Auburn Student Teams wrap up competitive season

It was a successful year for Auburn University's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering War Eagle Motorsports student racing teams. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Auburn University Mini Baja (AUMB) and Auburn Lady Tigers Mini Baja (ALTMB), Formula SAE and Sol of Auburn teams turned in solid performances at the 2005 competitions. The events challenge teams of university students from around the world to design, build and race a specialty vehicle for competition against a field of international competitors.

Baja

The Baja teams competed in three regional SAE Mini Baja competitions — East, West, and Midwest. They started the season at the East competition in Palmyra, N.Y. May 5-7. AUMB, capturing second overall out of 71 teams, placed in the top 10 in every event and won land maneuverability. The rookie ALTMB team overcame seemingly endless breakdowns during the endurance race to complete every event, place 42nd overall and seventh in acceleration.

According to Peter Jones, mechanical engineering faculty member and advisor to the Baja and Formula teams, this year's AUMB vehicle was "structurally elegant, efficiently powered, buoyant and handled superbly, ran almost flawlessly and was magnificently raced by a team of veterans and very promising newcomers."

At Mini Baja 100/West in Green Valley, Ariz. June 1-4, teams challenged sand and rocks in a 100-mile endurance race commemorating the 100th anniversary of the SAE. AUMB placed third out of 131 teams in the endurance race and eighth overall — the team's highest-ever placement at West. ALTMB struggled with drivetrain problems but held onto an 84th place in both endurance and overall.

Troy, Ohio was the site of Mini Baja Midwest, the largest of the three competitions, as the entry cap of 143 teams — including entries from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, Korea, Mexico, Venezuela and the three U.S. coasts — came together June 16-19. AUMB won the endurance race and took sixth place overall. ALTMB completed every event and placed 81st overall.

"The Lady Tigers began the season with only one veteran," adds Jones, "but was able to make a machine that works. Having a team with virtually all new members is exciting. Those students who start fresh together learn the most, and next year can be a benchmark year for the ladies' team."

Auburn will host Mini Baja East 2006 April 13-15 — the first SAE competition ever in Alabama — with a new course being built at the National Center for Asphalt Technology in nearby Opelika on which the 100-mile endurance race will take place. Static events will include cost report, design report and design evaluation. Short dynamic events will include acceleration, log pull, land maneuverability, water maneuverability and suspension and traction. To volunteer for this event please contact Peter Jones at pjones@eng.auburn.edu.

Formula

The Formula team faced the bumps and shocks of a rebuilding year at the annual competition in Pontiac, Mich. May 18-22, placing 47th overall out of 140 teams. The team was on its way to a highly credible finish when the car would not start after a driver change during the endurance race. Because repairs are not allowed during Formula SAE events, what was ultimately diagnosed as a problem in the engine management system caused the team to lose 40 percent of the available points.

"The Formula team lost all but one member after last year," says Jones. "But it built such a good infrastructure that, if not for engine problems, it should have driven away with a top 10 finish."

Solar car

The Sol of Auburn solar car team competed in the May 15-20 Formula Sun Grand Prix at Heartland Park Raceway in Topeka, placing second in stock class, third overall out of 30 teams, receiving the safety award and qualifying for the 2,500-mile North American Solar Challenge (NASC) — the world's longest solar-powered car race — July 17-27 from Austin to Calgary.

Auburn's entry in the NASC tested its ability to journey across eight U.S. states and three Canadian provinces using only the power of the sun. The NASC is the sixth cross-country race for the solar car team and the first to cross international borders. Averaging more than 34 mph and 300 miles per day on every full day of racing, the team finished fourth in stock class and 12th overall out of a field of 30.

"Out of the 42 teams that registered for the Grand Prix, 32 attempted to qualify for the NASC in May. Four more dropped out before the final NASC qualification in July, and only 20 made it through the safety and performance evaluations to make it to the start," explains Sushil Bhavnani, mechanical engineering faculty member and team advisor. "Two teams did not make it past the first day of the event and of the remaining 18, only 14 teams, including the Sol of Auburn, were able to drive every mile of the race without breaking down. This illustrates the challenge of building a vehicle capable of driving at highway speeds in the world's longest race on less power than is used to run a hair dryer!"

Adds Jones, "The most significant lessons students learn in these competitions is how to be proactive and propose solutions to problems. In class students are given problems in ideal situations, but competitions are real-life situations. There are not always simple answers. Students come away much more complete engineers and more complete people."

• A memorable race, courtesy of the rays