The Author

getting ready

Bob Szabo is a graduate engineer who cut his teeth in auto manufacturing and in aerospace manufacturing. Now he is both a tech author and a recent drag racer with both a blown alcohol funny car and a blown altered for match racing.

While the Racing Pros do public relations work for their sponsors, Bob researches technical information about racing and writes manuals. He wrote “Fuel Injection Racing Secrets” in a down-to-earth style for both grass roots racers and spectators. He did an extensive research project on motor racing fuels and wrote “5000 Horsepower on Methanol.”

His writings are about hands-on experiences. He builds all of his own engines & transmissions. He does most of his own race vehicle body work, paint, mechanical, & electrical. That blue collar down to earth experience is an influence throughout his publications.

He maintains a detailed data base of successful fuel injection, engine, and clutch setups. Fuel injection information for his publications is from that personal racing experience, run data he has accumulated, as well as information from most of the fuel injection manufacturers and other successful racers.

Bob is a racer, assembler, and tuner with a camera, pen, and keyboard in his tool box.

Bob’s methanol book is the result of one year of hard work with long hours, researching all available methanol sources & references at that time. Then writing a 300+ page technical racing manual that is, as far as we know, still the most extensive racing methanol reference in the world. It was a monumental task that included consultation from high level chemical engineer resources as well as many other engineering, technical, & racing sources.

Motor sports experience:

drag racing:

  • California Injected Funny Car racing (7.5 sec. quarter mile ET bracket)
  • Nostalgia Eliminator One (7.6 sec. quarter mile ET bracket)
  • NHRA Comp Eliminator (AA/A)
  • Summit Series and other bracket racing (7.5 sec. to 9.99 quarter mile ET bracket)
  • Top Eliminator West (6.3 sec. quarter mile ET bracket)
  • Super Eliminator (7.9 sec. quarter mile ET bracket)
  • Bracket racing (14.99 and slower ET bracket)
  • match racing
  • extensive drag race and highway (legal) testing.

sports car: slalom with a ’66 Sunbeam Tiger powered by a Ford Boss 302

circle boat racing: tunnel hull Outboard Performance Craft (rookie of the year)

Studies:
Fuel injection (mechanical & electronic), various forms for supercharging, race engine fluid dynamics, tire traction, suspension geometry design, and race car aerodynamics.

Other previous technical projects:

  • custom made on-board optical data acquisition system for race cars; built 3 years before any commercial unit was available
  • adaptive traction control and braking method
  • turbocharged Boss 302 Sunbeam Tiger
  • modified Chrysler/Weslake D-5 cylinder heads with custom sheet metal manifold for Roots blower

A few of the motor sports celebrities and their achievements that I admire:

  • Mickey Thompson’s drag and Bonneville racing with Pontiacs and Fords
  • hot air engine development from Ralph Johnson, Tony Allers, & Smokey Yunick; Smokey’s Indy & Nascar achievements.