The Society of Automotive Engineers club at California Baptist University is reconstructing its car after competing last June in Formula SAE.
CBU’s SAE club finished 44th place in Formula SAE, the student automobile design competition. Seventy-two universities from across the United States and other countries competed.
As the team continues to build the car, which can be seen through the windows of the new Dennis and Carol Troesh Engineering Building, the team looks forward to the next competition.
The process of constructing a car begins with the team analyzing results from previous competitions and finding ways to improve the car’s performance.
Spencer Judy, junior mechanical engineering major and president of the SAE club, said there are long days of building the automobile.
“Most people don’t realize how much time goes into these cars,” Judy said. “Senior members put in 15–20 hours a week just designing and coordinating events.”
The students said they have been working hard on the car for the competition since July.
Testing the car will begin during spring break and driver training will take place in June before the 2019 competition.
The club said its primary goals for the car is to increase durability and reliability so the automotive can rank higher this season. Another factor of the club’s improvement will come from the Engineering Building. The new landmark CBU’s campus offers more space for the club to house the car and, with new technology, push the team to create an even faster and higher-quality car.
Josh Bigley, sophomore mechanical engineering major and vice president of the SAE club, said the group is grateful for the added workspace and technology the building has to offer.
“The additional room is extremely beneficial for housing our vehicles and hosting our meetings,” Bigley said. “Technologies like the crane and the exhaust ducts will prove useful during assembly and tuning.”
With the competition approaching and the SAE club finding ways to grow from its past competitions, members are beginning to search for other helping hands.
Dr. Daniel Clark, assistant- professor of aerospace, industrial and mechanical engineering and adviser to the SAE club, said there are many ways students can be a part of the SAE team.
“We help train, equip and can use all areas of engineering and many fields outside engineering, especially business, graphic design and any areas that develops presentation skills.”
The club will continue to focus and work hard on the new and improved car until competing next summer.
