O’Colly Blogs

As news of the Big Three bailout settles into American minds, I still wonder if these companies really get it? 

I’ll begin with Ford and their PR genius.  If you hadn’t already heard, Ford has refused any bailout by the government.  Good for them!  This gives me and American consumers’ faith that Ford has their head on straight and are willing to work through these tough economic times just like the rest of us.  Spend more here, spend less there, and Ford will come out stronger than ever.  Did they really need a bailout that badly?  I don’t think so.  Maybe they just needed to re-evaluate how they are spending their money and building their cars.

Now here is the real shocker, well not really…  Why on earth are GM and Chrysler spending millions of dollars to put full-page ads in magazines and newspapers to say ‘Thank you’ to the American public?  Thanks for what is my question?  Thanks for putting up with your poor business sense and pathetic cries for help in headlines I had to watch every day in the media?  GM and Chrysler are like the red headed step child that just won’t go away.  You are ticking everyone off!  GM and Chrysler took billions of dollars for a bailout to say ‘thank you’?  Is this your genius thinking as you cruise the country in the corporate jet?  Get real, and give me my money back!

My prediction is that Ford will inevitably be the dominate car manufacturer that comes out of the U.S.  In twenty years, they will be competing with the likes of BMW, Mercedes and Toyota for global sales.

GM and Chrysler however will continue to ask for bailouts as their companies fail.  They will merge and continue to fall apart as the industry passes them by.  To be honest with everyone, I’m not this big of a Hater, but come on, aren’t you a little angry at this situation too? 

Maybe GM could figure a way to permanently keep building the Corvette though, what a sweet automobile!

If you didn’t get a chance to see ESPN’s coverage of Robbie Maddison’s motorcycle jump New Years’ Eve in Vegas here it is.  This is extremely impressive: Robbie Maddison.

*Warning: profanity at the end of the video.
            (But it’s not like you weren’t thinking that anyways after you see what Robbie accomplishes.)

 So today I figured I would let you in on a few Web sites that I like to visit.

 First, and my personal favorite, is okstateracing.com.  This is the OSU FSAE Web site and has all sorts of information about our competitions, the car, information for sponsors, and our team’s contact information.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, great pictures!

Speedtv.com. This is a Web site that I visit daily.  Speedtv.com is the homepage for the Speed channel, which can be found on your cable television (the greatest channel of all time!)  Everyday you can find breaking news about Formula One, NASCAR, and MotoGP, as well as auto industry news.  Usually this site has the latest breaking news information you can find on the web in regards to the automotive world.  Also, one of the big draws is the free access to expert analysis as well as videos.  The journalists are great as well as you can see them on TV and even e-mail them and actually get a timely response.

Autosport.com. This is probably the most popular motor sport Web site on the net.  It covers racing series from all over the world.  From two wheels to four, NASCAR to touring cars, this site has it all.  It is also a favorite among racing drivers as well.  There is a subscriber’s section as well that has podcasts and in-depth articles that you can’t find anywhere else.

Racecar-engineer.com. If the guys on the team ever wonder who sets this site as the homepage for all of our PC’s, it’s me.  This site is incredible and corresponds with Racecar Engineering’s monthly magazine.  The site goes in-depth into the technology and engineering behind motor sports.  Racecar-engineer.com gives the reader access to information usually held secret among leading racing teams. As most of the journalists are former and current race technicians, they are able to convey things that would normally go unnoticed by common folks.  For example, aerodynamic devises on Formula One car, why are teams using three winglet on the rear wing as opposed to two? This is the best thing about the journalists as what would be completely confusing to you and I is actually put in plain English.  Amen to that.

Well, I hope this post might interest you into visiting some of these Web sites that I have mentioned.  As I’m sure you can imagine there are plenty more.  So go check them out for yourself and tell me what you think.  Also check out… sae.org, itv-f1.com and autoblog.com

 As 2009 quickly approaches it’s only appropriate to discuss the future of Oklahoma State’s Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) team and where we would like to go.  With older members having graduated and a great bunch of underclassmen involved in the FSAE program, 2009 beacons a light of prosperity and new challenges for the team. 

