Welcome to the Wichita State University Formula SAE webpage!
2010 Sponsorship Proposal - View Here (Large download - High Quality verison)
News
2/24/2012
We would like to thank WCES for inviting us to the banquet last night, and for giving us the opportunity to share our mission with influential characters in industry.
We would also like to thank our new sponsor, FMI (http://www.fmi-incorporated.com/Contacts1.html) for machining the hubs for SR12. The team is very excited about being one step closer to the completion of the car. Below is a photo of the finished part.
Next week we plan on performing a drop test on the impact attenuator, should be an exciting time in the NIAR crash lab (http://www.niar.wichita.edu/researchlabs/cd_overview.asp). Thank you to Andy Mackey and Robert Huculak for your cooperation and assistance.
2/12/2012
We would like to thank Randy Wentling for putting together this great video of the team. Check it out!
1/28/2012
It has been a busy month at the shop, and we are getting closer to the completion of SR12. Last week, we utilized the Walter H. Beech wind tunnel to run some exciting tests. The testing was succesful and the team is satisfied with the results. Below are some photos of SR10 in the wind tunnel.
1/03/2012
Bringing in the new year, we succesfully completed the machining of our most complicated parts yet, the diff mounts! Our members are becoming experts at handling the CNC mills :) Below are some photos of the actual machining process, and of the finished part.
This week we will be continuing work on the frame, suspension design, and preperation for the wing molds.
12/21/11
Now that finals are over, it's time to get some serious work done at the shop! The team has set tight deadlines, and is comitted to meeting them. Work on the frame is ongoing, as more members practice their notching and welding skills. We also began work on the molds for the wings for SR-12. Below is a picture of the beginning of the diff mounts. :)
~ The Shocker Racing team would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season ~
12/09/11
The Shocker Racing team would like to thank Mr. Herb Coin for inviting us to Murdock company this afternoon, and also for becoming one of our very generous sponsors. We got the opportunity to practice our networking skills and mingle with many vendors. We definitely gained a significant number of new supporters today! Below are some photos of this afternoon, and of some of the other toys that were present.
Mr. Coin's Model T
11/30/11
Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving break! It was a very productive time at the shop.
Saturday night, we had all 3 mills running! The gas pedal was completed, along with the aluminum front wing inserts.
At the Tuesday night meeting, the A-arm jigs were assembeled, and we made a little more progress ont the SR-12 frame :)
11/18/11
Tonight our new members are learning how to weld. In other words, the focus of the evening is the frame.
Progress on the Frame
11/15/11
Last week we got the chance to practice our manufacturing skills and complete the throttle body and the replacement shifter for SR-10. Keeping up the productivity level, this week we will be starting the brake pedal.
We've acquired a few new toys: Taylor Racing differential, brake pads, tooth engine sprockets, and new office supplies. Exciting times at the shop! :)
New Toys
The completed throttle body!
Two videos have been uploaded on our YouTube page. Check them out: YouTube Link
11/4/11
Sorry for the lack of updates, we've been busy finishing up design and starting fabrication! :)
At tonight's meeting, a few team members got the engine in the frame, while others practiced their lathing skills.
Our meeting times have changed: Tuesdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m....for anyone interested in joining the team :)
8/8/11
Hello everyone! School has started, and everyone has added to their own workloads. If you would like to join us for the New Member meeting on Friday, September 2nd at 6 PM in the Formula SAE shop. For directions to the shop, please check out the map in the Contact Us link to the left.
Also, come by tomorrow morning and check us out as we participate in the Activities Fair in front of the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC). See you there!
8/8/11
(8/9/11 EDIT)
"How many of these can I knock over..."
Will he miss it? ...probably not. :)
The 2007-2008 car has a diffuser now! Still competing!
Finally, we had such a good turnout from our team that a few of us had a chance to ride along. Here (above) is Louis getting a ride in a Z06, and our advisor got his first autocross experience in a Cooper!
(END EDIT)
Well, I tried to not let this go so long without an update, but it happened. And once again, I still have no idea why I haven't gotten the pictures to complement the post???
About this site: the university has proposed a new layout for the main page of individual groups or departments. This means this site will soon be information that is updated yearly at the least. All event information including times, locations, media, witty banter and results will be hosted else where.
