Early Registration?

[Eddie Martin]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by carcar:
It is a shame that UOW will not be returning to the states again. Maybe OU will come out there to spend sometime with you all. Remember we are keeping your garage warm while you are away.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hey Carly
Yeah it would be great for the team to go back but it is a completely new bunch of guys that need time to learn the ropes and going to the states hurts when it comes to building a new car.
After spending so many late nights working on the car in the OU garage you guys will always be welcome at our workshop. Hopefully you make it down to Oz in the next couple of years. If you keep crazy Greg under control and on track i'm sure you guys will do well.

Rob,
It was extremely clear to everyone that it was going to fill up that fast, i thought it would be full in about 30 minutes but i guess that is just the computer system. For the 2003 comp it took 3.5 months to fill up, 2004 took 8 days. Steve Daum made it very clear to everybody in the team captains meeting it would fill up quickly and what the situation would be when it got to 140. SAE can't do any more than that, they have been very transparent in the way they have gone about things.
Also if I was you Rob I wouldn't be hassling the poms about their food, people in glass houses.

Eddie Martin
UOW Racing Alumni

[B Dana]

This all sounds familar. At the University of Minnesota, we went through all of it last year. We finished 7th at FSAE '03, then we missed even registering for the 2004 event. Here were the stages of my reaction:

DENIAL - Can't be closed! it's only October!

DEAL MAKING WITH SAE - Maybe there is a waiting list? Some of those teams won't show so why can't we take their slot when they no-show?

ANGER - Smuther Nucker!

BLAMING OTHERS - This is our "home" comp; foreign teams are getting two comps and we can't even get to one! Stupid FSAE registration policy!

BRAVE FACE: We're keeping to the original schedule and how about Formula Student! It can't cost that much...

REALIZATION: We're getting nothing done here.

RATIONALIZATION: Two year design cycle is better anyway.

ACCEPTANCE: Nothing kept us from registering in time, we just didn't.

If you are still in the anger stage, ask yourself these questions:

Where does it say that participation in FSAE is a right?

Were the registaration rules unclear?

Did registration occur in accordance with the published rules?

In any case, for all the teams that did not make the 140, I feel your pain but don't be too hard on the organizers. They do an outstanding job every year.

Regards,

B. Dana

[rjwoods77]

I am new to the competition and new to the team. We had a stupid hangup with money. We will make the car anyway and try to compete somewhere. The scary thing is if this is the trend what will be done in the future. Are we all supposed to hinge this awesome learning experience based on who can speed dial?

[Chase]

A problem with picking up teams that couldn't make registration is that the ones that drop usually do so a few months before competition.
The problem with that is deadlines on certain reports and budgets etc. and to top that if a team were to get reregistered to Detroit and had already registered for Formula Student they would have to drop Formula Student or plan to go to both.

Also isn't there going to be a Formula SAE Brazil or something in the next year or so?

Maybe they could make a late deadline for reregistered teams, but you would still need those reports ready.

If they do allow such a thing to occur they would need to notify the teams who were up for consideration of being registering at an early date to be fair.

[James Waltman]

Looks like SAE sorted out the numbers.

From the list of registered teams at SAE.org:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> FYI: The numbering issue has been resolved. Please double-check your team registration for the revised car number. Thank you! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Ben Beacock]

yeah, we lost our nice 2-digit 53 for a beefy 120. less room for sponsors!
but anyways.. we should be lucky we even have a number.

[james17]

Just for the sake of conversation for those hoping to claim spots of teams that drop out, 140 registered last year and im almost positive 138 showwed up.

[Denny Trimble]

In the official results, 129 teams scored more than 0 points, and 134 were listed in total.

[Charlie]

So far I have not heard of any teams that were ready and prepared to register when registration opened, but couldn't get in. So while I feel badly for teams that are in shock now, it doesn't seem to be a situation that was unavoidable. Whoever was in charge just neglected to pay enough attention to deadlines.

I feel that SAE has been more than good to teams this year, by securing a SMALL percentage of spots for the best of the international teams (they deserve it! not just because they are good teams, but because they are dedicating a lot of time and resources just to get there), and securing the top ten to avoid something like UofMinn went through last year.

[Brent Howard]

B Dana,

If you finished 7th how did you miss registration as the top ten teams have spots held for them.

Brent