Official results for the 2009 Formula SAE Australasia competition have been released. Below is a breakdown of the top ten teams across the various events.

The M09 has now been packed away ready to be shipped back to Auckland where it will be repaired and cleaned, ready for various exhibitions.

More shots from the event can be found in our gallery.

Yesterday marked the final day of the Formula SAE Australasia Competition 2009. It was a good competition for the team, with a third in Skidpad and a best ever finish of fifth in Autocross. This was topped off on Sunday with news that we placed third in the prestigious Design event. Below is how the day unfolded.

Autocross times were released just before the end of the day on Saturday. After a solid performance by both Paul and Ashley, we placed in fifth position, only a few tenths behind Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Furthermore, the top five were nearly two seconds ahead of sixth place. The other teams to beat us were University of Western Australia (UWA), Swinburne University of Technology, and Monash University.

Due to bringing the car back to accommodation for running repairs, the car had to go back early to be re-inspected. Once checked, the car was returned to the pits and prepared for Paul to start the first endurance. Both Ashley and Peter were suited up to jump in at the driver change. After a quick warm-up on the practice pad, we headed over to the endurance course (the same as autocross except in a counter clockwise direction). With the weather looking shaky, we had the wet weather tyres on standby. Prior to Paul being released, we got news that Monash suffered mechanical failure and Swinburne could not restart the car at the driver change. The cars still running on track were UWA and QUT. Paul was released behind UWA. After a solid out lap, Paul pushed the car and cut the gap to UWA significantly, with tremendous driving through the slaloms. On the fourth lap, Paul roped in UWA and got ahead, much to the delight of the crowd. However, only a lap and a half later, disaster struck when a rear left clevis broke before the hairpin, in the process damaging the A-arms. Once back to the pits, we realised that the alternator and oil pump had lost drive also.

Whilst the car was being repaired, the design results were released. The team was unable to get the coveted first in design, coming in at the third place behind UWA and Monash. After some quick calculations, we saw that Monash and UWA would be hard to beat with 560 points out of 600 and 520 for UWA. We were in third with 433, with Swinburne and University of Wollongong on 408 and 388 respectively. QUT and Edith Cowan University (ECU) were not too far behind either.

With only UWA and QUT finish out of the top five cars in the first session, we would have to complete the event to achieve a podium finish. With Monash too repairing their car, we both copped penalties for not being at the line on time. News channelled through that both UWA and Swinburne did not finish, meaning it was still an open competition. When we finally got to the start line, Ashley set-off too complete his stint without too many more penalties. He was going well for a few laps, but the car was not behaving well, and further couple of laps later hit the kill switch, ending our weekend. The cause of the problems will be diagnosed back in NZ later this week. Eventual winners Monash finally made it out and was the last car running, treating the crowd with a good performance.

The final results were Monash on a staggering 960 out of 1000 points, with UWA in second and Wollongong in third. Our final placing was seventh with an unchanged 433, one position better than last year. At the end of the day, we were all successful, and richer for the experience.

Look out late next week for a newsletter when we will recap the competition and introduce our management for the 2010 campaign. Also, we will be uploading images of the weekend’s action onto our galleries, and sending these out.

Thank you for all of your continued support throughout this campaign. It has been a great year, with greater things to come next year.

This morning the team prepares for the final event of the competition – endurance. Below is a recap yesterdays mixed results.

The highlights included a third place in skid-pad and fifth in autocross. Both were the best the results that the team has ever scored for each event. The day’s strong performance was reinforced by the announcement that the Auckland team had once again made it into the Design Finals.

However, what goes up must come down; and that was evident with disappointing static event results. Both the Cost and Business Presentation events where expected to be strong performances for the team. This was not the case with a 9th place in Presentation and an 11th in the Cost event.

Today still offers a number of points to collect. With 550 out of a possible 1000 points still up for grabs, a podium position is comfortably within the teams grasp. With the fast raw pace shown today in Autocorss, the endurance event will determine if this is the year that the team can finish with a top three overall place.

Friday marked the first day of actual competition for the University of Auckland FSAE team.

First up was the business presentation where Mike Male and Dasan Ker presented their proposal to a fictitious manufacturer in front of a panel of judges. This took 20 minutes (including question and answer time) and both are confident with what they presented.

