Fred Corbin: The Race Car Engineer Who Changed the Game
Fred Corbin was a brilliant race car engineer who made significant contributions to the sport of auto racing. He is best known for his work with the Chaparral Cars team, where he helped develop some of the most innovative and successful race cars of all time.
Early Life and Career
Corbin was born in 1937 in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a family of car enthusiasts, and he began working on cars at a young age. After graduating from high school, Corbin attended the University of Southern California, where he studied engineering. Following graduation, he worked for several years as a design engineer at General Motors.
Chaparral Cars
In 1966, Corbin joined Chaparral Cars, a small racing team based in Midland, Texas. The team was owned by Jim Hall, a former race car driver. Corbin quickly became one of the most important members of the team. He was responsible for designing and engineering the Chaparral 2E, one of the most successful race cars of the 1960s. The car featured a number of innovative design features, including a vacuum-operated wing that helped to increase downforce and cornering speeds.
Corbin continued to design and engineer successful race cars for Chaparral throughout the 1970s. The team won several major races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1969 and 1970.
Later Career
Corbin left Chaparral in 1981 to form his own engineering company. He continued to work on race cars, but he also expanded his work into other areas, including aerospace and defense. Corbin also taught engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
Legacy
Fred Corbin was one of the most influential race car engineers of all time. His innovative designs helped to improve the performance of race cars and make the sport safer. He was also a pioneer in the use of computers in race car design. Corbin’s legacy continues today, as his designs continue to inspire engineers and drivers.
Awards and Honors
- Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2003
- Awarded the SAE Henry Ford II Distinguished Award for Automotive Engineering Excellence in 2005
- Named one of the “50 Most Important People in Automotive History” by Motor Trend magazine in 2009
