UA’s Formula SAE Car Ready to Race

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – “Vroom, vroom” is the sound 20 University of Alabama Society of Automotive Engineers members love to hear when they rev the engine of their Formula SAE car in preparation for an international competition in Detroit, Mich., May 18-22.

The competition challenges Society of Automotive Engineers student members to conceive, design, fabricate and compete with small formula-style racing cars. The cars are built with a team effort over a one-year period, and are taken to the annual competition for judging and comparison with approximately 140 other vehicles from colleges and universities around the world.

“This competition is a great opportunity for our students to gain the experience needed to land their first job, and since these students have worked many long hours to make this car a success, I know they will do well at the competition,” said Dr. William Sutton, professor and head of mechanical engineering, and faculty adviser to the SAE student chapter.

“Each year a new car must be built for the competition,” said Matt Moody, team leader and a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “Having the 2004 car has really helped us to see what improvements we can make on the 2005 model.”

The students are to assume that a manufacturing firm has engaged them to produce a prototype car for evaluation as a production item. The intended sales market is the nonprofessional weekend autocross racer. Therefore, the car must have high performance in terms of its acceleration, braking, and handling qualities. The car also must be low in cost, easy to maintain, and reliable.

The cars are judged in a series of static and dynamic events including: technical inspection, cost, presentation, engineering design, solo performance trials and high performance track endurance.

In 1837, UA became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering, with about 1,900 students and more than 95 faculty, is one of the three oldest continuously operating engineering programs in the country and has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.

Note to Editors: UA’s Formula SAE team will demonstrate the car’s capabilities with a practice session in the parking lot near Hackberry Lane, across from the new Residence Hall Complex, Thursday, May 12 at 1 p.m.