2004 FSAE - The Best Yet!

[Denny Trimble]

Here are some of my good memories from the 2004 US event:

-A Real Autocross Track! Well, we didn't reach 80mph in 4th gear like we do here at home, but it was just about as bumpy as what we're used to. This is reality, folks. Take your car to an SCCA event (Nationals!) and you'll see what I mean. I'm slightly bummed my autocross runs got rained out, but hey, that's life in Pontiac in May.

-Finishing Endurance! I was able to let out a breath I'd been holding since last May.

-Meeting all the people I talk with on the forum, and new acquaintances too! Charlie from Auburn, Sam from Idaho, Eddie from Wollongong, Erick and the UTA crew, Matt (I think) from Cornell, Josh and the New Mexico guys (and gal), and more (sorry, the beer's gettin' to me after my delaaaayed flight home).

-Discovering that Wollongong had come up with the same spoke pattern as I had for our wheels... completely independently! We had a pretty good laugh about that one.

-One-on-one with Claude in the design semis, with my entire team hanging on every word, then the hushed "awwwwww" of a golf crowd after a missed putt... but I wasn't the only one to miss it, and it wasn't easy!

-Hangin' out with the Western Washington guys for the Motec seminar, and learning where they get all that crazy creativity... "let's make every part on the car cooler than anything else that's been done..."

-Seeing the great ideas on every car out there, and watching every team put in an effort to be proud of, from the experienced teams (who ran smoothly or not), to the new ones who spent hours asking smart questions to the top teams.

-Sitting through 14 hours of the Motec seminar on Tuesday alone, asking a complicated question, having Claude say "if we run late, it's his fault", then promptly being hit in the back with a crumpled up piece of paper.

-Having 23 pages of notes from that seminar, with about 2 years' worth of testing and calculations to do, just to cover the big ideas.

-Being congratulated by Jay O'Connell for having "the most impressive design report"

-Learning that MoTeC supports Anti-Lag... but Cornell has it already on their custom ECU anyway...

-Oh yeah, and brining home our second 5th-place trophy!

I think Claude Rouelle said something really important at the end of his seminar. To paraphrase, "It's not about how you finished, it's about the process you went through. So remember everything you learned, all the hard work you put in this year, and focus on doing the best you can every day in the future." Or something like that. Because one year of effort for a single event is enough pressure to make anybody's head explode.

[Denny Trimble]

Here are some of my good memories from the 2004 US event:

-A Real Autocross Track! Well, we didn't reach 80mph in 4th gear like we do here at home, but it was just about as bumpy as what we're used to. This is reality, folks. Take your car to an SCCA event (Nationals!) and you'll see what I mean. I'm slightly bummed my autocross runs got rained out, but hey, that's life in Pontiac in May.

-Finishing Endurance! I was able to let out a breath I'd been holding since last May.

-Meeting all the people I talk with on the forum, and new acquaintances too! Charlie from Auburn, Sam from Idaho, Eddie from Wollongong, Erick and the UTA crew, Matt (I think) from Cornell, Josh and the New Mexico guys (and gal), and more (sorry, the beer's gettin' to me after my delaaaayed flight home).

-Discovering that Wollongong had come up with the same spoke pattern as I had for our wheels... completely independently! We had a pretty good laugh about that one.

-One-on-one with Claude in the design semis, with my entire team hanging on every word, then the hushed "awwwwww" of a golf crowd after a missed putt... but I wasn't the only one to miss it, and it wasn't easy!

-Hangin' out with the Western Washington guys for the Motec seminar, and learning where they get all that crazy creativity... "let's make every part on the car cooler than anything else that's been done..."

-Seeing the great ideas on every car out there, and watching every team put in an effort to be proud of, from the experienced teams (who ran smoothly or not), to the new ones who spent hours asking smart questions to the top teams.

-Sitting through 14 hours of the Motec seminar on Tuesday alone, asking a complicated question, having Claude say "if we run late, it's his fault", then promptly being hit in the back with a crumpled up piece of paper.

-Having 23 pages of notes from that seminar, with about 2 years' worth of testing and calculations to do, just to cover the big ideas.

-Being congratulated by Jay O'Connell for having "the most impressive design report"

-Learning that MoTeC supports Anti-Lag... but Cornell has it already on their custom ECU anyway...

-Oh yeah, and brining home our second 5th-place trophy!

