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Two Universities Duel for the Formula SAE Title

31 May 1998

Cornell and University of Texas-Arlington Duel for Formula SAE Title

    PONTIAC, Mich., May 31 -- Holding off a determined University
of Texas-Arlington team, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York repeated as the
Formula SAE(R) champion for 1998 at the Pontiac Superdome here today.
    The two schools engaged in a stubborn dogfight over the four-day contest,
but Cornell finally prevailed with a total score of 924.62 to 887.02 for UTA.
Formula SAE is a student design competition sponsored by Chrysler Corporation,
Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation and administered by the
Society of Automotive Engineers.
    Engineering students from more than 90 colleges and universities in the
U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Great Britain designed, built and tested
formula-style cars in seven different vents to determine the best vehicle.
    Cornell won the title in 1997, breaking UTA's dominance in the event for
the two previous years.  The two schools have accounted for nine Formula SAE
wins in the 18-year history of the event.
    Cornell carried a slim 40-point lead into the final event, even though the
Ivy League school had perfect scores in four of the six previous events.  The
endurance-economy event, which tests the reliability and fuel economy of the
cars, would decide the victor in the contest.
    In the morning heat of 24 laps totaling 22 kilometers (13.66 miles),
Cornell established a 30-second advantage over the blue and red Texas car.
However, a determined UTA came charging back in the afternoon, setting the
best time for the entire event.  But it was not enough.  Although the Texas
car won the second heat by more than a minute, the final event score put
Cornell in the lead by six points.
    The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio finished third overall with 804.45
points, followed by the University of Missouri - Rolla with 768.04 points.
    Formula SAE is one of eight student design competitions, sponsored by the
Society of Automotive Engineers to give engineering students real-world
experience in designing and building a vehicle as part of an automotive or
aerospace team.

    Formula SAE Top Ten Finalists

    1.  Cornell University, Ithaca, New York                     924.62
    2.  University of Texas - Arlington                          887.02
    3.  University of Akron, Akron, Ohio                         804.45
    4.  University of Missouri - Rolla                           768.04
    5.  Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York   757.16
    6.  Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina              729.57
    7.  University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada        719.13
    8.  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York         718.15
    9.  Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio                    716.10
    10. Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan    700.84