Since our last update, we have attended two plublic events: an autocross with the Wichita SCCA region in Winfield, KS and a weekend of testing, tuning, knowledge gaining, and autocrossing hosted by the University of Texas at Arlington. Thank you UTA for the great setup! We were happy to attend and compete.
At Winfield: Kash Budd-Felix took home FTD, and several team members made it out in their street cars for experience and fun. This is part of earning seat time in the team formula cars. With UTA's weekend just ahead, everyone was eager to keep their status up. (Hopefully we get a few pics for an edit...hopefully!)
At Arlington: The team arrived Friday, July 22nd for a meet and greet at the UTA Engineering Building. The provided a late night snack and walkthroughs of their design room, layup room and machine shop. Very spacious and the support of Dr. Bob Woods is evident!
On Saturday we went to a UTA parking lot for a day of autocrossing. They provided a morning course, and an afternoon course. Thanks to their sponsors for the hydrating drinks and the lunch, it was delicious! We showed up well once we resolved a brake issue with the 2010 car. It kept us from the morning course for the most part, but we were able to post two top 10 times (8th and 9th) for the afternoon course. Congrats to Evan for holding Kash off by only 2 tenths of a second, exciting stuff!
Most of the schools stayed around Sunday to attend the local SCCA autocross, the Equipe Rapide Challenge Cup. It was a smoldering hot day (surprise, surprise...) and luckily no teams dealt with too terrible of over heating problems. As the results go: Evan Pistora took 3rd, holding off Kash again by 4 tenths for a 5th place finish. Among other top ten finishing times were cars from UTA, KU, OU, and UNM.
Ever since our fun in the sun, the team is nearing final designs for the 2012 car and modeling parts in SolidWorks for analyzation before production. Now that school is about to come back into the picture, wish us luck and we hope to update you again soon!
6/25/11
At the beginning of the month, weekend of June 4th and 5th, most of the team made the trip to Fort Riley for the weekend of autocrossing. Saturday was all test and tune, and Sunday was time to race the clock. It was a clear and toasty day for an autocross! Congrats to Nick Deneault on FTD (Fastest Time of the Day)! We finally took both cars out for driver time and the rest of the field had a great turn out. Please enjoy some pictures from our spectator cameras, or visit our photobucket page here.
Mr. FTD
It's the 2007/2008 car!
My Personal Favorite... The GTR
June 8th - the team found the perfect window between storms that week to get the 2010 car out for some promotional pictures! See below for a couple sneak peaks.
Thank you Randy Wentling for your assistance!
Note - The suspension team has been hard at work getting data from the old car and preparing it to compare and improve the 2012 car. Look forward to some pictures of our Center of Gravity test!
Everyone overall has been hard at research, building the essential knowledge base to get the team rolling. Plenty of time for research presented itself last week. Six team members were able to make the trip out to California Speedway and observe Formula West 2011. Three of those members got competition experience for the first time, always beneficial. Congratulations to Formule ÉTS propulsée par Vidéotron on their outstanding performance and presentation. The chance to be a spectator was not abused. We took advantage of our opportunity to inspect cars, meet other teams, and view the results of their designs competing dynamically. Everyone was very welcoming as we visited and said they look forward to seeing us next year. Although, the weather may not be as cooperating in Lincoln, Nebraska. Let's do what we do best Scoob, eat.
The winner!
5/31/11
The team has gained some new members! Welcome to the team: Jared, Jennifer, Nathan, Vishal, and Zack. And with new members came new team structure for the 2012 car. We will be busy hitting both the books and the track as we prepare for Lincoln, Nebraska next summer.
The team will be traveling up to Fort Riley for this coming weekend’s autocross. This particular meet always has a good turnout, and we are getting excited. Check back next week for pictures and videos!
Until then, research and design until our brains become gelatinous!
5/4/2011
Welcome back everyone! Of course you may all realize this is the most hectic time of the year for college students, but we are long overdue for an update. We have lots of exciting things happening this week, and the few weeks following. Here is a list of things to come:
1. Engineering Open House
This Friday, May 6th, 2011, we will be outside the front of the Engineering Research Labs Building (ERLB). We will be available to discuss the facts of Formula SAE, our team goals, and provide information to anyone who stops by between 9 AM and 7 PM. There will be informational flyers available for those interested in helping, so be sure to stop in and say hello!