I have always been a firm believer that you are who you surround yourself with.  This applies in life as much as it does business.  Seeking positive partnerships and building them into successful relationships is what successful business is all about.  So with that fore mention, I’ll continue…

I am pleased to announce that the team has partnered with a Public Relations and Advertising Agency run by Professor Gina Noble and her students.  The agency is in its infancy and Spring 2009 will be the first semester the agency will be together.  I wish I could tell you they have a name but that is not the case as of yet.  From what I have discussed with Professor Noble, this will be a great opportunity and partnership for her students as well as the OSU FSAE team.  This partnership will show the value of what advertising and public relations campaigns can bring to an organization such as the FSAE here at OSU.  Not only that, but also bring worth to our sponsors when they choose to be a part of our program.

Things won’t be easy for anyone however.  I intend to be a tough, but reasonable client as the world of motorsport is not one that is slow paced.  What would be ideal for the team is an outreach to local and state media (and possibly national) to let them know what Oklahoma State and OSU FSAE are all about.  A special event such as a car launch for the F2009 on library lawn would be outstanding as well as press releases sent to the Tulsa World and The Oklahoman I believe are in the cards.  Now I won’t give too much away, but the future looks great for OSU and the FSAE program as well as our sponsors and the agency.

Let’s move on now to what the future holds within the team.  Let me first get something off my chest: It is my belief that Oklahoma State University possesses all the necessary resources to compete and be victorious against any team in te world.  The time to reinvent our program is now.

OK- The ability for engineering students at OSU to manufacture functional aerodynamic pieces that can be placed on the car to not only help cool the engine, but also produce down force with a low drag coefficient is right within our reach.  An aerodynamics program brings many benefits to the FSAE program as well as to students.  First, wings would allow the team to acquire more sponsorship money by giving the car more surface area to place sponsors’ logos.  Second, for the students, this program would allow a real world application of their studies. Students don’t have to be interested in cars, perhaps the next great airplane designer is sitting right next to you in class. You would have no idea, nor would he if he has nowhere to construct what goes on in his mind and to apply it in an environment conducive to abilities.

Furthermore, electronic devices such as a digital read-out display on the steering wheel are not only feasible but it is being developed and used by other FSAE teams around the world.  Why not OSU? 

Also, one of the biggest developments in motorsports today is a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS).  These units, which are found in Citroen’s new C4 WRC Hypomotion4, are the future of the automotive industry and will be found in road cars sooner than you think.  *Mark my words.

Now this is not the only things that can be implemented into our program but it is a heck of a good start.  All of the above are only the tip of the iceberg for OSU FSAE.  Much is to be done in the coming weeks and months at OSU.  In my heart I know the engineers in the FSAE program, as well as the faculty at the university are ready and willing to turn the program into what it has always been intended and deserves to be.

So now for myself, I intend to start my career on Jan. 1, 2009.  I have many goals and ambitions in life that I fully intend on reaching.  I am putting a lot of pressure on myself for this coming semester to take OSU FSAE to the top.  I feel I’m the right person who has come along at the right time to lead this team to victory.  I encourage anyone who may be interested in joining us to contact me via e-mail at Jonathan.Hufnagel@okstate.edu.  Stay tuned as 2009 opens a new chapter for Oklahoma State’s FSAE program.

Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 was a chance for motorsports fans around the world to see the best drivers from every motorsport series from around the world compete against each other in identical cars.  This is a unique experience because drivers are put into cars they’ve never driven before, such as the  KTM X-Bow, and expected to beat multiple times champions on a make shift track inside Wembly Stadium in London, England. 

The likes of Formula One ace David Coulthard, World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss and World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb were all pitted against one another.  American Drift Champion Tanner Foust was also competing and pulled off an unexpected upset against Britain’s F1 ace Jenson Button.

One of the best races of the day took place in the quarterfinals between 7x Formula One Champion Michael Schumacher and NASCAR runner-up for 2008 Carl Edwards.  Schumacher, who is considered by many as the greatest driver to ever live, was going to make it a tough race for Edwards.  The anticipation before the race was high, Schumacher ruthlessly is warming up his tires below the grand stands.

Next thing you know, out of nowhere, Edwards pulls up next to Schumacher squealing his tires as if he was telling Schumacher, “bring everything you got.”  Edwards isn’t backing down from this fight.  It’s easy to tell Edwards has been waiting for this moment for a long time.  Both drivers now pull out into the stadium with the roar of the crowd overcoming the noise of the engines and they both put their vehicles on the starting line.

