2004 FSAE - The Best Yet!

[UTA racer rikki]

Eddie,

Well, as a somewhat avid SCCA Autocross participant the change in the course at competition reflected a more traditional course layout at a weekend autocross. The courses are generally more open to accomodate cars with doors. The only reason I can think of for why they didn't have a traditional slalom in the endurance is for course worker reasons. Slaloms, generally speaking, seem to be the cones that will get knocked over the most (or moved). Lots of cars, slaloms, and course workers don't make for good safety. The course workers would have 15 seconds, provided the next car wasn't catching up, to get to the cone, reset it, and get out of the way.

My say is, coming from the Autocrossing background, that you will never know the layout of the course until the day you show up to compete. If your car requires a major setup change from high speed course to low speed course then how does that fit the object of the weekend autocrosser??? I do wish, however, we had more than ten minutes to attempt to memorize the track. I saw posted somewhere about 12 hours to setup the car, prepare drivers, etc. but that is excessive. I would ask for about an hour tops to walk the track, but given the schedule that SAE has to keep, I understand the decision there.

If you read the rules, it never says that there will be a tight track. It defines the minimums of turn radius and things of that nature, but never any maximums.

Another benefit of the course layout might be, because I didn't get to drive it, is that it was less exhausting. In my opinion, tight tracks require a lot of work on the driver's part and can really wear you out. What was everyone's feelings getting out of the car at the driver change??? Were the enduro drivers as exhausted as courses past???

All in all, I think change is good. And uninformed change is a challenge. Lots of teams in Formula SAE are in a rut. This course change requires teams to think about the what if they change the course scenario. More options on designs, setups, and tuning are going to require new ideas and designs.

I say thanks for the change, and not just because we have an aero car.

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

have to mention how cool UTA's carbon fiber rims were, soooo light and so sweet for being made in house. so when will you be taking orders for our next years car????
Mike Duwe
UW-P Drivetrain leader

[UTA racer rikki]

Mike,

Feel free to order. But as far as I know, the guaranteed delivery date will be at least a week after the 2005 event.

Thanks for the compliment Mike. A couple of years in the making, the carbon wheels seemed to be a big hit. Darn things detracted from all the work I did for the Aero package this year. Who knows, maybe that's a good thing.

We actually planned to have them last year for 2003. Scheduling and lack of manpower unfortunately kept the project from becoming a reality. One of the things we got hit for in the design event in 2003 for not actually having on the car. It all worked out in the end though and gave us some extra time to work out all the bugs in the manufacturing process (essentially took a full year in itself).

After we finished the first wheel and mounted a tire on it, I think we spent an hour drooling over it and around the car. We put it in place of one of the front wheels and just stopped to think about what everyone else would think of it.

Anyways, I am beginning to think I talk too much.