Photo from the Missouri S&T Formula SAE team Twitter. See https://twitter.com/SandT_Racing.

Missouri University of Science and Technology’s Formula SAE team earned 15th place at Formula SAE-Michigan, a national student design competition sponsored by SAE International. Missouri S&T’s team competed against 110 other teams from around the world.

The competition, held May 13-16, at the Michigan International Speedway, challenged students to design, build and operate small-scale Formula One-style racecars. Missouri S&T earned fourth place in skid-pad, sixth in autocross and eighth in its business presentation.

Students had to present a budget report and the engineering principles behind the car’s design to a panel of industry experts. Teams also competed in four dynamic events.

A skid-pad event tested the car’s turning and cornering on a figure-eight-shaped course. An acceleration test measured the car’s acceleration over a short distance. A one-lap autocross event proved the car’s maneuverability on a tight course and determined the starting order for the final event – an endurance race to prove durability. In the endurance race, the car had to withstand the stress of long-term driving at elevated speeds over the 2-mile-long course. Each race was timed to rank the teams; none of the events were head-to-head races.

Missouri S&T’s car features a modified Kawasaki engine that can produce up to 91 horsepower for the 450-pound vehicle. The car is estimated to travel from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. Its custom aerodynamics package produces a large amount of downward force and is designed to help the tires grip the track better. The car has undergone 10 hours of wind tunnel testing to help the team plan the aerodynamics package.

Missouri S&T’s Formula SAE team will next compete June 17-20 at Formula SAE-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Zac Brown, a senior in mechanical engineering from Eolia, Missouri, is the Formula SAE team leader. Dr. Hank Pernicka, associate professor of aerospace engineering at Missouri S&T, is the Formula SAE Team’s faculty advisor. For more information about the event, visit students.sae.org.

The following students are part of the Formula SAE team:

Caleb Alne, a junior in mechanical engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Mason Auch, a freshman in engineering management from Kansas City, Missouri

Ian Beckler, a freshman in nuclear engineering from Peoria, Illinois

Zac Brown, a senior in mechanical engineering from Eolia, Missouri

Lucas Day, a junior in mechanical engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Taylor Dieckmann, a senior in mechanical engineering from Odessa, Missouri

Chris English, a freshman in mechanical engineering from Florissant, Missouri

Francisco Gallardo, a junior in mechanical engineering from Branson, Missouri

Jacob Greek, a freshman in aerospace engineering from Dora, Missouri

Deven Head, a junior in mechanical engineering from Aurora, Missouri

Max Hillermann, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from Washington, Missouri

Xavier Hoffman, a freshman in mechanical engineering from Troy, Illinois

Skylar Knoll, a junior in mechanical engineering from Washburn, Missouri

Lucas Krenitsky, a sophomore in engineering from Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Cooper Lehr, a junior in mechanical engineering from Weatherby Lake, Missouri

David Long, a 2015 mechanical engineering graduate from Lawrence, Kansas

Brad Macias, a senior in mechanical engineering from Kansas City, Missouri

Jason Martin, a senior in mechanical engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Mike Mason, a senior in mechanical engineering from St. Charles, Missouri

Andrew McClard, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from Bolivar, Missouri

Drew McNeely, a senior in mechanical engineering from Houston

Alex Mills, a senior in petroleum engineering from Springfield, Missouri

Alec Mueller, a senior in mechanical engineering from Union, Missouri

Charlie Phillips, a senior in electrical engineering from St. Charles, Missouri

Hans Pommerenke, a sophomore in ceramic engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Mohammad Qasim, a senior in mechanical engineering from Ellisville, Missouri

Nick Reuther, a junior in mechanical engineering from St. Charles, Missouri

Kyle Robertson, a freshman in electrical engineering from Edwardsville, Illinois

Franco Santa-Maria, a senior in computer engineering from Bridgeton, Missouri

Peter Somers, a senior in mechanical engineering from Springfield, Missouri

Ryan Spencer, a senior in mechanical engineering from Hillsboro, Missouri

Mark Welty, a 2015 mechanical engineering graduate from Florissant, Missouri

Bryce Whitworth, a senior in mechanical engineering from St. Charles, Missouri.