[MariahMan]

I'm a 19 year old college student, for those of you that didn't know. Don't worry, the boat isn't mine. My dad bought the boat while i was out of town and we've both been obsessed w/ her ever since. I'm a huge gear head and started obsessing w/ all things mechanical when i got my first lego set. If you don't want your kids to grow up obsessed with cars, don't give 'em legos. I'm obsessed with anything with a motor be it an airplane, boat, car, whatever it is if it involves an engine you can pretty much bet i'm interested in it.

What most of you don't know is that internationally, many colleges and universities participate in what is known as Formula SAE. In other parts of the world it's called Formula Student as well as other names. Basically, as college students we get the opportunity to design and build our own purpose-built race car, race and compete with it, all the while learning how to run our own race team. The team is completely self ran with very little oversight by the school. We are responsible for raising $40,000+ in order to have a successful season. This is the kind of place where you take what you learn in class, apply it, and see it in action.

Enough of me talking. I thought i'd post this video below for everyone to check out. It's a really interesting "sport" i guess you could call it.

We are always looking for company sponsorships if anyone has any connections that they'd be willing to use to help us out! Contact me if you're interested. We'd greatly appreciate it.

Check out the video!

[efo]

Originally Posted by MariahMan

I'm a 19 year old college student, for those of you that didn't know. Don't worry, the boat isn't mine. My dad bought the boat while i was out of town and we've both been obsessed w/ her ever since. I'm a huge gear head and started obsessing w/ all things mechanical when i got my first lego set. If you don't want your kids to grow up obsessed with cars, don't give 'em legos. I'm obsessed with anything with a motor be it an airplane, boat, car, whatever it is if it involves an engine you can pretty much bet i'm interested in it.

What most of you don't know is that internationally, many colleges and universities participate in what is known as Formula SAE. In other parts of the world it's called Formula Student as well as other names. Basically, as college students we get the opportunity to design and build our own purpose-built race car, race and compete with it, all the while learning how to run our own race team. The team is completely self ran with very little oversight by the school. We are responsible for raising $40,000+ in order to have a successful season. This is the kind of place where you take what you learn in class, apply it, and see it in action.

Enough of me talking. I thought i'd post this video below for everyone to check out. It's a really interesting "sport" i guess you could call it.

We are always looking for company sponsorships if anyone has any connections that they'd be willing to use to help us out! Contact me if you're interested. We'd greatly appreciate it.

Check out the video!

Wow... that's great Ryan. I went to an engineering school in Colo. We didn't have that type of program, but I'll say I would have loved to have that sort of opportunity to learn and compete.

What school are you going to?

[MariahMan]

I'm going to the University of Washington. It really is a great program. It's a pretty big time commitment but it's pretty cool to be able to say that you and a group of guys designed and built a race car and competed nationally. 0-60 in about 3.8 seconds is also fun too!!!!!

[Z 202]

I teach at the University of Waterloo, which is the largest engineering school in Canada.

Every day I pass by the Formula SAE lab on the way into work, so I get periodic looks at the build. I must say those involved put a LOT of work into it. I often see them here long hours on evenings and weekends.

They usually test the completed vehicle in the lot where I park. Those things are damn fast...

It would have been something I would have gotten into when I was in school, but the program didn't exist back then. These days I only have the time to wrench on my own vehicles.

Props to you for getting involved.

[ShabahZ250]

Yeah Ryan, that's frickin sweet! Keep us all updated how progress goes

[180diablo]

Took a quick look at the video and I will have to take a second look when I get home. This computer doesn't have any speakers.. lol. Are you in that video somewhere???

You sound sort of like me. Though, I'm not really a gear-head, I have learnt enough about car parts over the last 6 years from working at this GM dealership that I could almost be a gear-head.. lol. I don't attempt to work on my truck, I let the mechanics here work on it. However I would be inclined to take a course on my boat engine.

One of the hobbies I enjoy working on is R/C cars/trucks etc. Currently I have 5 different r/c models. One my mom bought me back in '87 or 88 and the others I bought within the last 5 years. One of them is a "nitro powered' 4x4 monster truck. I haven't raced it yet, so far just bash it around my house.

My current project is a "rock crawler" and I'am sort of "logging" my process as I build it up from scratch. I bought a semi-custom model from a fellow in my area this past Monday and right now it's completely apart and I'am going to add some parts to make it my own. Below is the link to the build thread.

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86133

So this is basically what i'am going to be working on over the next few weeks/months while I rebuild it. There is about 20 guys in my area that have crawlers also, and hopefully we can meet up and run our trucks..

Down in the states in Moab, there is big competitions for RC rock crawling. Just like the 1:1 scale sized.. lol.

[MariahMan]

No i'm not in the video. That video was made by Microsoft and Dessault in 2006. I just joined the team this year.

I was pretty into RC cars and truck a few years ago myself. I kinda ran out of time and money for them. I got a Tamiya TL-01 electric car chassis and i probably put about $800 into it. It was pretty fast. Had the adjustable camber and toe, adjustable anti-roll bars, a high end electric motor and high capacity batteries. Then i bought a nitro powered XTM x-factor, drove it a couple times and every time i drove it i kept breaking parts. I was strapped for cash at that point so i stuck it on the shelf and that's where it has been sitting for the past year or so. I took it down last year to get into it again but managed to overheat and blow the motor. My plan is to get it up and running again for this summer, assuming i have the time and patience. That thing is pretty fun. It's a bad ass rock crawler! I'll have to checkout your build thread!

Most of my money goes to living expenses and the rest goes into my truck that i drive on the trail. Doesn't leave much left for those damn expensive RC cars and trucks.

[MariahMan]

Here are some updates on the Formula SAE Team. We unveiled the 2008 car in early April and have since been testing every weekend at various locations in the Northwest. We are continuing driver development and vehicle testing in preparation for taking 1st at the West competition in California June 25th-28th!

I'll let the pictures do the talking

From the Unveiling:













"Media" Shots:





1st Drive:

[WetWilly]

Hey Ryan,

That's awesome! Looks sort of like a short track racer with the up high and forward rear wing!

When can we get some specs on your winning machine? I promise not to sell any secrets to the competitors!!!

WetWilly

[180diablo]

Awesome photos! What was the top speed (approx)?

I noticed the husky head on the screen behind you guys. It matches the logo from my old highschool..lol. Unless they have changed it since '96.

Oh btw, It is missing a Mariah emblem on the bow ... err I mean front end.