Auto Research Center

Auto Research Center (ARC), also known as ARC Indy, is a specialized aerodynamics and automotive research and consulting company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It was established in September 1998 as a joint venture to serve as the North American headquarters for Reynard Motorsports, the British race car designer and manufacturer then based at Reynard Park in Brackley, England. The joint venture was owned 59% by Reynard Motorsports, 31% by Bruce McCaw of PacWest Racing, and 10% by North America Honda. ARC initially housed a scale-model wind tunnel, a seven-post test rig, an engineering design suite, scale-model modeling and building facilities, and a technical office, all in the same building. Although ARC was a public test facility, in practice Reynard had enough customers that the facility was fully booked by IndyCar/CART and the British American Racing Formula One team. Reynard Motorsports entered receivership in 2002, primarily due to an aborted IPO and the costly purchase of race car manufacturer Riley & Scott. As an arm of Reynard Motorsports, ARC found itself without a parent company. With staff and a small budget but no customers, ARC set about building a NASCAR scale model to attract new business. Its first major customer was a NASCAR OEM manufacturer, which was impressed by the scale model; from there, sports car racing and other customers also took significant interest. In this way, ARC found a new direction and continued as an independent entity. Today, ARC sells time in its various test rigs, such as its wind tunnel and seven-post rig, and provides design and consultancy services to government/military, commercial vehicle, automotive, and racing clientele. The company prides itself on remaining a competent tier one supplier to multiple OEMs throughout these industries. ARC also offers scale model development, vehicle aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics capabilities and expertise, computer-aided engineering software, vehicle dynamics software, and computer modeling programs for trackside simulation. It is a worldwide company committed to developing innovative solutions in the ever-changing field of transportation. ARC's services include aerodynamic vehicle design, vehicle dynamics, government approval, fleet efficiency, consultancy, facility design, sculpted underfloor, computer-aided engineering services, wind tunnel CFD, aerodynamic bicycle test facility, 7-post hybrid drivetrain testing, durability verification, reverse engineering, and rapid prototyping. Its products include software, aero devices, facilities, pneumatic tires, and model motion. In 2015, ARC opened an Aerodynamic Bicycle Test Facility (ABT) housed in the ARC wind tunnel, demonstrating the company's growth while ensuring customer interest across all of ARC's many solutions and services. ARC has continued to pursue further technology in the transportation industry with new innovations such as wind tunnel wall simulation that can automatically move, yaw, and curve to improve the accuracy of aerodynamic results for racing and driver simulation. ARC has become a global company with offices on four continents. ARC's corporate culture is driven by a core belief that it transforms industries using its technology, methods, and people. It describes itself as the secret behind some of the decade's most advanced vehicles. Utilizing its own technologies—wind tunnel, CFD, hybrid driveline, vehicle dynamics facilities—ARC has spurred efficiency advancements throughout commercial, production, government, and professional racing industries. ARC also develops leading-edge vehicle CAE tools that, coupled with its expertise, have already "changed the way large OEMs conduct business." Driven toward a world-wide energy future, ARC has generated partnerships and opened offices across the globe.

Auto Research Center (ARC) was established in September 1998 as a joint venture among three parties: North America Honda (10%), Bruce McCaw of PacWest Racing (31%), and Reynard Motorsports (59%). It was opened as the North American headquarters for Reynard Motorsports, the British race car designer and manufacturer then based at Reynard Park in Brackley, England, and at that time the largest race car designer and manufacturer in the world, producing cars for both open-wheel and sports car racing. In the USA, the primary effort was on open-wheel racing in IndyCar/CART. ARC initially housed a scale-model wind tunnel and a seven-post test rig, with the engineering design suite, scale-model modeling and building, and technical office all in the same building. While ARC was a public test facility, in reality Reynard had enough customers that the facility was completely booked by IndyCar/CART and the British American Racing Formula One team. The wind tunnel was designed and constructed starting in 1998 under the management of General Manager David Pitchforth, who became Managing Director after its completion in 2000. In 1998, construction also began on a new headquarters for the Reynard Motorsports group at Reynard Park in Brackley, England. A wind tunnel built by Pitchforth also existed at the old headquarters called the Reynard Centre in Bicester, though the date is unknown. Reynard Motorsports went into receivership in 2002 owing to many reasons, but primarily an aborted IPO and the costly purchase of race car manufacturer Riley & Scott. As ARC was an arm of Reynard Motorsports, it found itself on its own without a parent company. Reynard North America Inc. also entered receivership, but a buyback was executed, consolidating into the existing Auto Research Center, and survival was somehow achieved. With staff and a small budget on hand but no customers, ARC set about building a NASCAR scale model to attract new customers. The first major customer was a NASCAR OEM manufacturer, which was impressed by the built scale model; from there, sports car racing and other customers also took significant interest. In this way, ARC found a new direction. In 2015, ARC opened an Aerodynamic Bicycle Test Facility (ABT). Housed in the ARC wind tunnel, this new facility demonstrated the company's growth while ensuring customer interest across all of ARC's many solutions and services. ARC has continued its commitment to further technology in the transportation industry with new innovations such as wind tunnel wall simulation that can automatically move, yaw, and curve to improve the accuracy of aerodynamic results for racing and driver simulation. ARC has become a global company with offices on four continents.

• 2015

  ARC opens the Aerodynamic Bicycle Test Facility (ABT) housed in the ARC wind tunnel.

• 2002

  Reynard Motorsports enters receivership; ARC becomes independent after a buyback consolidates Reynard North America into ARC.

• 2000

  Wind tunnel completed; David Pitchforth becomes Managing Director.

• 1998

  Auto Research Center established in September as a joint venture among North America Honda, Bruce McCaw of PacWest Racing, and Reynard Motorsports; opened as Reynard Motorsports' North American headquarters.

• 1998

  Design and construction of the wind tunnel begins under General Manager David Pitchforth.

Specialized research facility and tier one supplier to OEMs, offering test rig time, design, and consultancy services across motorsports, automotive, commercial vehicle, and government sectors.

• Wind tunnel testing

  50% scale model wind tunnel with rolling road.

• 7-post test rig

  Vehicle dynamics testing rig.

• Computer-aided engineering software

  Vehicle CAE tools for OEMs.

• Vehicle dynamics software

  Software for trackside simulation.

• Aerodynamic Bicycle Test Facility (ABT)

  Opened in 2015, housed in the ARC wind tunnel.

1. 1Auto Research Center, Vehicle Design Software, Vehicle Aerodynamicsarcindy.com
2. 2ARC - Commercial Fleet Efficiencyarcindy.com
3. 3Corporate Culture | ARCarcindy.com
4. 4Auto Research Center - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5オート・リサーチ・センター - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org