Today was the final day of the Formula SAE-Australasia competition 2010. The team came away with three trophies and a placing of 10th overall. For an official breakdown, click here.

It was a stressful morning as we were required to put the car through technical inspection again because we took it back to accommodation last night to repair the alternator. We were also in a hurry to meet our Endurance timeslot of 9am which we had been allocated as a consequence of achieving 3rd in Autocross. Unfortunately despite a full night of work, the team did not manage to get the car in line for the timeslot of 9am. However we did still get the car into the first Endurance heat and were prepared to accept the two minute time penalty for the first run, just to get a time on the table.

The first of the dynamic events were held today; Skidpan, Acceleration and Autocross. The results of the static events were also released.

The team started off fresh this morning and headed to the braking and noise test for a punctual 9am start. To our surprise we did not pass the noise test. We had done previous testing with our own decibel reader that suggested we were below the 110dB limit, however the device at the competition read 115dB. We resolved the problem by extending the length of our exhaust. Unfortunately this cut into our already limited time to get the car to the dynamic events.

Today we competed in the static events at the competition. We also went through technical inspection and did a tilt test. It felt like a very successful day overall and for some it was the first day since arrival that they were able to relax in the evening satisfied that they had done everything they could on the car.

Today was a trying day for many of the team as they battled on after yet another night of very little or no sleep. The issues with the alternator were unable to be resolved last night and so this morning new parts were purchased after a frantic ring around of Melbourne shops to get the suitable pieces.

It was a time-consuming process so the morning at Oakleigh was again spent testing with constant loss and frequent recharges. Unfortunately, during this testing further electrical issues arose. Some were easily fixed, such as loose connectors, and others took a significant amount of time to diagnose.

Today we finally got the car back on the track. We suffered a few electrical issues throughout the day, but each of the drivers has now had a go in the M010 and can look forward to another day of testing tomorrow.

It was the first drive for two of our new drivers, Brendon Sheehan and Dasan Ker and they were not given an easy first run with heavy rain for much of the day and consequently a very wet track. However, both were impressed with the experience and thankful for the seat time despite the challenging conditions.

Today was again spent at Monash University despite the best intentions and preparation for a day of testing. Although the transaxle was assembled overnight and was ready to go, unfortunately the last soft mount was unable to be bonded into the chassis because we misplaced the hardener for the resin we needed to use.

Today was spent at Monash University again.  The transaxle casing repair is complete after a day of cutting, grinding and sanding away the excess resin and fibres from the repaired region.  The transaxle will be assembled this evening and will go into the car before the end of the night.  In addition to repairing the damage, the team has decided to add extra reinforcement to the region of the casing that failed to try and prevent failure of the same nature. This is achieved with a steel reinforcing plate in the region of initial failure, in addition to the repair laminate.

Today was spent at Monash University’s workshop.  The focus of the day was repairing the transaxle casing and engine mounts. Concurrently suspension team changed the front brake discs, made new shock potentiometer mounts, mounted an extension to the skidplate and other small finishing tasks. The electrical team repaired the alternator and analysed the data from yesterday’s testing.

After only its third run in the early hours of Monday, the M010 was drained, cleaned, an strapped to the bottom of the freight box. Alongside nearly a ton of tools and spares, the M010 was sealed and ready for transport.

With the manufacture of the monocoque completed and all the necessary attachment points checked, the team began preparing the car for painting. After bogging and correcting minor imperfections on the monocoque, side pod, and nosecone all surfaces were sanded to 600 .

Today the team had their first day of testing in Melbourne. After receiving the car yesterday and working through the night reassembling it, it was exciting to finally get it back on track.

Along with the Monash Motorsport Team, we set up at Oakleigh kart track.   We began early afternoon and took a little while to get going due to a few electrical problems.  While we worked on resolving our issues, we were fortunate to see Monash’s car running.

Yesterday marked the birth of the M010. Although later than anticipated, the team was elated to see it make its maiden voyage around our test circuit late last night.

