Endurance Day

Saturday was the day of the final event, the endurance event. Two drivers must complete 14 laps each around the course and the amount of fuel used is also scored at the end.

The team arrived at the track very early to set up the car and hopefully get some testing time in before the event. The University of Minnesota car was scheduled to run in the middle of the afternoon.

Suspension was quickly set up the way we wanted but a slow oil leak became apparent and needed a lot of time to be fixed. Even a slow leak is enough to disqualify a team from a dynamic event. The leak was fixed and the car was taken to the practice area for testing before the race. A problem with suspension travel led to one of the axles jumping out of the tripod cup on the suspension upright side and shearing off the turnbuckles. The team rushed back to the paddock, repaired the axle, and put a suspension stop in to limit the travel. The car was run in the practice area again and the suspension travel was maxed out the opposite way and a rod end was sheared off. By this point, time did not permit another repair and the team had to deal with another tough break.

Overall, the team worked extremely well together throughout the day and spirits were high despite disappointments in all the dynamic events. Everybody learned a lot and walked away with extensive knowledge about how to design a race car and what it takes to excel.

At the end of the day, we took advantage of the onsite chasis dynomometer at were able to get power curve data for power to the rear wheels, which is different form our engine dyno in which we read power to the crankshaft. Our engine was one of the most powerful engines of the week.

First Day of Dynamic Events

Today the acceleration and skidpad took place in the morning and the autocross in the afternoon.

Early in the morning, the team arrived at the track after a few members put in a lot of time last night fixing the engine issues we have been having. It turns out that a cam bolt came loose. Time in the morning was spent setting up suspension. The car ran well in the morning when we had to pass the brakes and noise check. All wheels must lock up and skid in order to pass the brake check. However, during the brake check, a linkage buckled and had to be repaired. With that repair, we were quickly able to pass the test.

Unfortunately, all the problems encountered in the morning took a lot of precious time to correct. We came just barely short of time in the morning to make it to the acceleration and skidpad events so we had to forfeit the event scores. The team worked well and efficiently but too many problems needed correction and time ran out. It is unfortunate because a top 10 finish in acceleration was very possible and a good score in skidpad was within reach.

In the afternoon, suspension was set up for autocross. The car was at the starting line when the motor quit and could not be started again. Troubleshooting the problem revealed that there was a fuel system issue. A fuel line was used that was not rated correctly and it failed. Since time was running out in the day, a very quick fix was implemented that was supposed just get the car around the track and get a score. Again, the engine quit on the starting line and would not start up. The time was running out at this point and the event was closing so we were not able to get a score for autocross either.

In summary, the team did not score any points in the three dynamic events held today but the team worked extremely efficiently and well together. There were many unforeseen problems encountered that just could not be corrected in time.

Tomorrow the endurance event will be held. The car is running well as of now and has the ability to make a strong finish. We will start at the end of the afternoon heat of cars. The team is planning on arriving very early in the morning in order to get plenty of time to tune and test beforehand. Confidence is high for the competition's final event tomorrow.

Tech Inspection, Design, Cost, and Marketing Events

Today the team got a lot accomplished!

Early in the morning, the team arrived at the track and went through the technical inspection. The car was inspected by SAE judges to make sure the car is safe and follows all the rules. After two minor changes, the car passed easily. As part of this process, it was verified that all drivers are able to egress from the cockpit and have both feet on the ground in less that 5 seconds when fully belted in.

Next, the car went off to the cost event. We were able to recover some points that were originally deducted and got a perfect score on the cost reduction scenario.

Soon after, the marketing presentation turned out very successful. Our business plan of producing 1000 cars per year marketable to weekend autocross racers was presented to "potential investors."

The last event of the day was the design event. Our design was judged by industry professionals prodding, pushing on things, and asking detailed questions about the design and construction of the car. The team was confident and provided some good answers.

At the end of the day, the engine team continued troubleshooting an engine problem that developed in the last day. The problem was found near the end of the day so we decided to take the car back to our house and repair it over night.

Tomorrow should be a busy day. The team must get checked off again at a technical inspection because the car was taken home from the track. Then we must pass the brake and noise check before we compete in the morning acceleration and skidpad events. Then in the afternoon, we will compete in the autocross event that also determines the starting order for the Saturday endurance event.

After a relatively slow start to competition, the team has picked up a lot of momentum in the last day and is operating very well!

Last Minute Details and Registration

Monday night the team arrived in Brooklyn, MI for the 2010 Formula SAE Competition. The team is renting a cottage on Wampler Lake that can sleep all 21 of us and right now is being used as a paddock to prepare the 2010 car for tech inspection.

The day started early for everyone. The van left at 8 for Michigan International Speedway to register and locate our paddock for competition. In a short amount of time the team was back at the cottage and the car unpacked from the

trailer. Much work had to be done and done early.

The bodywork was prepped, primed, and painted. The differential was reassembled and teched. Fittings were checked. Floor plates and shock covers were installed. Finally the wiring is being double checked and tested while the engine is being prepped to run in the next few minutes.

The team is working hard and spirits are still very good right now.

Stay tuned for more!

Travel Day

The team departed campus this morning after a long night of preparation. The drive over went well and the team is now settled in a rented vacation home about 6 miles from the track. The body work was popped off the molds last night and is currently being painted tonight.

The plan for tomorrow is to wake up early, get to the track, and register the team before there is a big rush and we lose time in the paddock area. Body work needs to be fitted quick and the team will be ready to try to pass the technical inspection early.

More final exams will be taken remotely tomorrow thanks to the cooperation of the professors on campus.

Last Minute Testing and Preparation for Departure

Today was a very busy day for the team. Many team members were busy taking final examinations that were rescheduled for today due to the competition falling over most of finals week.

The rest of the team was able to test drive the car in a parking lot to reveal any potential problems we may encounter in running the dynamic events. A lot of useful information was collected.

Tonight, the team is putting the finishing touches on bodywork and correcting potential problems found during testing.

The plan is to depart the Mechanical Engineering building at 6am tomorrow morning.

Preparing to Depart to Michigan

The team is very busy studying for finals and preparing to leave for competition on Tuesday morning, May 11. The competition is from May 12 - May 15. More information on the competition itself cam be found at http://students.sae.org/competitions/formulaseries/fsae/.

Currently team members are working around the clock to ensure we are bringing the best car we can to competition. Test driving will be taking place Monday before we leave to train drivers and shake down the car.

Daily updates will continue up until the end of competition.