Pit Crew Pro
Virtual Car Engineering
STEM through the lens kids actually care about: motorsport. Design, build, and fine-tune custom cars in Automation, then push them to breaking point in the hyper-realistic physics simulator BeamNG.drive.
Maths and physics suddenly make sense when there's a chequered flag on the line. Whether your child is into speed, style, or the science of how things work -- this is where engineering and gaming collide.
Two Games, One Engineering Pipeline
Students design in Automation, then test in BeamNG.drive -- just like real automotive engineers prototype then crash-test.
Automation: The Car Company Tycoon Game
Students become car company founders. They design vehicles from the ground up -- choosing body style, materials, engine configuration (inline, V, boxer), drivetrain layout, turbo vs naturally aspirated, suspension geometry, and full visual customisation. Every slider, every value, every component choice has real engineering consequences.
BeamNG.drive: Physics Simulator
Cars designed in Automation are exported directly into BeamNG.drive -- a hyper-realistic physics engine with soft-body deformation, real torque curves, and accurate crash physics. Students experience first-hand how their engineering decisions play out. Too much power and not enough chassis reinforcement? The car will show you exactly what happens.
What They'll Learn
Real engineering, real physics, real maths -- disguised as the coolest motorsport experience.
Vehicle Design
Design cars from chassis up. Understand body shapes, aerodynamics, and how design choices affect performance on the track.
Engine & Drivetrain
Learn how engines work, gear ratios, torque, and power delivery. Tune your virtual engine for maximum performance.
Suspension & Handling
Spring rates, dampers, ride height, and anti-roll bars. Set up your car to handle corners and straights differently.
Aerodynamics
Downforce vs drag. Wings, splitters, and diffusers. See how air shapes affect speed and grip in real time.
Data Analysis
Read telemetry data, lap times, and sector splits. Use maths to find where you're losing time and fix it.
Race Strategy
Tyre management, fuel loads, pit stop timing, and weather decisions. The strategic thinking behind every race win.
STEM Curriculum Links
Everything they learn connects back to what they're studying at school.
Ratios, percentages, data interpretation, graphs, and basic algebra -- all applied to real engineering problems kids actually care about.
Forces, friction, velocity, acceleration, energy transfer, and aerodynamics. The physics curriculum brought to life through motorsport.
Design thinking, iterative testing, materials, and mechanical systems. An introduction to real engineering methodology.
CAD principles, data analysis tools, and simulation technology. Digital skills through a practical, hands-on lens.
A Typical Session
Every session follows the real engineering cycle: brief, design, build, test, iterate, compete.
Engineering Brief
The mentor sets a challenge: fastest lap, best fuel economy, survive a crash test, or design for a specific terrain. Constraints force creative problem-solving.
Design & Build
Students open Automation and make engineering decisions -- engine type, displacement, turbo settings, body shape, suspension geometry, gearing. Each choice has trade-offs.
Test & Iterate
Export to BeamNG.drive. Does it understeer? Flip on corners? Run out of power on straights? Back to the drawing board -- adjust and re-test.
Compete
Students race their cars head-to-head or compare telemetry data. The best-engineered car wins -- not the one with the most horsepower, but the one with the best balance.
Debrief
Review what worked, what didn't, and why. Mentors connect decisions to real STEM concepts. Students take home a PDF summary of their build.
What Makes Pit Crew Pro Unique
The software: Automation & BeamNG.drive▼
Students use Automation: The Car Company Tycoon Game to design and build vehicles from the chassis up -- choosing body style, materials, drivetrain, and engine configuration. They then export their creations to BeamNG.drive, a hyper-realistic physics simulator where they experience how their car handles in real-time with realistic crash physics, torque curves, and road handling.
This is the same design-then-test pipeline used in real automotive engineering. Students experience the full cycle: prototype in CAD (Automation), then crash-test in simulation (BeamNG). The two games talk to each other -- export a car from one, drive it in the other.
Design decisions have real consequences. Want more horsepower? Better be ready to reinforce your chassis. Mistakes are part of the process -- explode an engine? Flip your car? That is learning, Pit Crew Pro style.
The competition element▼
Every session ends with students competing against each other. This is not about who has the fastest internet or the quickest reflexes -- it is about who engineered the best car. Different challenges reward different approaches:
- Fastest lap -- pure speed, but your car has to survive the corners
- Fuel economy challenge -- cover the most distance on one tank
- Crash survival -- whose chassis holds up best in a head-on collision?
- Hill climb -- torque, gearing and weight distribution matter more than top speed
- Custom livery -- creative design and branding (students paint and brand their vehicles)
Students iterate on their designs between rounds, learning that engineering is about continuous improvement -- not getting it right first time.
What is included in a session?▼
- Guided workshops in Automation and BeamNG.drive
- Real-time 1:1 or small-group mentoring from trained staff
- Engineering challenge briefs with real-world connections
- Head-to-head competition against other students
- Take-home summary of your build (PDF or printout)
- Access to your exported car file for home testing (optional)
Available at all Player Ready venues and online via our virtual learning platform. Also available as a school enrichment session or custom curriculum for education partners.
Why it works for SEND and alternative provision▼
Many learners who have disengaged from traditional classroom STEM thrive in Pit Crew Pro. The course works because it is:
- Visual and tactile -- 3D models, real-time physics, instant visual feedback
- Competitive -- the game format creates natural motivation without pressure
- Failure-safe -- crashing a virtual car teaches more than getting it right. No wrong answers, just data
- Interest-led -- cars, speed, and building things are intrinsically motivating for many young people
- Pace-flexible -- students work at their own speed with mentor support
Students who would never voluntarily do a maths worksheet will happily calculate gear ratios when it means their car goes faster. That is the power of context-based learning.
Career connections▼
Pit Crew Pro maps directly to careers in:
- Automotive and motorsport engineering
- Mechanical and manufacturing engineering
- Vehicle design and aerodynamics
- Data analysis and telemetry
- Game design and simulation development
- CAD/CAM and product design
The course transforms car culture into an interactive learning experience -- perfect for Post-16 learners, EHCP goals, or AP settings that value hands-on technical skills. Ideal for learners aged 10+ with an interest in cars, science, or game design. No prior engineering knowledge needed.
Student Builds
Cars designed, branded, and tested by real Pit Crew Pro students.
Students can paint, brand, and fully customise their vehicles -- some create replica F1 cars, others design their own fantasy brands. Creative expression meets engineering.
Not Just for Petrolheads
You don't need to know a camshaft from a crankshaft. Pit Crew Pro is designed for kids who might not think of themselves as “STEM kids” -- but who respond to hands-on challenges, competition, and building things that work.
Kids who like building (Lego, Minecraft, anything with components) pick this up fast. So do kids who are competitive -- the race element creates natural motivation. And kids who are visual learners get instant feedback: you can see and feel how your design decisions play out in real time.
If your child likes problem-solving and doesn't love textbooks, this is for them. No prior knowledge of cars or engineering required -- just curiosity and creativity.
Start Your Engines
First session free. Your child might just discover that engineering is their thing.
Available at all Player Ready venues (Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton, Truro, Portsmouth) and online. Also available as a school enrichment session or custom curriculum for education partners.