Being the engineer for an F2000 Championship Series driver is no glorified position. But that doesn't matter to Eric Langbein of Annapolis.

"I really love what I do," Langbein, 35, said. "There's too much time involved for anybody who doesn't love it to keep doing it."

Langbein engineers racecars for driver Tim Minor, who is in fifth place in the F2000 Series. The circuit is primarily a proving ground for up-and-coming IndyCar drivers.

Minor, 50, is part of the "Masters Class" in F2000 racing, meaning that he is among a competitive class of older drivers in the series.

Langbein describes his position on Minor's team as the person whom the driver speaks with during pit stops to discuss any handling problems the car might have. As an engineer, Langbein works to resolve those problems and boost the performance of Minor's car.

Between race sessions — there are seven between April and September — Langbein and Minor work together to develop the suspension for the car.

Because each race is on a different track, the team must work to make adjustments based on the venue of their next competition.

Langbein also serves as somewhat of a coach to Minor, the driver said.

"He'll tell me driving points," Minor said. "A lot of [driving] is mental, and Eric works to calm me down."

Part of being able to advise Minor comes from Langbein's own driving experience. He has competed in road racing and rally car racing and can give more driving insight than most other engineers because of his time behind the wheel.

"I used to engineer and drive my own car, and that's too much to think about," Minor said. "You have to have somebody to bounce ideas off."

Langbein said having driving experience helps him understand what Minor goes through on the track.

"It's an advantage that I might have over other engineers who don't do as much driving as me," he said.

Before the season, Langbein and Minor were given high praise by the 2009 Masters Class champion, Tom Fatur.

"Clearly the favorite [in 2010] has to be Tim Minor," Fatur said. "He always runs strong, has a well-developed car, and with Eric he has great engineering. That combination will be hard to beat."

In addition to his work with Minor in the F2000 Series, Langbein owns and operates an engineering and fabrication auto shop in Annapolis.

He has built two racecars from scratch but mainly works to assemble cars from parts that come to his store.

Langbein recently assembled his own F2000 car.

"I take a lot of pride in building the cars," Langbein said. "The finished product reflects time and effort."

He said some cars are put together in a matter of weeks, while others are assembled over the course of a few years.

Langbein graduated from Montgomery Blair High in Silver Spring, then attended Maryland for one year.

He got his start in the racing business in the early 1990s with an apprenticeship at Cole Performance in Winchester, Va., where he worked for Steve Cole.

Minor, who was a frequent customer of the shop, met Langbein there and describes Cole as the best person Langbein could have learned from.

"Eric worked for the smartest engineer I've ever met," Minor said. "It takes a certain type of person for this type of work."

While Langbein would love the opportunity to compete in races as a driver, don't expect him to move on to larger race teams in the future.

"Larger racing cars typically involve larger racing teams, and I enjoy having a more personal relationship with people on" smaller teams, Langbein said.

He added that he has worked with larger teams in the past and finds himself more comfortable at the F2000 level.

As with the cars he engineers, Langbein seems to have all the parts he needs to succeed.

conor.oneill@baltsun.com