Scientist, engineer, innovator, driver

When motor racing transitioned in the 1960s from art to science, Milliken was one of a handful of engineers leading the way. The 1934 MIT grad was assistant head of Flight Test at Boeing during WWII. Later, as head of Flight Research at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (CAL) he initiated programs for measuring aircraft dynamics and pioneered advances in aircraft stability, including modern electrohydraulic flight control systems. Racing in his spare time, Milliken competed in more than 100 postwar road races. A founding member of the Watkins Glen Road Races, he helped design both the original street course and permanent circuit. Later he served as Chief Steward for the US Grand Prix. His racing involvement led him to apply sophisticated science to vehicle dynamics. He developed advanced tire testing machines and, with Goodyear in the 1960s, the first computer-simulated F1 lap of Watkins Glen. A major influence on Jim Hall and other leading racers of the era, much of our ability to measure and maximize race car dynamics today is directly traceable to Milliken.