I think Claude Rouelle said something really important at the end of his seminar. To paraphrase, "It's not about how you finished, it's about the process you went through. So remember everything you learned, all the hard work you put in this year, and focus on doing the best you can every day in the future." Or something like that. Because one year of effort for a single event is enough pressure to make anybody's head explode.

[Wizard]

FYI- it was a sugar packet, the crumpled piece of paper didn't have the "magic number" we were looking for.

[Charlie]

This was my fifth competition, and though I can't say that I've ever really followed the top scorers through the event before (never had reason to ), it sure seemed like there were more schools in competition for the big prize this year.

When scores were posted late Friday night, they were SO close between many teams. And we knew that Cornell would be hard to beat, but as far as the rest went, I remember thinking, 'shit, we better show up tomorrow and make no mistakes'. And, mostly, we did. But that competition closeness really got the adrenaline flowing.

I liked the course changes, though I can feel for some teams that went for manuevarbility and found a course a lot less restrictive than in the past. I also liked change for change's sake, I think it helped us and other teams with little testing & driving time.

It was nice meeting people who've I've exchanged emails with and talked to on the board. It makes you feel better to know others are working as hard as you are, with the same insane hours and have some of the same crazy ideas. Of course, I know I am still crazy, but it does make me feel better.

This might seem selfish but the best part for me this year is when we'd roll out the car and it would attract attention. For whatever reason we'd have the car sitting out and people would gather around it and take pictures, ask questions, etc. Like it was something worth looking at. This is really the first year I've felt like people wanted to look at our car. When I joined the team we had little to work with, no tools, not even a shop PC, and to think that our team is at a high level now (like UTA or RIT was when I got started) is mind blowing, and makes all these years seem a bit more worthwhile.

Its my last car, and I have no regrets! Well I still have a few loose ends to tie up for our 2005 Powertrain...

[Denny Trimble]

Oh yeah, another trend:
2002, UW ties for 6th in design
2003, UW ties for 5th in design
2004, UW ties for 4th in design

what next?

[Charlie]

Well they've got to have at least 3 in the finals. Because they give design awards to the top 3. Maybe you'll make it next year?

We were in the 'not quite good enough for finals' group the last 2 years also. I heard a few judges say the cars were on average much better but less cars stood out this year.

[jack]

LOL wizard...sugar packet's got 63%?

sweet...

[Chase]

here's an interesting trend that i hope our majority new team can hold up to in 2005
5th at 2003 Detroit, 4th at 2003 Australia, 3rd at 2004 Detroit, hmmm time will tell...
2005 Brakes/Cooling Auburn

[Chris Boyden]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I think Claude Rouelle said something really important at the end of his seminar. To paraphrase, "It's not about how you finished, it's about the process you went through. So remember everything you learned, all the hard work you put in this year, and focus on doing the best you can every day in the future." Or something like that. Because one year of effort for a single event is enough pressure to make anybody's head explode <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Amen to that.

Chris

[Chase]

you know I enjoyed the format of Claude's seminar and still wonder why more of the Thousands of FSAE students can't afford the, now measly 230 bucks to listen to him explain vehicle dynamics, learn about MoTeC, get this huge book full of information, listen to and take note on what he is looking for in the years to come, and listen to his funny jokes(videos,pictures,stories, etc.) We should be so lucky. The way he describes vehicle dynamics to you in the most detailed and understandable way I could ever imagine is worth it on it's own. I haven't taken any level of vehicle dynamics and yet I feel as if I have a better grasp on how things work and I know where to go searching for a better clarification if the need arises. Detroit was an excellent learning atmosphere for me.I have only been on the team for the majority of a year so this was my first experience there. I learned that teams vary greatly; as far as a teams drive to succeed, thier level of organization and preparation. Some teams showed me that enthusiasm was key to the amount of success they could have. I was dissapointed in some of the teams who knew they had things that had to be done, to pass tech or get to a certain event, but left early for some unknown or pitiful reason. A true fsae team, in my opinion will work on the car until they can't anymore. True there is down time when everyone needs a break, but that is usually in June. If your team was one of those who didn't seem to have a care in the world make a note to yourself to change that and work on improving moral. Yes i was lucky enough to join a team that has already experienced success, but even if i was on one of those teams that knew before they left that they probably wouldn't get far or was a first time team i would have still tried my best. Yes I am saying that the harder it is to get a top finish the better and more rewarding it is when you get it.
Maybe I rambled a bit please don't take offense to my posting. Detroit was by far the best experience I have EVER had anywhere.