UA Mechanical Engineering Students Prepare Vehicles for SAE Competitions

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – What makes members of The University of Alabama’s Society of Automotive Engineers teams more skilled than NASCAR drivers? UA’s SAE teams not only drive, but they also design, build, test and race their team’s vehicles.

The Society of Automotive Engineers competitions challenge collegiate teams, including UA’s SAE formula team and Crimson GRITS (Girls Racing In The South), to assume that a manufacturing company has asked them to design, fabricate and demonstrate a prototype car for evaluation as a production item.  The premise behind the design competition is to tackle real world problems and to challenge students to reason and resolve issues just as project team members do in the automotive industry.

UA’s all-female team, the Crimson GRITS, will compete at Auburn’s National Center for Asphalt Technology in Opelika, April 16-19, and at the MGA Research Corp. Proving Grounds in Burlington, Wis., June 11-14.

Baja is an intercollegiate engineering design competition that offers students opportunity to tackle real-world engineering design projects though the design of an off-road vehicle that can survive the severe punishment of rough terrain and water. Competition judging will be based upon a technical inspection

UA’s SAE formula team will compete in two events, one competition at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., April 22-25, and at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., May 13-16.

Since last summer, students have planned, designed and constructed an open-wheeled, formula-style racer. The vehicle will be judged, along with vehicles from 140 other colleges and universities, on the design, sales presentation, cost event, autocross, endurance and acceleration.

“I really enjoy seeing all of the members of this team learn and develop real, hands-on engineering skills,” said Kyle Aldridge, the SAE formula team captain and a junior in mechanical engineering. “Many students go through engineering without seeing real-world applications, but we get to see a design on the computer come to life as we build many hand-made parts for our race car.”

Students must function as a team to not only design, build, test, promote and race a vehicle within the limits of the rules, but they must also generate financial support for their project and manage their educational priorities.

UA mechanical engineering students preparing for the SAE competitions include:

• Kyle Aldridge, a junior mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Paul Bennet, a senior mechanical engineering student from Houston, Texas
• Sterlin Cochran, a sophomore mechanical engineering student from Millry
• Tanisha Daniels, a senior mechanical engineering student from Buffalo, N.Y.
• Troy Dent, a graduate mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Lindsey Horton, a junior mechanical engineering student from Vestavia Hills
• Andrew Gilbert, a junior mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Andrew Greff, a junior mechanical engineering student from Sugar Land, Texas
• Sam Hathcock, a sophomore mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Christina Ibrahim, a senior mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Travis Kennedy, a senior mechanical engineering student from Haleyville
• Kim Kosta, a sophomore computer science student from Fairfax, Va.
• Josh Marshall, a freshman engineering student from Anniston
• Lee Matala, a freshman mechanical engineering student from Madison
• Tyler O’Brien, a junior mechanical engineering student from Andalusia
• Jeff Scheurer, a senior mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Kyran Smithson, sophomore mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Joshua Tolbert, a junior mechanical engineering student from Arley
• Matt Westberry, a junior mechanical engineering student from Tuscaloosa
• Billy White, a junior mechanical engineering student from Enterprise
• Doug Youngman, a junior mechanical engineering student from New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

The Society of Automotive Engineers is a non-profit engineering and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of mobility technology to better serve humanity.  The organization focuses on standards development and promotes the testing, measurement and design of automobiles and their components.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 2,300 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.

Media Demonstration: The baja team will demonstrate the vehicle April 15 at 1 p.m. in the lot off Campus Drive near the soccer fields.