OU Formula SAE team

By the time it reaches 4pm Oakland University campus, most students are headed home and on to other things.  But as they inch their way through traffic past the OUPD station, they might catch a glimpse of a shiny black and gold race car being prepared for competition this spring…

Since the 1990’s, Oakland’s Formula SAE team has been competing against schools all around the world on the race track.  Each year the student team builds a new car from scratch, utilizing student skill and knowledge, as well as local resources to build a world class racing car.

 

Each year the team builds a new chassis from scratch

Although a project of this nature calls for intensive engineering and design skill, all students are both welcome and needed.

“We’ve had everything from business students to nursing students, it really takes all kinds” explained Senior Powertrain Engineer John Smerczack.

Smerczack and the rest of the team can be found in the garage adjoined to the OUPD building at all hours of the night, building and testing the car to ensure a solid representation for Oakland for the endurance race in the spring.

The team uses the old 2010 chassis for r&d on the new car

“The 2009 car was actually the first time we were able to finish all of the events, which was a big step forward” said Smerczack.

Held each year at Michigan International Speedway, the endurance race is the ultimate test of each school’s design.  The race is the biggest of its kind in the world, and regularly sees schools from overseas in the starting grid.

The team builds the cars to strict regulation specs.

Oakland’s team encourages more students to get involved in the project, and has been growing steadily from nine members in 2009 to over thirty for the 2011 season.

“The more people we can get involved here, the better!” said Smerczack.

The 2011 season was one of the best in team history