2. New Member Meeting
The Formula SAE team will be holding a New Member Meeting, with free food & drinks, on Friday, May 27th at 5:00 PM at the SAE Shop (Click link for maps). The evening will be spent explaining the Formula SAE competition, future goals, how you can participate, and what you can gain from the experience. The team will be in the research and design phase, making it a perfect time for you to join! Formula SAE is open to all years and majors. If you have any questions email Nic Wentling at nxwentling@wichita.edu. We hope to see you there!
3. New Members, First Day on the Job
The day following the New Member Meeting, May 28th, beginning at 11, the 'New Members First Day' will begin. The day will begin with an overview of all of the subteams and how each one interacts with one and another. After the overview, each new member will then have an opportunity to then choose which subteam they wish to join. (You will not have to fully decide on a subteam that day.) Then there will be a presentation of the 2011 - 2012 Handbook where rules, design procedures, and vital information about being a part of the team will be presented. The purpose of the handbook is to get everyone on the same level and to get things rolling.
4. Sunflower News
The school newspaper will be running a short article on the team in the next week to help spread the word about the New Member Meeting. Be sure to pick your copies of the Sunflower up and keep an eye out for us!
9/9/2010
This past month has been a hectic, but great month for Shocker Racing! We have done everything from prepping for Nationals, to gaining many new members, to attending several PR events, and to beginning the fabrication of the 2011 chassis.
Since so much has happened, this update will be a picture/caption update! So, let’s begin.
Engineering Block Party:
The Engineering Block Party was the first of our PR events of the month. The purpose of the Block Party was for all of the engineering student organizations to have a chance to expose their program and to recruit new members. For Shocker Racing, it led to the recruitment of several new members.
Activities Fair & Welcomefest:
The Activities Fair was similar to the Engineering Block Party, but it included all of WSU’s student organizations. The following day, we were invited by Ulrich Art Museum to attend the Welcomefest and assist in showing off their newest attraction, Art of Speed. Both were great for recruiting new members and getting our name out across campus.
New Member Meeting:
The new member meeting was a day dedicated to new members. We spent several hours informing the new members of what Shocker Racing is, what FSAE is, team goals, and procedures. Also we answered and explained our design ideas and overall tried to get everyone on the same level on what and where Shocker Racing is going. We had a total of 30 new people come to the meeting, which has bumped us up to a team of about 45 members. From those results, we must say the advertisement and all the PR has worked. All of us who were originally on the team look forward to the extra assistance and the building of a larger team. For the new members, I already know they are eager and ready to get working on the 2011 car.
Art of Speed:
Shocker Racing was invited by the Ulrich Art Museum to participate in their newest attraction, Art of Speed. This included participating in all of their events promoting the attraction and being a part of the show. So far, we have participated in the Welcomefest and the Family Fun Day. We will also be at the Patron Preview and Members Party for the Art of Speed (October 2nd) and, Trick or Trunk on October 24th. All of these events have assisted us in achieving one of our goals in exposing and becoming recognized for our efforts. The team would like to thank Aimiee and all of those who have assisted from the Ulrich Art Museum. We all look forward to the rest of the events! Below are pictures from the Family Fun Day.
The Beginning:
Last Tuesday the team began fabricating the 2011 frame. Check out the pictures below:
Mull Engineering:
This week Shocker Racing obtained a machining sponsorship from Mull Engineering. They will be assisting us in machining all of our aluminum parts for the 2011 car. We look forward to working with you guys in a couple of months! You can check out their website here: http://www.mullengineering.com/
Shop Construction:
For the most part, the construction on our side of the shop has been completed. Check out the new shop below:
WSU News Interview:
Be sure to check out the WSU News Interview with Nic Wentling and how things went at the 2010 FSAE California competition. Special thanks to Anthony Marrone for a great interview!
Check it out: http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=1162
Future Plans:
- Nick Deneault & Evan Pistora will be participating in the SCCA Nationals against 8 other drivers in the SCCA Nationals during Sept 9 – 11. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and the just updated Photobucket on how they are doing! There will be another website update with the results when they return.
- Continue fabricating the frame
- Continue design/researching other systems on the cars.
That is all for now!
7/30/2010
Here is another official monthly update! Much has gone on over the past month so let’s begin.
Texas Autocross Weekend
The team traveled the 6 hour 11 minute trip down to the University of Texas Arlington to participate in the Texas Autocross Weekend. It consisted of two complete days of auto crossing against 14 other universities. Everyone on the team had numerous runs on both days. It was also a great opportunity to show everyone the potential of our 2010 formula car. And that is exactly what we did. SR-2010 was driven by both Nick Deneault and Evan Pistora and it was consistently at the top of the list just behind UTA. We are quickly proving ourselves as a top competitor in FSAE.
