Faced with the task of designing and building a racecar from scratch then taking this potential deathtrap for a test drive may sound terrifying, but for engineering major Billy Kucinski, it is an opportunity to learn through doing what he loves.
As principal of UW-Madison’s Formula SAE Team, Kucinski leads a team of student engineers in creating a Formula 1 car at one-third scale to contend in an international student competition, where 120 teams from around the world perform in “static” and “dynamic” events that test the car’s safety and speed respectively.
Kucinski described the organization as a way for him to exercise his lifelong passion while gaining professional experience.
“I’ve loved cars my entire life, but didn’t really have an opportunity to work on them. This is a place I can go to learn and do what I love,” Kucinski said.
Kucinski also serves as president and overseer of all four vehicle teams at UW-Madison, coordinating socials and scheduling time in the shop. He said both leadership roles can leave him with a lot on his plate, so it is essential to prioritize his time.
“You try to focus your efforts in the area where it’s needed most,” Kucinski said.
This balancing act gets particularly difficult around competition times, the next of which falls during finals week, forcing him to cram studying into an already stressful week of competition preparation.
To combat the time crunch, Kucinski said he begins each semester by meticulously planning chunks of time for studying, working, eating and sleeping on top of the time he spends in the shop. Most of his days end up being completely scheduled from 8 a.m. to midnight.
“I think that’s one of the best things I get from being on the Formula team, other than engineering knowledge, is time management,” Kucinski said. “That’s something I focus a lot of time on teaching to new members.”
Kucinski, who hopes to work in the automotive industry after graduation, said working on the team helped connect him to an internship in Germany, where he will work with Volkswagen this summer.