The M010 was launched last night at the Faculty of Engineering Atrium by the Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon and Mechanical Engineering HoD Gordon Mallinson. With the entire team present, the day’s preparation paid off thanks to friends, family and sponsors who were present to celebrate the launch of the team’s latest  feat. The team is also thankful to AIE for sponsoring the event.

On Sunday 10th October the team headed to Pukekohe Raceway with the M07 Simulator for the LG Bathurst in the Park. The event, co-ordinated by ‘Kids in Cars’, a charitable organisation for children with illness, drew hundreds to see Bathurst on New Zealand’s largest television and partake in the day’s festivities.

Thank you to all of you who supported the team this year and purchased a raffle ticket. The raffle was drawn at the University of Auckland Courses and Careers Day last Saturday. The results are as below:

Last Thursday the team held their annual Tech Night. This was an exciting opportunity for sponsors, supporters and family to come to the workshop at the Tamaki campus and see what the team has been up to over the last six months. The evening kicked off with a barbecue and time for the guests to mingle. Team members were proud to talk about their contributions to the M010 thus far and show the visitors all the components ready to be assembled over the next week or so.

The team was privileged to have a stand at the annual Speedshow held at the ASB showgrounds last weekend. The Speedshow is a spectacular automotive showcase, with exhibits from the world’s leading car brands. The team displayed the M09 which raced in Australia in 2009, and the M07 which has been converted into a driving simulator. The two show pieces, along with the impressive Trade Tools display, captured the interest of the masses that came to Speedshow. Trade Tools, who are long-standing sponsors of the team, showcased Facom tools and toolkits and generously donated a toolbox to the simulator competition that we ran over the two days.

Support the team this year by purchasing a raffle ticket for just $5.00, and be in to win one of the following:

This year the team will again attend NZ's foremost motorsport exhibition. We will be showing off the M09 and the much liked M07 simulator in a joint stand with sponsors Trade Tools. Also at the show will be Castrol, Formula E, Alert Motorsport, and Race Brakes!

Make sure you come down to the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane and visit us. The show runs on both Saturday and Sunday from 9am in the morning, finishing at 6pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday.

For more details, visit the official website here.

On Tuesday 8 June, the team put on a display at Rivers Carbon’s tech night. The event was held for the Sports Car Club of NZ to illustrate the benefits of utilising carbon fibre in a range of applications. Graeme Rivers gave an overview of the manufacturing processes and showcased some of the types of projects that Rivers Carbon do.

The team wishes to acknowledge the 40th anniversary of the tragic death of Bruce Leslie McLaren, who passed away on the 2nd of June 1970, aged 32.

The team wishes to recognise the proud legacy that Bruce started when he found the Bruce McLaren racing team all those years ago and his continuing legacy in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racing team and the inspiration his life gives to our team.

The team also thanks the Bruce McLaren Trust for all of the assistance that they provide to the team and on their work in preserving the legacy of Bruce McLaren for future generations.

So far, 2010 has proved to be another exciting year for the chassis team. With five new members, 2010 was bound to be a year of learning and new ideas. Led by Dave Versalko, the Chassis Team Leader for the M010 campaign, the year started off by visiting the Rivers Carbon workshop in order to learn the principles behinds composites. The opportunity proved to be valuable, with the team learning much about the development of composites, the science behind composites as well as the manufacturing process of composites. Thanks to Graeme Rivers and Brent Tucker of Rivers Carbon for their time and experience.

The 2010 Engineering, Machinery & Electronics Exhibition (EMEX) was held from the 4th till the 6th of May at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane. The Team was blessed to be allocated a stand amongst 150 of New Zealand’s top Engineering, Machinery and Electronics suppliers.

On display were our 2009 car, the M09, and our simulator-converted 2007 car, the M07. The prototype carbon fibre wheel, 2009’s custom crankcase, along with an electronic slideshow of past competition photos were also on display. The FSAE stand drew large crowds, from young apprentices to leading engineers to senior lectures, a solid affirmation and testament to our project.

