A team of local mechanics have been ranked the best in New Zealand in an Australasian challenge.
The University of Waikato Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team and their car have placed sixth overall in the Formula SAE-Australasia competition in Melbourne.
They were also the top ranked team from New Zealand.
The
competition included 23 teams and involved static and dynamic events this month. The team placed fourth in cost and fifth in design. Static events comprised of giving design, business and cost presentations, while the dynamic events included a range of quality tests such as scrutineering, brake, noise and a tilt test, and racing events including autocross (one lap on a track), endurance (30 laps on a track), acceleration and a skid pan event on a figure eight course against the clock.
Team co-supervisor and Waikato University engineering lecturer Dr Mark Lay said: "We had a bit of a scare in the first endurance event when one of the CV joints in the drive train failed, resulting in the car losing power and being stuck off-track on the far side of the course. Fortunately, thanks to the team's persistence we got the car back in the pits and rebuilt the joint with minutes to spare before the next endurance event."
This year's team consisted of Daniel Lamb (team leader), Avinash Chavda, Ben Jackson, Kevin Duncan, Sam Brien, Michael Hoogendoorn, Brad Webb, Mark Shrimpton and Issac Hayes.
The Waikato Formula SAE team was formed in 2006. Each year the team builds an open wheeled single seat-style race car to compete in Formula SAE. This car must comply with the rules outlined by the competition, such as a maximum 600cc engine, 20mm air inlet restrictor and limited track width and wheel base.
Formula SAE is an international competition where university students design and build their own car. Competitions are held across the world, with over 900 hundred universities taking part.
View more photos on the team's Facebook page.
