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1st QUARTER 2010

> New Formula One Rules Released by FIA

• F1 Teams will once again be allowed to test at Windshear beginning in 2010

Formula One’s regulating body, the FIA, announced in late December that F1 teams will once again be allowed to test in full-scale wind tunnels including Windshear. The FIA had imposed a ban on full scale wind tunnel testing just over a year ago. Under that ban, teams were limited in the number of tests they could perform and in the scale of cars they could test.

Under the newly released rules, F1 teams will be allowed a maximum of six one-day aerodynamic tests carried out on either an FIA approved test track or at a full-scale wind tunnel test facility. The rule defines a day of wind tunnel testing as a single 24-hour period with four hours of wind-on testing.

Windshear stands to benefit from the new rules. Prior to the ban, Windshear conducted numerous full-scale tests for F1 teams. In fact, Windshear’s first commercial customer was an F1 team that visited Windshear in June 2008. After word about Windshear spread among F1 teams, several new customers signed-up and performed testing until stopped by the FIA in December 2008.

When asked about the effects of the new rules, Windshear Site Manager Jeff Bordner said that he and the Windshear staff are prepared to once again provide the same high quality, productive testing that Formula One teams received during 2008. He also said that he has been in contact with several F1 teams and negotiations are underway for testing early in 2010.

Windshear has implemented a security and privacy system that addresses all Formula One team’s requirements for highly secure and confidential testing. This same system is already in place and being utilized for NASCAR, IndyCar, ALMS, and production car customers. Electrical, restraint, and data systems have already been implemented for F1 and are ready for their return.

Formula One has suffered from the global economic problems like most other industries. In December 2008, Honda dropped out of the series after many years of mediocre performance. Late in 2009, both Toyota and BMW announced they too would end their efforts in Formula One. Several new teams have signed up for the new season including USF1, Campos, Manor and Lotus. In November Mercedes Benz acquired Brawn GP, the team owned by Ross Brawn. Brawn had purchased the team from Honda in March of the same year.

> Windshear Branches Out, Makes Waves in 2009

• Facility sees strong interest from racing teams, begins other business ventures

As 2009 came to a close, Windshear officials looked back on a year filled with continued success as well as new opportunities.

This year was Windshear’s first full year of operation, and the only full-scale rolling road wind tunnel in the U.S. had a lot of accomplishments and new endeavors.

Windshear hosted numerous race teams, including nearly every major NASCAR team. Those teams were able to take full advantage of Windshear’s capabilities, and helped bolster Windshear’s status as the most accurate wind tunnel used in the circuit.

Windshear also added many new customers within U.S. open wheel racing, including IndyCar and Corvette racing. Windshear also tested Daytona Prototype cars for the first time, and could test Formula One cars in 2010.

Customers credited Windshear with making significant gains after testing there, and many have already scheduled return visits in 2010.

“It makes such a difference to be able to test in such a controlled environment,” said Kate Wallace, the aerodynamicist for Crawford Racing. “There’s no substitute for that.”

While Windshear maintained its high ranking in racing circles, the facility also branched out into new endeavors. Windshear hosted a video entertainment company in May, which used the facility as part of the production for a future video product.

Windshear also became the site for a national television commercial, as Lexus used the site in July to film a commercial for its ES model. That commercial began airing in September and will continue to air in the months ahead. It is posted on YouTube and has been rated a 5-star commercial by viewers.

“This was a very successful year for us,” Site Manager Jeff Bordner said. “We continue to boost our reach in racing circles, and we are optimistic about further expansion in 2010. We are also very pleased that we are able to use our facility in other ways, to demonstrate the utility that this state-of-the-art facility can have. We will continue to be open to more diversification next year, and are looking forward to another successful year.”

> Windshear Officials Make New Connections at European Symposium

• Two-day event brings together new ideas, new relationships

Windshear officials visited the World Motorsport Symposium in Oxford, United Kingdom in November to meet with several potential customers and investigate new advances in wind tunnel technology.
Windshear Site Manager Jeff Bordner presented some of his research to participants and also learned about other advances being done in Europe. He said the symposium gave himself and Windshear many new ideas that could be implemented for the future.

Bordner spoke at the event, which featured many of the top aerodynamicists in the world. Other top speakers included Ulrich Baretzky, the head of engine technology for Audi Sport, Thomas Laudenbach, the head of motorsport development for Porsche, and Willem Toet, the head of aerodynamics for the BMW-Sauber Formula One racing team.

The two-day event is in its fifth year, and continues to be well-received. It also provided a valuable networking platform for attendees including Windshear, and the exchange of ideas could have a big impact for Windshear in 2010.

“The World Motorsport Symposium is a can’t-miss event for those in our industry,” Bordner said. “When you are able to share your thoughts with the top engineers and aerodynamicists in the world, it gives you an invaluable amount of exposure and education. We were thrilled to be a part of the symposium, and we look forward to the 2010 event as well.”

For more information about Windshear or to discuss possible testing services, contact Jeffrey Bordner or Randy Graves at:
Phone: 704-788-WIND (9463)
Email: info@windshearinc.com
http://www.windshearinc.com

Copyright © 2010 Wind Shear, Inc.