Some people claim to be on the fast track, but Ludmilla Amani really is. At NYIT’s Manhattan campus, she is an associate professor who loves to teach engineering. But outside the classroom, she is a racecar driver who loves to downshift through a hairpin turn after completing a 194-mph straightaway in a Ferrari. This past summer, Amani placed first in the Bridgestone competition on the Vallelunga track in Italy in the category of 550, 575, 612, and 599 Ferraris (12 cylinders, 500 horsepower and above) and second on the Misano Adriatico track in San Marino.
Her obsession with racing and the famous Italian automobile began when she was a student who emigrated from the former U.S.S.R. “A magnificent red car passed me on the street. I was mesmerized and stood there with an open mouth and pounding heart. Once I realized it was a Ferrari, I told all of my friends that I would have one and drive it on the track.”
After completing her education at Polytechnic University of New York and “putting a very good brain to use,” she finally realized her dream when “Marcello,” her 2002 Ferrari Maranello 575M in all its 12-cylinder, 520-horsepower glory, entered her life.
“From the first moment I turned on his engine, I knew it was a boy,” Amani says.
Her first track day took place in Lime Rock, Conn., in the pouring rain more than two years ago. “I had an excellent instructor, but that did not stop me from losing control and kissing the wall on one of the turns,” Amani recalls. Despite the serious blow to Marcello (and his driver’s ego), the pair successfully completed the track run.
But, says Amani, the damage was done: “From that day on, racing has been in my blood. I love the adrenaline, the wonderful roar, and the force of a few Gs on my body.”
Although it was difficult at first for her to be taken seriously in the male-dominated sport, Amani says that she is now an accepted member of the “brotherhood.” But her fellow drivers often stop at nothing to beat a woman to the checkered flag.
“I understand,” she says. “After all, they have the testosterone.”
Together, Amani and Marcello have raced on several tracks in North America and Europe. She dedicates all of her wins to her son and recent college graduate, Vladimir, “who is the sunshine of my life,” as well as her students “who, without realizing it, keep me feeling young at heart.”
She gladly discusses Marcello and her passion for racing in class, using these subjects as a way to apply her lessons to the real world. It seems to have worked—at a recent event for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers, Amani’s students presented topics on “The Electrical and Computer Systems of Ferraris” and “High-Performance Car Engines.” Much to the attendees’ delight, Marcello was also in attendance, as were some of Amani’s racing trophies.
“It’s important to show my students that dreams do come true when you work toward them,” she says. |
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Engineering students are intrigued by Ludmilla Amani and her love of Ferrari racing. The associate professor uses their fascination to jumpstart classroom discussions about real-world applications of electrical and automotive engineering.
“Marcello” will be getting a baby brother: “Alessandro,” a 2008 Lamborghini Superleggera with four-wheel drive and 530 horsepower, joins the Amani family this fall. |
