UNM Formula SAE Racing Team Scores in Major Competition

UNM mechanical engineering students built and raced a small formula-style racing car in the 2008 Formula Society of Automotive Engineers West competition at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., placing in the top 20 in three major categories. This is one of seven international competitions that are part of the largest engineering competition in the world.

Eighty-three teams from around the world entered. The UNM School of Engineering team placed 8th in acceleration, 17th in design, 19th in marketing and 24th overall.

It was a year long effort by the student team to design, build, test, train and race the cars. “I am very proud of this year’s team. They were forced to make a major design change in late February, but still developed a highly competitive car,” said Mechanical Engineering Professor and Program Director John Russell.

The students’ racing effort may also translate into jobs. “Recruiters from Honda, Toyota, and GM sought out members of the team,” Russell said. “Earlier in the year, four UNM team members were among 22 hired by Honda R&D after an extensive interview process.” Russell added that in job interviews, students were asked what they would do in various situations. Instead of answering hypothetically, they were able to explain precisely what they did on the project.

Students on the team begin a three-semester, for-credit course to learn about racecar engineering in the spring semester of their junior year. First semester is dedicated to the academics of racecar design. In the fall, students build the car, and in the spring, they test it. They master the software required to design the car and manufacture almost all the parts. The class is an alternative to the required senior design project in Mechanical Engineering.

Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; email: kwent2@unm.edu