The Shorthorn - Burning Rubber

HOME

Organizations

Burning Rubber

Written by Sylvain Rey

Tuesday, 29 July 2008 07:11 PM

One of ten UTA Formula racing team cars burns some oil on the track during the Texas autocross weekend Saturday on lot 49. The team raced with more then 70 drivers from 10 different schools. (The Shorthorn: Michael Rettig)

The empowered engine roared so loud that the car structure seemed too small to contain it.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, the sun had reached its zenith. The thermometer reached more than 100 degrees and spectators sought every spot of shade they could find.

Tim Patek and his teammates, however, got ready to race down the track spread out on Lot 49 for the Texas Autocross Weekend. The UTA 2008 car won first place.

Autocross is a summer race that several engineering students have participated in since 2001.

Patek was the first student to drive in the afternoon contest and one of the 70 to 80 drivers that took part in the event, all coming from a total of 10 different schools, said Bob Woods, mechanical engineering professor and team adviser.

Mechanical engineering alumnus Richard Fielder, Patek’s teammate, checked tire pressure and filled the gas tank as Patek put on gloves and head protection. Apparently, the heat did not dissuade them.

“It is a little hot today,” said Fielder as Patek raced down the track. “But it’s been a fun morning.”

The UTA Formula SAE team drove 10 different cars, including the 2008 car.

Even though the competition is informal, drivers are concerned about their driving times.

Eric Leichtle, UTA driver and mechanical engineering student, set the best time in the half-mile morning track at 49.5 seconds, Fielder said.

“This afternoon, we have a nice track also, and we are pretty confident,” Fielder said.

Each driver raced a total of three laps both in the morning and afternoon events. Under the summer heat it can become physically straining, Patek said.

“It is pretty tiring and you get pretty dry,” Patek said.

He finished his first lap in 54.6 seconds.

Woods, satisfied with his team’s performance in the morning, acknowledged the other teams’ capacities, including one that drove faster but lost points for hitting cones.

The team received a two-second penalty per cone hit, so the car lost its first place, he said.

Overall, Woods and the team are confident about the 2008 car’s performance.

As the afternoon event unfolded, the team’s score supported this hope.

“UTA sets the pace at 47.4”,” announced the speaker.

A little later, mechanical engineering alumnnus Tim Hassler got the best time for UTA again at 45.739 seconds on a track a little more than a half-mile, Woods said.

The following day, Hassler scored the best time again, at 31.623 seconds.

Woods said he is pleased with the team’s times.

“The weekend worked perfectly. There were no major problems, and mot many cars broken. Everybody got to run a lot on the track,” he said.
“The UTA cars performed well because we were on our own track.”

After event, the team will have practice this weekend until school starts. The next race will be the Sports Car Club of America event in Topeka, Kan. in September, Woods said.
Views: 1995 | E-mail

Be first to comment this article

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 September 2008 03:24 PM )

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

Related Items