MSU formula racing sets team best at international competition
June 30, 2014
STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Bagley College of Engineering’s formula race team reached a new high for its vehicle design at an international competition last month.
The team earned a personal high of 80 points in the design portion of the Society of Automotive Engineers formula racing competition at the Michigan International Speedway. The team finished 57 out of the 108 cars that completed the multiday competition.
The objective for each team is to successfully design, build and test an open-wheeled racecar while following competition rules regarding budget and operations.
“Our goal last season was to refine the previous car’s design by focusing on light-weighting components while maintaining durability and adjustability so that everyone can comfortably drive the car,” team member Brandon Warner said.
The teams are judged on their performance in static events, such as design and cost presentations, and dynamic events, such as acceleration, autocross, skid-pad and endurance.
Team leader Dash Robinson said the team’s vehicle performed well during the first two days of competition despite track conditions that were less than ideal. The team’s performance during early dynamic events earned Mississippi State a position in the fast-pack endurance group. However, after averaging 77.8 second per lap, the car failed to restart following a driver change resulting in lower scores for endurance and efficiency.
Robinson said the team found no mechanical issues with the car. Instead, low battery voltage that prevented the vehicle from cranking.
“There are two reasons we could have ended up with a dead battery,” Robinson said. “We are going to fix the issue and do much more testing this summer to ensure it does not happen again.”
Had the team been able to finish at the pace it set in early runs, Robinson reports that the team could have improved its final ranking by at least 20 spots. With that in mind, Warner said the team is eager to begin working on its 2015 entry and working toward a historic finish for Mississippi State.
“We are working towards placing in the top 10 next year, but it will require a huge effort and commitment from every team member,” Warner said.
Mississippi State’s FSAE team includes both undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of majors. This year’s team members (by hometown):
BOLTON, Miss. — Joseph Gaddis, a senior in mechanical engineering
BYRAM, Miss. — Dash Robinson, team leader and a graduate student in in mechanical engineering
CALHOUN, Ga. — Joshua Denton, a senior in marketing
CANTON, Miss. — Paul Walker, a senior in political science
COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — Rebecca Lanning, a junior in mechanical engineering
COLUMBUS, Miss. — Blake Brown, a graduate student in mechanical engineering
DIAMONDHEAD, Miss. — Sean Flynn, a senior in computer engineering
FLORENCE, Miss. — Ricky Brown Jr., a senior in civil engineering
METAIRIE, La. — Conner Fournier, a sophomore in aerospace engineering
MONROE, Wash. — Nathan Alexander, a senior in biological engineering
MOSS POINT, Miss. – Brian Watson, a senior in mechanical engineering
OAKLAND, Miss. — Bradley Sanders, a sophomore in mechanical engineering
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. — Timothy Wilson, a senior in mechanical engineering
OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. —Bret Giles, a sophomore in mechanical engineering
SHERWOOD, Ark. — Tate Fonville, a junior in mechanical engineering
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Christopher Horstemeyer, a freshman in industrial technology; Jacob House, a research associate at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems; and Michelle Price, a senior in mechanical engineering
SOUTHHAVEN, Miss. — Cheyendrick Rainey, a junior in mechanical engineering
TUPELO, Miss. — Russell Hanby, a sophomore in mechanical engineering
More information on the Society of Automotive Engineers International’s Collegiate Design Series can be found at students.sae.org/cds.
More information on the BCoE can be found at www.bagley.msstate.edu.
By Amanda Meeler