As the drivers took off from the line Edwards held a small advantage. Both pushing their machines beyond the limit of adhesion, each driver giving everything the car could handle and at the end of lap one it was Edwards by a small car length.  While Schumacher gave everything he had, it was not enough in the end and American Carl Edwards pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career.

To end the night, it was a three race shootout in the finals between a determined David Coulthard and Sebastien Loeb.  To give you a nice story line, Coulthard competed in his last Formula One season in 2008 and had been in F1 since I started following the sport more than a decade ago.  Sadly, this will be Coulthard’s final competitive race of his career. 

During Race 1, Loeb held an advantage from the start and made no mistakes to take the victory.  As Race 2 approached pressure and worry mounted.  Would Coulthard go out with two straight loses? With the crowd and myself behind him Coulthard was able to pull off the victory and push the shootout to a final third race. As Race 3 started it was Loeb off the line and by the end of lap one there was little less than a car length advantage for Loeb.  Coulthard pushed hard but unfortunately after all was said and done it was to be Sebastien Loeb, 5x consecutive World Rally Car Champion by a car length. 

So at the end of the day is Loeb the Champion of Champions?  He has won three of the last six Race of Champions events.   Hard to say, personally I think every driver excels in their own series and it is hard to tell who the best is really.  Let’s just say they are all equal, some just have better resumes than others and some are only just getting started on theirs.

A few days ago news that Honda had pulled out of Formula One racing was very disappointing in regards to the upcoming 2009 racing season.  As sad as it is I can’t say that, I wasn’t surprised a big name manufacturer dropped out of the grand prix circuit.  With budgets exceeding $500 million a year and a gloomy world economy it was only a matter of time before saving money meant pulling out of racing. 

Not only is Honda dropping their Formula One program but also Audi is ending their reign as American Le mans Series and European Le mans Series conquerors and saving their money to compete in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  This gives the new Audi R15 TDi, which is suppose to be the most technologically advanced sports car on the planet, only two potential dates with destiny this year.

* Audi has won the ALMS championship for eight years straight and the 24 Hours of Le mans more than a handful of times in the last 8 years if this helps illustrate the significance of their departure. 

Blame tight pockets on what to me looks like one of the roughest recent years for all involved in motorsports.  Let’s not forget automakers aren’t the only ones hurting these days but also the marketers who put their logos on the car and the consumer’s like you and I who buy the marketer’s products. 

When times are tough, novelties get put on hold.  Sports like football and hockey are hardly affected by economic woes because it doesn’t take real money for these athletes to compete.  Players will compete if the opportunity is there.  For motor racing it’s different, with no money you can’t put a car on the track and you can’t pay people to build them let alone a loony to drive the thing.  I only hope things get a little brighter so fans like myself can see the best of what the industry has to offer.  *Queue, U2, Beautiful Day on iTunes set on random, as I finish that last paragraph.  Coincidence? Guess that’s my time to peace, see you next time. 

Sorry for my slowness of blogging lately. Between Thanksgiving and final projects in my advertising classes I’ve been very busy. To be honest, not everyday at the shop is as exciting as one would think so things are a little hard to blog about. So I’m going to make things easier on myself and let you people get a little more out of me by blogging about anything surrounding the team and motorsports.

I think this will give me a chance to help you better understand the team and what it is that makes me passionate about motorsports and why I care so much about our team. So here is to a new chapter and an early New Year’s resolution to being more involved in all things Formula SAE.

Yesterday we took the previous two year’s cars and drove them an hour and a half to OSU-Okmulgee. When we got there we unloaded them and put them on the dyno tester. This test helps us to determine the optimum engine setup and our air-to-fuel ratio.

The day was not at all without problems. Issues, such as cold engines not wanting to start and an exploding battery, I would say delayed our progress. However, when all was said and done we came out in a much better position to put a car on the grid this Spring and be competitive.

Also, we have revamped our Web site once again. www.okstateracing.com A big thanks to Lucas Spinazzola for putting all of it together. He has work very hard and done a tremendous job.

Well, there is so much more to blog about but I don’t want to give all my material away at once. Check back soon because you’ll actually have something to read about now. No more of this wait two weeks thing before I blog(that’s not exactly blogging.) Let’s try and make it an every 2-3 day thing. 

See you in a few days.