Engineering Students Compete in Formula SAE Car Competition
May 19, 2005

University of Evansville students have put in not just hours of work, but more than a year of planning, building and trials – and they are Formula Carabout to see if it will pay off, as they compete in the annual Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) competition in Pontiac, Mich., May 18-22.

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 cars are built with a team effort over a period of about one year and are taken to the annual competition for judging and comparison with approximately 120 other vehicles from colleges and universities throughout the world. The competition is at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.

The UE engineering students have built a car that will be judged in a series of static and dynamic events including: technical inspection, cost, presentation, and engineering design, solo performance trials, and high performance track endurance. These events are scored to determine how well the car performs. A variety of monetary awards and honorary awards will be presented at the competition.

Students who are part of the team include:

Travis Donberger, of Mt. Carmel, Ill.
Ryan Egbert, of Wadesville, Ind.
Tamara Esche, of Evansville, Ind.
Dustin Jones, of Richland, Ind.
Ian McGiffen, of Vincennes, Ind.
Jesse Schneider, of Mt. Vernon, Ind.
David Mills, of Evansville, Ind.
Brian Price, of Evansville, Ind.
Grant Dickman, of Tell City, Ind.
John Wolfarth, of Reed, Ky.
Nicholas Wathen, of Loogootee, Ind.
Adam Schroeder, of Jasper, Ind.
Chris Shigley, of Boonville, Ind.
Michael Hughes, of Carlisle, Ind.
Nick Brown, of Poseyville, Ind.
Jerad Winsett, of Boonville, Ind.
Justin Higgs, of Evansville, Ind.

The team is advised by professors of engineering Dale White and Douglas Stamps.

Businesses and organizations donating funding for the University of Evansville’s Formula Car project include:

Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana, Inc.
Business and Engineering Advisory Council Fund
S&S Machining
Hacienda
Total Performance
Keizer Wheels
Bootz Manufacturing
Heritage Federal Credit Union
Cici Engineering
Progressive Suspension
Student Development Fund
Averil Racing

Above: Team Members prepare the car for competition.