The timetable for a group of college students to turn an idea into an internationally competitive race car? Just 365 days.
Seems impossible, right? Well, for this generation of engineers and leaders, that's their life.
This achievement is all thanks to a program called Formula SAE. It provides students with an outlet to develop their skills outside the classroom …
So many great photos of these teams so little space.
UCF (Knights Racing)
FAU (Owls racing)
FIU (Panther Motorsports)
UNF (Osprey Racing)
The FSAE car that I saw was Georgia Tech’s at an Atlanta autocross. This had to be 1992 or so. If I had known that FSAE was an option, perhaps I would have gone to a different school....
PS: Found some Formula SAE history here.
David S. Wallens said:PS: Found some Formula SAE history here.
Much love for FSAE here. Thanks for the history link! I was part of the Maryland team for the 1991 car, and my FSAE work is what got me into the auto industry.
I once dropped 2lbs (or was it 3lbs?) of unsprung weight on some uprights. 6061->7075 and some optimizing via FEA.
Recruitment drive 2014
I have more hair now.
Here is a little flashback of when I was VP of the Embry Riddle Team. I have so much love for this program and for my old team.
Pffft FSAE doesn't even have jumps on their courses 
SAE Baja is way more grassroots, having way more fun for a fraction of the money.
Not cleaner though....
I'm the advisor for Hope College's team. We're one of a few small, private colleges that compete and generally build a car every two years when Covid doesn't interfere. We used to be able to run the car at Lincoln in June and then MIS the following May under the 12 month eligibility rule. As mentioned above, FSAE students learn so much and a get a huge advantage in the job market.
We have several racers and engineers that volunteer to mentor the students. They enjoy it and really have helped the team be successful. If you have a FSAE team near you, I highly recommend giving them a few hours of your time.
2018-19 car.
2021-22 car.
2024 car.
Practicing for tilt test.
Enough said.
FSAE was a huge part of my college experience and enabled my career to flourish. I actually had the opportunity to purchase our 2003 Missouri car (2nd overall in Detroit) that I primarily designed and helped build. It proudly sits displayed in my garage and occasionally comes out to set FTD at the local autocross. I keep a framed copy of its features in Racecar Engineering and Racer Magazine on the wall nearby. Priceless.
Fun sidebar- In 2002 I was tired of leaning over and getting my feet run over pushing the car through our buildings and at competition. So one night I whipped up a clip-on push bar that allowed one or two people to push the car around. At competition that year the stewards were so enamored with the idea that it became written into the rules. You're welcome!
Unevolved, whiltebeitel, coleasterling, and I were on the 2012 Texas A&M FSAE team - we learned a lot about all of engineering, not just the areas of the car we worked on.
For many teams, the time to build and test their car before competition is a lot less than 365 days. Many start with the school year around September, and with Detroit competition in May, teams only have 9 months, not 12. That is why some teams do a two school year program, with initial design in students junior year, then build and test during senior year.
When I came to GRM at the age of 23, I already had two seasons of autocross under my belt: prepping a car, reading a rule book, entering events, managing a (tiny) budget, making connections, etc. JG came here with a similar background. We were lucky, too, in that we had local autocross programs plus just enough disposable income.
Paris’ FSAE background definitely shows in her work and, yes, it’s a big reason why we hired her. (Plus she’s very nice.)
SWGuru said:For many teams, the time to build and test their car before competition is a lot less than 365 days. Many start with the school year around September, and with Detroit competition in May, teams only have 9 months, not 12. That is why some teams do a two school year program, with initial design in students junior year, then build and test during senior year.
In terms of straight school time most teams do have that 9 months, but alot of teams hold meetings during the summer to create plans and begin design work the second they finish their last event in Michigan and sometimes even before that. That is how my old team operates. I do know some teams who also do two year car cycles, one for testing and one for fine tuning, normally just depends on the school in combination with the size of the team.
In reply to RacetruckRon :
Baja is a sick program as well! Florida has two active Baja teams, Embry-Riddle and UCF!
I did Baja and it was the highlight of my college experience. All of the SAE student competitions are great. I know there is friendly rivalry between the different contest but every one of them gives those students a huge advantage in the job market.
In reply to RacetruckRon :
There was a 2-3 year time frame where USF used the same chassis to compete in both Baja and FSAE. Longer A-arms and different shocks and springs
Mr_Asa said:In reply to RacetruckRon :
There was a 2-3 year time frame where USF used the same chassis to compete in both Baja and FSAE. Longer A-arms and different shocks and springs
Efficiency in design!
Seriously, so glad to see these opportunities exist. When I was in school, I had a photo professor who didn’t consider motorsports a sport. Learn how to build a race car on campus? I couldn’t even imagine it. We didn’t even have an engineering school. I knew one other kid on campus who knew the way to Road Atlanta.
Today, University of Georgia has a motorsports program that runs in both FSAE and ChampCar. In fact, we ran an article on the ChampCar effort.
Very happy to see these programs exist, and I have a feeling you’ll see more FSAE content from us in the future. :)
I tried to start one where I got my bachelors and because I did was not seeking a engineering degree it didn't get any support. One of the schools I worked for had a SAE Baja, I left before the chance to see it. Is there any reason why they are so truncated and don't fit the specs of a modern formula car (F3 ect..)? I also saw a group in Septermber at Pittrace with a SAE, I am not sure if it was Pitt or another school, but the suprisingly had a big group.
trigun7469 said:Is there any reason why they are so truncated and don't fit the specs of a modern formula car (F3 ect..)?
Honestly, its hard enough to get a small one built and hauled up to Michigan. Money, materials, manpower, all the physical aspects of getting it built, it would probably bump it up an order of magnitude to go with the specs of a modern formula car.
And at that point you're also providing a template for a team to directly copy off an existing design. FSAE is, first and foremost, an engineering competition. There's much less engineering when you can copy.
SuperfastMatt's FSAE "auto" biography
Mr_Asa said:trigun7469 said:Is there any reason why they are so truncated and don't fit the specs of a modern formula car (F3 ect..)?
Honestly, its hard enough to get a small one built and hauled up to Michigan. Money, materials, manpower, all the physical aspects of getting it built, it would probably bump it up an order of magnitude to go with the specs of a modern formula car.
And at that point you're also providing a template for a team to directly copy off an existing design. FSAE is, first and foremost, an engineering competition. There's much less engineering when you can copy.
I always kinda wondered the same thing as trigun, so thanx for the answer. It makes a lot of sense, since the only "comparable" to a FSAE chassis would be F-500, or maybe a shifter-kart, neither of which would offer a lot of transfer to a FSAE.
How does the driver's legs fit inside that thing?
VolvoHeretic said:How does the driver's legs fit inside that thing?
Generally, with about a pound of butter.
Spec, off the top of my head and provided it hasn't changed, is that it must fit the 95th percentile of males
https://www.fswiki.us/Percy#:~:text=4%20Priscilla-,Who%20is%20Percy%3F,percentile%20male...%E2%80%9D.
In addition to that, all registered drivers must be able to go from a fully buckled and race position to out of the car within 10 seconds. I was able to do it looking like I did in the pictures above and I'm 6'1"
Here is the USF Racing 2019 car
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