementing a new ERP system as part of the company’s continuous improvement policy. On the 1st December the new system went live in both our UK and US facilities.

So, what exactly is ERP and why did Xtrac need it?
ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning, which is the industry term used to describe software that integrates departments and functions across a company into one central computer system. Simply put, the aim of the project was to link the whole business together using one software system.
Our previous MRP “Manufacturing Resource Planning” system had been in use within Xtrac since 1st December 1996, exactly 12 years to the day when we switched to our new system. Over these 12 years there have been substantial advances in computer systems and massive changes with the companies which support them.
Xtrac’s policy is to continually invest in the latest machine tools and engineering design software, to adopt more efficient working practices for our employees. For Xtrac to keep advancing and diversifying while also remaining flexible and competitive it was essential to have a modern, integrated and adaptable system upon which we run our operations.
To assist with the selection process we secured the services of CCL a consultancy that specialise in ERP system selection and in parallel we committed an internal resource by forming a dedicated ERP project team which took a “Champion” from each area of the business to be dedicated to the implementation process. Many systems were considered but the Epicor system offered an excellent functional fit to Xtrac’s requirements.

What changes should Xtrac and our customers expect?
Integrated system – By consolidating many of our current systems, databases and reports into one single database all related data will be easier to access. Minimising the need to re-enter duplicate information time and again as systems will use a common database.

Fully linked Engineering and ERP system – Data will be directly transferable from the engineering database to the ERP system allowing significant time savings in transferring engineering information such as bills of materials.

Reduced paperwork – Bill of Materials, control plans, sales orders and many other engineering / production documents can be viewed from terminals throughout the company. Invoices and despatch notes between our two divisions will be sent electronically as now both plants operate under a common system.

Optimised and Automated workflow – Working closely with our ISO9001 implementation we have optimised and standardised the majority of our business processes, the new ERP system manages workflow electronically rather than via pieces of paper between departments and individuals.

Why Epicor?
Firstly and most importantly, Vantage consistently outperformed all of the other systems we looked at throughout the selection process in terms of meeting and exceeding our functional requirements.
Epicor are one of only a handful of companies recognised as a ‘Gold Certified Partner’ by Microsoft. This close working partnership has allowed Vantage to be constructed using the latest technology available, allowing it to communicate easily with other systems such as our Unigraphics CAD software, as well as being very flexible. Having this flexibility and connectivity means we can configure Vantage to meet the specific demands of Xtrac, without the need for software modification.
Epicor have a great pedigree, with over 20 years of experience in providing integrated ERP solutions to the manufacturing industry, and currently serving over 20,000 customers in more than 140 countries.

The Challenge
Choosing the system was the easy task, the real work involved the implementation of the system whilst causing the minimum amount of disruption to ourselves and our customers. Vantage is an ‘off the shelf’ ERP software package designed to cover every aspect of any company’s operations, from Manufacturing to Finance, from Sales to Engineering, and everything in between. In it’s ‘off the shelf’ condition Vantage is not configured to deal with all of Xtrac’s current processes exactly. We wanted to utilise as many of the ‘standard’ Vantage processes as possible, but there were some processes that are fundamental to our business and that we have to do in a certain way, and this is where the majority of the system design work took place.
Vantage allows us to bring all our systems together in one place, as well as delivering the individual effectiveness of each system. To do this though we needed to take the time and effort to ensure that Vantage could deliver not only the functionality we have today, but also make the all important improvements to allow our business to progress and continually improve.

After over four and a half years as Chairman of the Motorsport Industry Association, Peter Digby, Managing Director, has stood down and passes the Chairman role to Alistair Fergusson, Managing Director of Alcon Components, who has been the Vice Chairman throughout Peter’s tenure.

Having been in the role for more than 2 two year terms, Peter said “I have really enjoyed my time as Chairman.  The industry has had some difficult times and no doubt there are more to come, so I wish Alistair all the best.  I know he will make an excellent Chairman.  As I am keeping my position on the Committee, I will be around to assist Alistair, Chris Aylett (CEO), Lord Astor (President) and the rest of the committee in the future.

In the meantime, I can now concentrate all my energies on ensuring Xtrac maintains the position as the world’s leading motorsport transmission supplier.