Missouri S&T Formula SAE completes the first drive of #45 car!

The Missouri University of Science and Technology Formula SAE Racing team is proud to announce the first drive of the 2012 car, number 45. On February 16, 2012 at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop I headquarters the team convened to see the car move under its own power for the first time. The drive went nearly flawlessly.

The car, weighing approximately 430 pounds, is built with a custom designed tubular chassis, made completely by students at Missouri S&T; only a few of the very complex machining operations on other parts of the car are contracted out. The 600cc four-cylinder Yamaha engine puts out nearly 100 horsepower, breathing through a restrictor the size of a dime.

The team, consisting of more than 30 Missouri S&T students, has put hundreds of hours into the car. Dedication and time management skills are successful to be a successful FSAE team member, as well as having a strong desire to learn. Opposed to what many would think, the biggest challenge for the average team member is not scoring the fastest time on race day, but rather balancing their school and team commitments.

According to Matt Laurent, Team Leader, the team's mission is multifaceted. “In my personal opinion, it's to get hands on experience in every aspect of engineering that you could possibly do. From a business side to an engineering side to a manufacturing side, it's really all encompassing.”

The Missouri S&T Formula SAE program is one of an international group of teams which compete each year in competitions sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The purpose of the competition is to design and build a prototype vehicle aimed at the weekend autocrosser.

Autocross is a form of racing where a course is marked out with cones on a large flat lot. The average speed of an autocross event is generally around 40 miles per hour. As a result, the car isn't designed around achieving a top speed, but rather being agile and able to accelerate and brake quickly.