SAE Race Track 1
For the first time in the history of the college, the SJSU chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAEI) will be participating in the 2009 Formula SAE Student Design Competition held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, from June 17-20.
Randy Floresca, senior in mechanical engineering, is the student chapter president of SAEI. He explained that this is an international intercollegiate design competition that challenges college teams to market, design, fabricate, test, build, and race in open-wheel performance style race cars. One of the attractions to this competition is the fact that it offers students hands-on opportunities to apply what they're learning in the classroom.
SAE Race Track 2
Another attraction has been the challenge of building the formula car. As Darren Schwald, a junior in mechanical engineering, pointed out, this project is complex, difficult and more involved. The 30 team members, including an MBA and geology student, are building it from scratch. Raghu Agarwal is the senior project advisor.
The idea to participate in this competition originated from Joey Penniman, a senior in mechanical engineering, looking for a cool senior design project. He described the different kinds of things on which the team and car will be judged. The dynamic events include endurance, autocross, skid pad, and acceleration. The static events include cost report, business presentation and design competition.
SAE Race Track 3
Drivers for the competition have yet to be determined. Johanna Knudsen said that the driver has to be able to exit the car in 5 seconds. A senior in mechanical engineering and co-chassis team leader, Johanna summed up the allure of the competition: "there's something about a formula car that's exciting." Indeed, there is!
For more information about SAEI, go to http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/sae/ To view videos of the formula race car (and other student videos), go to the CoE's YouTube channel and view our Playlists: http://www.youtube.com/user/engineeringATsjsu