The FSAE team would like to express our greatest gratitude to all our sponsors and especially Rob Lavendar from XPO Exhibitions for giving us a chance to be a part of EMEX for 2010.

Late in April a group of team members took to the road for one of the first meetings between ourselves and the University of Waikato FSAE team (WESMO).

Since competing against each other in Australia last year, we felt that there was much to be gained in maintaining a good working relationship with our Hamiltonian counterparts.

After a getting acquainted, the teams discussed a number of issues ranging from team events to car testing. It was not long before a number of good initiatives had been discussed. It is hoped that these will not only form the foundations of a strong relationship between Auckland and Waikato but also raise the profile of Formula SAE in New Zealand.

Up to 120 of New Zealand´s top Engineering, Machinery and Electronics suppliers will congregate at EMEX 2010 to showcase the latest innovations and technology to enter the market. We will be attending this event on all three days to display our latest car and our 2007 car turn simulator. EMEX will be held in the ASB Showgrounds on Green Lane West. This event is free to attend and is open to anyone in the Engineering, Machinery and Electronics Industries.

We hope to see you guys there! It is a fun event which is guaranteed to enhance your knowledge on sports motor vehicles.
For more information visit the EMEX website.

Next month the team will be attending the Rally NZ presentation on the 4th of May 2010 held in the Business School of the University of Auckland. When the World Rally Championship comes to New Zealand in May, so much more than a motorsport event will take place. The engineering innovation and the commercial, marketing and broadcast aspects of a truly global sporting series, which is watched by more than 570 million people worldwide, pumps at least NZ$12.5 million into the local economy. Rally New Zealand, in association with the Business School, invites us to step behind the scenes of the longest-running world championship event in the Southern Hemisphere to hear a unique line-up of guest speakers from all facets of the World Rally Championship as they share their stories.

For more event information, click here.

Powertool drag racing is a new sport in New Zealand, but it perfectly complements our backyard ingenuity and Number 8 wire culture. The basic concept is to take a mains powered powertool, whack some wheels on it and get it down a plank of wood as fast as possible. When some of our alumni, Malcolm Graham, Ollie Smith and myself (Nick Rogers), were asked to team up with Ross Copeland from Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and build a car, we jumped at the chance! With only two weeks´ notice and a modest power tool given to us, we knew we would have to apply our engineering knowledge and skills learnt as part of the Formula SAE Team if we were to have a chance of winning.

In late January this year, the team had the privilege to attend the inaugural New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing, the largest classic and historic race car meeting ever held in New Zealand.  It spanned two consecutive weekends: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park during Wellington Anniversary and Pukekohe Park Raceway during Auckland Anniversary.  With tribute to kiwi motor racing legend Bruce McLaren, the festival was a spectacular occasion for motorsport enthusiasts to witness a range of historic engineering masterpieces in action.

The team was proud to exhibit at this prestigious event, showcasing our M09 to thousands of spectators alongside a number of vehicles that Bruce McLaren designed and drove.

Both weekends were immensely enjoyable for the team and we would like to say a huge thank you to the Bruce McLaren Trust, Jan McLaren and John Storr for this extremely valuable opportunity.

For images from the festival and results from the races, you can check the website here.

Following on from the hugely successful Top Gear Live World Tour in 2009, the team are back with an even more action packed show.  Jeremy Clarkson, James May and The Stig, accompanied by local motorsport icon Greg Murphy, will be hosting several shows from the 18th to the 21st of this month.

Joining the myriad of motor industry related displays will be the University of Auckland Formula SAE Team, displaying our 2009 car and 2007 car turn simulator to thousands of enthusiasts from all over the country. The team would like to thank Danny and Brett at Top Gear Live for this outstanding opportunity.

For more information about the show, visit the official website here.