NovaRacing Places 2nd Overall at Michigan International Speedway
In addition to placing second overall, the NovaRacing team took home trophies for fuel economy, endurance and acceleration.
The 草榴社区 Formula SAE team, NovaRacing, cruised to its best-ever finish this weekend in the annual competition at Michigan International Speedway, finishing second overall in a field of 99 collegiate teams from around the world.
NovaRacing鈥檚 car, which was built by more than 40 草榴社区 students over the past academic year, also took first place in fuel economy, second in endurance and third in acceleration while placing in the top 10 for design鈥攁 first for the team in its 13 appearances at the national Formula SAE competition. Twenty-eight 草榴社区 students, including four student drivers, traveled to Brooklyn, Mich., for the annual event, led by team co-captains Michael Blaney 鈥�22 ME and Christina Maffattone 鈥�22 ME.
Co-captains Christina Maffattone 鈥�22 ME and Michael Blaney 鈥�22 ME celebrate the team鈥檚 success.
Blaney said he couldn鈥檛 be prouder of the team than after this competition, in which NovaRacing finished as runner-up to the overall champion, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 鈥淥ur results are the culmination of 15-plus years of hard work, passion and dedication from team members,鈥� Blaney said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an incredible feeling to see NovaRacing succeed on such a high level of competition, and I know the best is still to come as the team continues to innovate and develop a superior vehicle year after year.鈥�
Sponsored by SAE International (formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers), Formula SAE competitions challenge student teams to design, build, test and demonstrate a formula-style racecar. The vehicle is then judged in several static and dynamic events, including cost, presentation, autocross and acceleration.
Although Formula SAE has its roots in engineering, as a University-level student organization, NovaRacing attracts members from across campus, including the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the 草榴社区 School of Business, in addition to the College of Engineering.
George Simmons, director of 草榴社区鈥檚 Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory who has traveled with NovaRacing to the Michigan competition since May 2011, said the team set a goal of a top-10 finish after placing 11th last year. 鈥淲e were shocked and amazed that we placed second,鈥� he said. 鈥淕etting this far is a testament to the team鈥檚 knowledge, planning, determination, attention to detail, hard work, team spirit and competitive nature.鈥�
Dr. Gerard 鈥淛erry鈥� Jones, a professor of Mechanical Engineering and NovaRacing鈥檚 advisor, acknowledged the support of the College of Engineering staff in helping the team achieve its success, especially Associate Director of Undergraduate Student Services and Program Operations Gayle Doyle, Mechanical Engineering Lab Manager Chris Townend and Mechanical Engineering Lab Technician Zack Nowosad. Another partner, Lockheed Martin Corp., has supported the team for numerous years by allowing students to practice at its facility in Valley Forge, Pa., at an annual cost of just $1.
Dr. Jones also praised the leadership of Blaney and Maffattone in guiding the NovaRacing team. In his last meeting with them before the Michigan event, the co-captains described their decision to use an older practice engine in competition as opposed to a new engine. Their reasoning? Mechanical things fail most often when they are very old or very young.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 want to chance a failing new engine, so they decided to use the one already in the car that was performing well at the time,鈥� Dr. Jones said. 鈥淭his was a smart, mature decision and the essence of a successful 草榴社区 Engineering education.
鈥淭hey make us proud.鈥