Missouri S&T Formula SAE won second place at the 2011 University of Toronto Shootout!

Results:

2nd place (combined times of three drivers)

1st place (individual time)

Best American Team Award

The miners had a fantastic showing at the University of Toronto Shootout this past weekend. Despite drivetrain issues that arose the morning of the race, the team was able to race away from the problem with help of the University of Akron. Alec Surratt set FTD at 69.22 seconds, over two seconds faster than the second fastest time of the day. Missouri S&T arrived back home on Sunday evening with an overall 2nd place finish behind ETS from Montreal and a "Best American Team" award.

"Having the opportunity to drive for this team is quite the experience, and to drive an Aero car at Mosport is something else entirely. The track is meant for gokarts, which is better suited for our car than a full sized course, and the elevation changes are unreal. There is a very high amount of pressure on the drivers to perform, and the adrenaline is enough to keep the whole crowd of bystanders on edge. The pressure really forces the drivers to focus and once you start driving, it becomes a series of reactions until the whole course and your stomach are behind you. Driving with wings enhanced the experience as well. Alec kept on telling me "Drive faster to go faster," since the wings on our car allowed us greater mechanical grip of the tires at greater speeds. I had driven the car before in practice and at slower speeds, but this was my first autocross ever-- not everyone gets to say that about an FSAE spec car, or a winning car nonetheless, and I am really glad I had the opportunity to do it. Leading up to the race was also important to me and the other drivers. We got to legitimately compare data from sensors on the car to see what parts each driver needed to improve in order to gain on each others' times, and that helped me greatly. It's also great working with the rest of the group behind the mechanics and engineering of the car. The rest of the team benefits from drive days leading up to competition also, and system group leaders can be put in just as much pressure as the drivers come race day. We have some star contributors who may not be behind the wheel, but are more than essential to the successes of the drivers." - Derek Denlinger, Driver

"I'm really thankful to have had the opportunity to drive in Toronto. It's one of my favorite events and one where I've traditionally done pretty well. The team did a great job in the morning prepping the car and getting through tech. It was crazy cold in the morning and the track was really green. Everyone was having trouble in terms of grip. The drivetrain problems in the morning really didn't hurt us that much; the track wasn't quick at all at that point. The guys did a great job to get everything repaired. My first run was just after the repairs. I was waiting on the front end for almost every corner and judging braking points was difficult as the grip was really inconsistent. Things got better after lunch. The temperature went up and grip improved substantially. Alec went to the top spot and I was able to take nearly seven seconds out of my time, but had a cone. Derek got caught out and wasn't able to get a good run while the track was warm. It’s a disappointing personal finish for me. I could have had fourth without the cone, tying my finish here two years ago. Overall, I just can't say how thankful I am to have had this experience. My last laps in a Formula SAE car were really memorable and I wish the guys the best. It’s safe to say that they'll carry this success forward into 2012." - Zach LaGrone, Driver

"The team performed very well on and off the track in Toronto this past weekend! S&T was the first car to tech and the first car in line for the race. Immediately after the first run the car over-strained a flange housing the rear sprocket -- bending bolts, stripping threads, and nearly causing the sprocket to saw itself through the rear suspension. The team dedicated over two hours of repair time (consisting of removing the left rear suspension and drivetrain) in the pits and was able to return to racing just before noon. Shortly after, Alec Surratt drove the car to the day's fastest lap time by over 1 second, and second driver Zach LaGrone nearly matching it. Together, along with S&T's third driver Derek Denlinger, they were able to establish a 2nd place overall Toronto finish. The team also reveived the 1st place Fastest Driver Award, the 1st place U.S. Team Award, and a certificate for Hoosier Tires." - Nick Schweissguth, Chief Engineer

"Last year, we were not very timely in getting prepared in the morning and had a clutch issue that really shorted us on time. But we were still pretty fast which netted us a 3rd place finish overall. We learned a lot from last year, and were better prepared this time. We were first to register, first through tech inspection, and first to run. We had an issue with the differential early on, but sorted it out quickly and minimized downtime. As the track warmed up in the afternoon, we posted the fastest time of the day. But we ran out of time soon after, and were unable to fully capitalize on the favorable track conditions. We were happy with the 2nd place overall finish, but realize we were only a few seconds short of coming in 1st. We will return to Toronto next year having the few things that set us back sorted out, and will hopefully bring home the overall win." - Justin Andrews, Engine Group Leader

"The Toronto Shootout competition was much different than previous competitions this year. The course was on a kart track and had elevation changes, off cambered turns, and the the track temperature had changed a lot from the start to the end of the competition. The competition was very competitive non-stop as you had all day to make as many autocross runs as you could to improve your overall combined time among all three drivers. It was my first time attending the Toronto shootout and it was an awesome experience to be a part of" -Derek Martin, Cooling Group Leader