Overall, it was a great trip and it gave us ample amount of driver training. We will surely be participating in next year’s Texas Autocross Weekend.
For a more complete write up and times, check out Dr. Bob Wood’s write up Here. Dr. Bob Woods is UTA’s Formula SAE’s advisor and he is the main reason for the Texas Autocross Weekend, so thanks Bob for setting it all up and inviting us!
Here is a video and a couple pictures of the weekend. The rest can be found on our Photobucket account.
2010-2011 Captains
In other news, Shocker Racing now has two new captains. The captains for the 2010 – 2011 season are Nic Wentling & Evan Pistora. Both of them are going to be sharing the captain position due to how much work is involved in being captain. It also provides a check and balance system in the top leadership position. Nic and Evan are both eager to jump start the season and begin fabricating the 2011 car. Both of them have plans and high goals to take Shocker Racing to its fullest potential. Their contact information can be found in the 2010-2011 Roster.
Engine Alive!
Also this month the engine team was able to turn over the 2008 Honda CBR 600 RR on the engine stand! It came to life on the 24th at about 9:30 or so without much difficulty. Currently the engine is running with a stock harness and computers, but this coming weekend it will all change. The electrical team is planning on cutting down the stock harness, implementing DynoJet’s Powercommander and ignition control, and then once the frame is complete, they will create a custom harness for the engine. So far, we have been very pleased with the Honda engine. It sounds great, but how about you take a listen for yourself. Below is the video and a couple of pictures of the night we first turned over the engine. Check it out.
Now for what is going on in the next couple of weeks, bullet style:
- Tomorrow the team will be at the Cessna Car Show from about noon to about five showing off the two cars. We are doing this in an effort to get our name out and to show everyone what the College of Engineering at WSU is capable of. Also, it could lead to some more sponsorships. You never know!
- Sunday the team will be auto crossing the two cars in Wichita Region SCCA.
- In just a week or so the team will begin building the chassis for the 2011 formula car.
- Design is continuing in the other aspects of the car – I.E suspension, intake/exhaust, aero, and engine.
- August 27th, the team will be participating in the Black Top Nationals in both the autocross and the car/motorcycle show. Once again this will be great for our PR and obtaining sponsorships.
- On August 28th will be having the “New Member Meeting” at the shop. More information will be posted about this in the coming weeks.
A couple side notes:
- The overall website has been update and optimized. Check it out!
- In about 2 weeks the team will be putting up posters in all the halls and where students pass to get our name out across the campus and to recruit new people for the 2010-2011 season.
Well that is all for now! Be sure to check the Twitter, Youtube, and Photobucket for the most up to date news and pictures!
7/9/2010
Everything is packed and ready to go for the Texas Autocross Weekend. It will be just over a 6 hour trip and about 360 miles to the University of Texas Arlington. Hopefully in the next two days of racing, it will somehow and magically not rain, but we are not getting our hopes up. However, wish us luck!
Also be sure to follow us on our Twitter and Photobucket. The Twitter account will be updated as much as possible and the photobucket will have pictures uploaded everynight.
And on a side note,
Gordon Hanisch is our newly appointed Safety Officer! Congrats Gordon!
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Lookin' good with the vest Gordon!
7/2/2010
Finally, the long and expected, but overdue update!
Let’s jump right into our results for the 2010 FSAE California competition. And then we will follow it up with an overview report of the competition, the traveling to Cali and back, future plans, and what is going on currently at the shop.
Let’s begin:
2010 - Shocker Racing - FSAE California West Results:
- 22nd Overall (Out of 80)
- 43rd Cost
- 38th Presentation
- 16th Design
- DNA Autocross
- DNA Acceleration
- DNA Skidpad
- 12th Endurance
- 3rd Fuel Economy
Shocker Racing obtained a 22nd place finish out of 80 teams. The several DNAs (Did not Attempts) that you can probably spot above are there because we were not able to pass brake testing till the last day of competition, thus causing us to miss several dynamic events. The reason for the brake trouble was found to be caused from stubborn air bubbles in the braking system and a noncompliant braking system design. However, after the 22nd time of testing the brakes, the judges deemed our braking system to be sufficient enough to race in the dynamic events.
