2009 Formula SAE, Michigan International Speedway

[RacingManiac]

All School: Picasa Web Albums - Andrew - Formula SAE 2009 (http://picasaweb.google.com/racingmaniac/FormulaSAE2009?feat=directlink)

Toronto: Picasa Web Albums - Andrew - FSAE2009 UofT (http://picasaweb.google.com/racingmaniac/FSAE2009UofT?feat=directlink)


went for the first time as purely a spectator, the economy is taking a toll even on a student competition. With big 3 used to be major sponsors of the event the cut back means there are a lot less volunteers, and less schools competing due to funding reason. Which is sad really because something like this really is a good experience for the students to do something with real practical experience...

The team from Technical University of Graz in Austria dominated the event, winning many dynamic and static events. Defending champ from Western Australia is a no show, probably due to funding for traveling abroad.

My old team from Toronto suffered some leaking issue in endurance and was DNF, sucks for them. First DNF in 8 events in the last 3 years.

[LeonOfTheDead]

those huge wings seem a little exaggerated considering the track should be designed so to not reach high speeds, let alone high speed cornering.
were they working?

[Dino Scuderia]

Big wings catch more air at lower speeds...and they look to be set at very aggressive angles.

[RacingManiac]

and drag is much less of an issue at low speed. Big wings has been used in autoX type courses since SCCA A-Mod type of cars for AutoX....there are also cars that runs venturi undertray, and I don't know how effective they are....

In FSAE its really a trade-off between weight and benefit it provides.....

[LeonOfTheDead]

Big wings catch more air at lower speeds...and they look to be set at very aggressive angles.

at low speed they become nearly pointless.
under 80 km/h basically the trade-off is worst since they don't generate enough downforce to balance the higher weight and higher CG.
The tracks don't use high speed cornering, and the straights are purposedly short to keep speed low.
They aren't that common, and usually the winners don't use them.

[RacingManiac]

not in Europe, but in US they've been used quite often in the past....the Green and Yellow car(Missouri S&T) have been running wings since forever, and they actually test them in full size windtunnel at Ford. Racecar Engineering have article on the development ~2-3 years back....

I have to say though on the current track at MIS, it is probably significantly less useful for wing than either the Romeo Proving Ground(06, 07) or Pontiac Silverdome(05 and before). 2007's AutoX track in Romeo Proving Ground, I think 5 of the top 6 cars in autoX that year were equipped with wing....average speed back then were a lot higher. FYI US comp usually have much more wide open track than most other ones, mostly because the more wide open space it is hosted on. But MIS the space was much less than past years...

[Dino Scuderia]

at low speed they become nearly pointless.
under 80 km/h basically the trade-off is worst since they don't generate enough downforce to balance the higher weight and higher CG.
The tracks don't use high speed cornering, and the straights are purposedly short to keep speed low.
They aren't that common, and usually the winners don't use them.

I don't see them as being that useful in these applications either.