The Daily O’Collegian

OSU’s Society of Automotive Engineers Formula team had been a one-man team before.

Now, however, it has more than 15 members. These members are a mix of those who are doing it for senior design credit and others who joined voluntarily.

According to the SAE Formula Web site, “The Formula SAE competition is for SAE student members to conceive, design, fabricate and compete with small formula-style racing cars.  The restrictions on the car frame and engine are limited so that the knowledge, creativity, and imagination of the students are challenged.”

The competitions consist of both static and dynamic events. The dynamic events are the actual driving events, and the static events include such things as the cost report and marketing presentation.

Jeff Churchey, a mechanical engineering senior and the team’s chief engineer, has been on the team since he was a sophomore. Senior design credit has only been offered for the past two years.

“It’s a fun alternative, instead of designing a water pump for a boat company,” Churchey said. “There is no end to the stuff that you learn.”

He said he is still learning things, despite being on the team for three years. Working on the team is a practical application of what students learn in class, Churchey said.

Members heard about the team in a variety of ways.

Justin Craumer, a mechanical engineering senior, has been on the team for four years.

“I wandered past it during Alpha Week my freshman year,” Craumer said.

Josh Bittle, another mechanical engineering senior, worked in the machine shop at the lab.

“Working here, I’d seen them working on it,” Bittle said.

Bittle joined the team a year ago, and is now in charge of the exhaust design for this year’s car.

Although the nature of the team draws in mostly engineering students, the team is open to all majors.

Daniel Fisher, the team’s adviser, encourages others to join the team.

“There are students who are just interested in cars, interested in driving,” Fisher said. “One of our best drivers was a landscape architect.”

Gender is not an issue, Churchey said.

“There are car guys and car girls everywhere,” he said.

“If you’re interested, we’ll teach you everything you need to know,” he said. “You really can’t help but learn once you’re on the team.”

The three competitions in the continental U.S. are in Michigan, California and Virginia. About 120 vehicles from colleges and universities throughout the world compete in these events, according to the group’s Web site.

The team will be competing in two this year. They will go to Alton, Va., in April and Fontana, Calif., in June.

Keeping costs low is a big part of the competition. Formula SAE rules require that costs of the car do not exceed $25,000.

Because of this, the team must keep track of the money it spends, and Churchey says this is another reason the team needs more membership from non-engineering majors.

“We want to buy stuff and cut it up and put it in a car,” Churchey said. “But we have to keep track of money.

If I were an accounting student, I might like it. But as an engineering student I hate it.”

Accounting, marketing and business majors would be a great asset to the team, he said.

Being on the team involves a lot of commitment. Churchey and Craumer estimate they spend around 30 hours a week at the lab.

“This place has been referred to as my home,” Craumer said.

Those who have been the most involved in the team are usually the ones who get to drive it in the competitions.

“We don’t want someone driving it who is uncomfortable driving it,” Churchey said.

If the driver has been involved, he usually knows what to expect from the car in terms of speed and acceleration, Churchey said.

“We want them to respect the car,” he said.

Churchey said if more people knew how fast the cars can go, there would be no problem getting more members.

“It tops out at 120 [mph] and gets there extremely quick,” he said. “It’s the only car I’ve ever driven that will make you physically tired.”

Fisher likened the speed to “flying a plane on the ground.”

The team is completely student funded, and it relies heavily on sponsorship and donations from engineering-related companies and businesses.

For more information about the team whose lab is at 1724 W. Tyler Ave., contact Jeff Churchey at jeff.churchey@okstate.edu.