The Formula SAE Competition was developed in the early 1980's for engineering students to conceive, design, fabricate, and compete with small formula-style racing cars. What began as a single event at the University of Houston in 1979 has expanded across the world to include 9 annual competions in 7 countries.
The design of the cars is intended to be geared toward the requirements of a weekend autocross racer. In practice however, cars are optimized for the competitions, which place high value of lightness and reliability.
Within these engineering goals, as well as a multitude of rules governing everything from chassis tubes to engine restrictions to headrest placement, teams build annual cars to compete at competions around the world. This year the Formula Team will compete in Fontana, California in June and in Hockenheim, Germany in August.
Event at each competion are divided into two formats, static events, which evaluate the engineering design of the car and the knowledge of the team, and dynamic events, which test the cars in performance and reliablity as they are pushed to the limit around the track.
Static Events include design judging, a corporate presentation and cost report while dynamic events include an acceleration event, a skid pad event, an autocross, and a 20-minute endurance run where fuel mileage and durability are tested. The end result is a great experience for students to do engineering as one would in the professional world, with requirements, goals, budgets, design teams, and performance evaluations. Regardless of field, the Formula SAE program is and invaluable experience for every engineering student.