For the static events: Cost, Presentation & Design, we did fairly well for a team that mostly contained freshman and sophomore who had just acquired the car from last year and for their first time ever competing in a FSAE competition. From the events, we took numerous notes and video to vastly improve over this coming year’s statics scores.
For the dynamic events: Autocross, Acceleration, Skidpad, & Endurance, we were only able to compete in Endurance. However it must be noted, within Endurance only 19 teams had finished the vigorous event. Shocker Racing though was able to pull off a 12th place finish after battling brake and fuel issues that were discovered towards the end of the race, which caused us to slow down on the last few laps of the race. Evan Pistora and Nick Deanault did a great job racing in Endurance.
Hypothetically, we must note that if we had gotten just average scores for the several events that we did not receive scores in; Shocker Racing would have placed in the top 15.
Traveling to California took just over 26 hours with stops just for food and restrooms. The team took highway 54 to 64 and then finally highway 40 all the way to California. Driving throughout the day and night and then a little bit of the next day was an experience for everyone. On the way back, the team decided to head north out of Fontana to Las Vegas, across Utah, through the scenic routes in Colorado, and then finally across highway 70 into Kansas. It took several days with all the stopping and picture taking to make it back home, but it was all worth it!
For next year, the team has already noted numerous ways to greatly improve over this year’s score. Shocker Racing has made it a goal to be in the top 15th if not 10th place in the 2011 FSAE California competition. Luckily, we had already started designing and building months ago, which puts us ahead of most of the competition and we plan to continue building once we have finished moving the shop, which takes us to our next topic!
Currently the team is in the middle of moving and reorganizing the shop (See pictures on Photobucket account). The reason is because we are unfortunately losing our office and about a quarter of our space to accommodate a water tunnel. This reduction in space has caused us to squeeze into even tighter quarters with the Baja team, which have resulted in less space as each team tries to grab as much space as possible. However, we are going to have the “no excuses” mentality and we will work throughout the remodeling, and still pull off a top 10 car in these conditions. No excuses.
Now some quick bullets on what we will be doing in the following weeks:
- On July 9th through the 11th the team will be competing in 2010 Texas Autocross Weekend that is held & ran by the University of Texas Arlington. It will be a quick weekend with tons of racing against other teams from all over the United States. It is going to be a great time.
- Between then and after Texas, the team will begin building the next chassis for the 2011 car and begin wiring and getting the Honda engine running. The team has a goal set to finish the chassis and have the engine running on a stock map before school begins.
Well, that is all for now! I apologize for taking so long on this update, but I hope you will be able to understand how crazy everything has been since we have gotten back. And let me remind, if you wish to have the most up to date news about what is going on with the team, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Photobucket. Both are updated whenever there is new news.
Below are a couple pictures from competition, but to see all the albums check out our Photobucket account. There are many pictures uploaded, but you will have to go through the albums on the left side.
Till next time, which I hope will be before we leave for Texas, if not follow the Twitter!
Auto Club Speedway - Fontana, California
Nic Wentling & John Bird in the Sales Presentation
Shocker Racing in Design Presentation
Nick Deneault racing in Endurance
From L to R - Peter Strunk, Shane Thuillez, John Bird, Nic Wentling, Tan Nguyen, Joran Matson, Adam Wiley, & Nick Deneault - In Car - Evan Pistora
Shocker Racing & KSU Wildcat Powersports - Group picture next year - WSU, KU, OU, & KSU
Shot in the middle of a dessert in Utah
Carbon Shot
From L to R - Tan Nguyen, Joran Matson, Adam Wiley, Peter Strunk, Evan Pistora, Gordon Hanisch, Shane Thuillez, Nick Deneault, Nic Wentling
6/12/2010
Tomorrow, Shocker Racing will begin their journey to Fontana, California. The team has high expectations to do well in all of their events. As well, the team plans to take as many notes as possible and to connect with as many other schools to improve for the future. Be sure to follow us throughout the competition through our Twitter account, Shocker_Racing (It will be updated frequently so be sure to check it often), and our Photobucket account, ShockerRacing2010. As well, there will be periodic updates here on the website throughout the competition.
Well, that is all for now! Wish us luck! And we want to once again thank all our sponsors and everyone that has assisted us! This wouldn't be possible without all of the support! Thank you!
Photobucket Albums (Updated nightly):
