WashU Racing moves up 14 spots at 2019 Formula SAE Michigan
The team came in 47th place overall at the annual event, which wrapped up their 2019 racing season
Platform overhaul and organizational structure change propel the student team forward
WashU Racing, the formula-style racing club at the McKelvey School of Engineering, wrapped up another successful season at Formula SAE Michigan, held May 8-11. The team placed 19th in the design competition and 47th overall — moving up 14 spots compared to last year.
“This season was a massive overhaul of the entire platform of the car, and we are very proud of the results it has yielded thus far,” said Alex Dutton, 2018-2019 president of WashU Racing and a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “This new architecture for the project led us to take a more analytical focus on the development of the car by placing a priority on concrete testing and hand calculations.”The team implemented changes to their car design that included designing a custom sandcast oil pan, building the car’s suspension system with carbon fiber tubes and adding an adjustable pedal box. They also updated the group’s organizational structure. Next year's executive leadership will include the position of project manager, which was added to improve communication between team members.
“We pride ourselves on bringing together students of different majors and backgrounds to work together on complicated projects and this new infrastructure will allow us to streamline this progression,” Dutton said.
