Rather than circling the track, the UW-Madison Formula Society of Automotive Engineers racing team scrutinizes designs and discusses ergonomics.
The Formula SAE Racing Team, comprised of engineers, automotive enthusiasts, undergraduates and others, designs, constructs and races a small-scale Formula One style racecar every May since 1986 at the SAE Formula Competition at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.
The team is a collaborative effort between the members and SAE, which sponsors the annual competition along with three leading automotive companies: GM, Chrysler and Ford.
\The main reason for this competition is to train future engineers in automotive design and testing and engineering,"" said Brandon Clark, UW-Madison senior and team co-leader. ""So, the reason we initially started was to get people excited about going to work for an automotive maker and to ensure that once they graduate they would have the knowledge not only of the basic engineering fundamentals, but also how to apply those specifically to automotive engineering.""
The team aims ""to give students hands-on experience in a team environment where they have to interact with lots of people,"" said Jacob Bergenske, UW-Madison senior and one of the team's group leaders.
Two co-leaders head the team, while five group leaders head subgroups dealing with ""suspension, brakes and controls, frame, powertrain, public relations and sponsorship and manufacturing,"" according to the UW Racing Web site.
The design process ""forces [the students] to realize that theory has limitations and that you have to use the theory of the tool to be able to engineer the whole vehicle,"" Bergenske said. Approximately one-third the size of a Formula One racecar, the car is judged on both its dynamic and static qualities through rigorous engineer design analysis, according to Bergenske and Steve Aykens, UW-Madison senior and co-leader of the team.
In 2004, the team finished ninth overall at the SAE Formula Competition and hopes to make its car more ergonomic and to ""have a very, very complete design"" that will allow it to enter the semi-finals and finals at the 2005 competition, Bergenske said.
As for specific goals this year, the team is ""looking for that first-place trophy as always,"" Bergenske said.
Past awards include the Arvin Meritor Suspension, Ricardo Powertrain Design and Visteon Cooling System Design Awards in 2004 and the second-place overall finish at the 2002 competition. The team finished 29th and ninth overall in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
