Texas A&M Aggies Continue Lone Star Tradition by Winning Formula SAE(R) 2000 Automotive Design Competition
25 May 2000
Texas A&M Aggies Continue Lone Star Tradition by Winning Formula SAE(R) 2000 Automotive Design Competition PONTIAC, Mich., May 24 Texas A&M University won its first
Formula SAE(R) automotive design competition with an outstanding balance of
engine power, vehicle handling and driver skill. The Aggies from College
Station, TX, outpointed runners-up University of Wisconsin - Madison largely
on the strength of their autocross and endurance runs in the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) competition at the Pontiac Silverdome this weekend.
Now in its 22nd year, Formula SAE(R) is a design competition that
challenges collegiate engineering students to conceive, design, fabricate and
compete with purpose-built formula-style racing cars. Restrictions on chassis
and engine design challenge the creativity and imagination of the students.
This year, engineering students from 108 universities in the United States,
Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Japan, and the United Kingdom, competed for cash
prizes totaling $38,800.
Rounding out the top five finishers were third-place Cal Poly Pomona, The
University of Florida, and the University of Leeds, England. Their fifth-
place finish is the highest ever for a non-North American school in the
Formula SAE(R) competition's history. Leeds has competed every year since
1997.
All teams were evaluated by a panel of judges on the design of the car,
the oral presentation of the project, and in cost analysis. Autocross (speed
and handling), endurance/fuel economy, and acceleration made up the three on-
track events. The teams competed in only six of the planned seven events due
to inclement weather the first two days of the four-day event. The skid pad
event was cancelled due to darkness on Saturday evening.
Texas A&M continues a rich tradition of Formula SAE(R) success by
engineering schools from the Lone Star state. The University of Texas at El
Paso won the inaugural Formula SAE(R) event in 1979, while the University of
Texas at Austin took the top prize in 1982. Houston won in 1984. One of the
dominant schools in the history of the event is the University of Texas at
Arlington (UTA), with six overall wins and four second place finishes in
22 years. UTA was performing strongly again this year until a mechanical
glitch took them out of the endurance run, relegating them to a 15th place
finish.
Wisconsin captured the cost analysis event, while Rochester Institute of
Technology (RIT) won the coveted design category. RIT and Worcester
Polytechnic tied for best presentation honors, while Texas A&M swept the
autocross and endurance/economy categories. Best acceleration times were
turned in by five-time Formula SAE(R) champion Cornell University. Like UTA,
Cornell's strong performance was neutralized by a breakdown in the
endurance/economy segment of the competition. Placing sixth through tenth, in
order, were: Brown University, University of Waterloo (Ontario), University
of Toronto, University of Pittsburgh, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Formula SAE(R) is widely recognized as the national championship of
college engineering. It has been sponsored for the past six years by a
consortium of the "big three" U.S. automobile manufacturers -- General Motors,
Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. For complete Formula SAE(R) results, and more
information about Formula SAE(R) and other student design competitions, log on
to SAE's website at http://www.sae.org, or contact Lori Pail at 724-772-8534, or
e-mail her at lorile@sae.org.
