It’s been a busy month for CUFSAE and its students, but we’ve still got our foot on the throttle! Check out our October Newsletter for more information about the latest with the team including:
After a not-so-quick trip out to the State Surplus Lot in West Colombia, SC the new trailer is finally here! This bad boy is a 2011 Haulmark 24′ V-Nose and you better believe that we’ll be traveling to the track in style. We have to give a shout out to Clemson FSAE super freshman, Grey Roberts. Grey was available after a last second call and drove out six hours with the formula team in his truck to get the trailer. We’re excited to have this new equipment and now it’s time to get some stickers and represent our Clemson pride on this monster!
Today is the Clemson FSAE Open House! After a reception was held at the shop, the team took off to the C1 parking lot where a demonstration of the car is being held. Isothermal Community College sent a few guys over to take a look at the shop all the way from Spindale, North Carolina, and they’ll be the first guests to test drive the ’04 car. The Clemson Formula Team appreciates all those who came out for the event and we send our best regards to those who couldn’t make it.
A snapshot of last year's tailgate event
The coming weekend is sure to be an exciting one, as the Clemson Formula Team is featuring the car at two events. The first event is the First Friday Parade, on Friday, September 7th. The parade is a showcase of the different organizations that Clemson has to offer, and there will be over 70 clubs and organizations in attendance. The parade begins at 6pm and runs down Highway 93 through campus. The 2012 Formula Car as well as the Clemson Baja team will be driving in the parade.
On Saturday, September 8th, Clemson is having its first home game against Wofford. The team will be holding a tailgate spot with the car and the popup tent to talk to the fans for the game. The team will be in attendance through the first half of the game to talk to anyone and everyone that wants to know more about Clemson’s premiere racing organization. We hope to see you out at the event!
The team sets up with CU Baja before the event
The Tigerprowl event on Tuesday was a hit as usual, with prospective engineers coming to talk to the formula members about the possibilities and positions on the team. There was plenty of good conversation and great help to be offered as the team gathered over thirty new recruits signed up to attend the interest meeting on August 28th. As a student organization, Clemson Formula is and has always been a strong proponent about having new members on the team and we’re looking forward to growing the team!
In theory, the endless summer sounds like quite the time, but reality must set in eventually. The flood of freshman and upperclassmen alike came to Clemson beginning on August 18th, and we’re settling into our new dorms and apartments one command strip at a time. However, as classes took a three month hiatus, the Clemson Formula Team kept working and preparing for next year’s competition. As the entire team returns back to Clemson, design work on the 2013 car will resume it’s normal pace and a new class of Clemson Formula members will learn the ways of the Clemson team. The team’s first networking event is August 21st as the school’s organization fair, TigerProwl, showcases the various clubs and organizations that Clemson has to offer. The team will be showing the competition car and talking to students interested in joining the team or simply curious about the functions of a university race team. Updates and pictures will follow the event.
Have you been missing your regular dose of CUFSAE in the summer fun? Catch up with our midsummer newsletter! In this issue, you’ll find a sponsor spotlight on our software supporters, a recap of our testing and racing activities, and our first alumni spotlight. To get your copy of the newsletter, Click Here! As always, contact us if you have questions or suggestions.
The Clemson Formula Team tested locally on Saturday…very locally. The team rented a commuter parking lot to create a miniature autocross track to test the car. The times were short, beginning at fourteen second laps and ending the day at thirteen seconds, but the data was valuable. The test subject today was tire pressures; the effects of lowering and raising tire pressures on the car and the subsequent results on the handling. Our test driver, Perry Elwood, found the car to be more balanced at lower tire pressures, however the fastest times of the day were at higher pressures. Maybe comfortable isn’t so fast after all! All in all, the test went well and the team gathered some interesting data and even a few sunburns to match. Click on the text “test laps” below for video of a couple test runs.
Kenny piloted the Clemson Formula Car for a few runs
The Clemson Formula Team kept in the swing of things this summer by taking the car to a Central Carolina Region SCCA Autocross event. Several dedicated CUFSAE members attended the event and they all took the opportunity to get some experience driving the car and to connect with fellow drivers around the paddock. The fastest time of the day stayed with Clemson for some time as our autocross ace, Perry Elwood, sat atop the leaderboard until the end of the day. The team would eventually settle for 2nd place as a shifter kart came in and beat the formula car by four tenths of a second. Of the other Clemson drivers, Kenny Brown was the fastest and logged a 10th place finish in the novice class of competitors in the 2012 CUFSAE Car. The team had a great time at the event and we look forward to getting more experience through various tests during the coming year.
The Clemson Formula team made a strong statement at the 2012 Formula SAE Competition at Michigan International Speedway. The team has long been regarded as an underdog within the ranks, but this year the team logged its first top twenty finish since 2004. The 20th place finish means that Clemson beat 100 other registered teams from around the world and gained momentum for the following years. With nearly the entire team returning for next season, the future looks bright for CUFSAE, and the team leaders have big plans for the coming years. Some highlights from the competition include the team finishing 21st in endurance, the most challenging of events, with only forty-five schools finishing the event. Also, awards within the team were given to Shaun Hoyt, as the rookie of the year for his dedicated work especially close to competition time, and to Jeff Fischer. Jeff received the Most Valuable Member award for his tireless commitment to the team and his contributions to the car. We must thank our sponsors and contributors again and again, for without them, we could have never achieved this. For more in-depth coverage of the event, look for the newsletter that covers the individual events and personal contributions and remember, GO TIGERS!