The prestigious design event was next where senior team members presented their case for the M09's design to a panel of industry experts. Focus was given to particular aspects of the car such as data acquisition, composites and ergonomics. The seven team members who presented believe it went well, and we eagerly wait to see if we make the design finals, to be held on Saturday evening. 

The final static event was cost, lead by Gareth Williamson. The event focussed on assessing the brake system of the car and presenting a cost reduction. The judges provided positive feedback and in general were impressed with the quality of the car and reports presented.

As dynamic events are held over the remainder of the weekend, the marshalls ensured the M09 was safe to run. After completing the technical inspection (on thursday), tilt, noise and brake tests; the Auckland contingent are now ready to compete in the Autocross, Skidpad, Acceleration and Endurance events.

Please continue to follow our progress over the weekend, we'll be updating the webpage every evening and our twitter page. Our first sets of results will be available tomorrow.

RMIT

UWA

Edith Cowan at Design

Monash testing at Silhouette

After several testing sessions at Silhouette Kart track and several visits to Monash University, the team entered the competition today with a good vibe.

With a delayed start to proceedings, the team got in line for srutineering. After a mixed day of weather, the team passed the technical inspection aspect of scrutineering with only a minor modification to the brake over-travel switch required. The team will go in tomorrow for the noise test, tilt test, and brake test, followed by the static events.

Thanks again to Silhouette and Monash for the use of testing/workshop facilities, it's much appreciated.

Keep a look out tomorrow for the days events.

Testing at Silhouette

The team have now headed over the ditch to undergo final preparations for next weekends competition. Monash University have once again hosted the team within their workshop facilities whilst the M09 has come together for one final week of work.

Skid-pad testing was on the agenda today as drivers Mike Male and Gareth Williamson both continue to get up to speed with this event. With the day coming to an end, the Auckland contingent will be heading to a local go-kart track to continue their testing regime tomorrow.

We will continue to update you with the teams activities over the next week. Watch this space!

Last week has been an extremely busy week for the team. In the M09's final days in the country, testing, whether static or dynamic, has occured daily. Parallel to this, a set of spare parts have also been under production.

In the early hours of Monday, work on the M09 ceased. After a thorough clean, it was strapped onto the floor of the crate. With just over five cubic metres of space, the team packed a myriad of tools, spares, and raw materials that totalled 1100kg. Later that afternoon, the team farewelled the M09, as it headed to the airport. Having being flown over this morning, the team hopes to be able to retrieve the car on Thursday when the first group arrives. Friday will see the drivers and a senior team head over and set-up the car in preparation for competition. The remainder of the team heads over mid next week.

The crate loaded on the truck ready for transport to the airport.

The competition itself begins on Thursday the 10th, concluding on Sunday the 13th. The first hurdle for the team is to get through technical inspections, as well as passing brake, noise, and tilt tests. Friday will see the design team set out to prove the M09 on paper. The Business Presentation and Cost Event will aslo be run around this time. Dynamic events commence on the Saturday with acceleration, autocross, and skidpad. The competition reaches a climax on Sunday with the endurance event, which includes a fuel efficiency component. Our progress will be updated on our website, so keep an eye out.

1st Prize: The Formula Challenge Experience - Cushla Ker

2nd Prize: Route 66 Vouchers - James Ledingham

3rd Prize: Formula E Sessions - Simon Male

Thanks to  everyone who showed their support and bought a ticket. We really appreciate it!

Thanks also to Formula Challenge, Route 66, and Formula E for donating the prizes.

On the night of Tuesday, the 17th of November, the M09 was officially launched at the Faculty of Engineering. The event was very well attended with around 150 attendees, including the Dean of Engineering and University Vice Chancellor.

The night kicked off with doors opening to sponsors and families to come and mingle with the team. For some team members, it was the first time in nearly a month they had a opportunity to catch up with family. Formalities began with a wrap up of the years work by Team Leader Ollie Smith, accompanied with a short video (see below). This was followed by brief words from the Head of Mechanical Department Professor Gordon Mallinson, Dean of Engineering Professor Michael Davies, and finally from the University Vice Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon.

The night concluded with Business Manager Mike Male and associate Dasan Ker presenting a business proposal. This involves marketing the M09 to a manufacturing company, and is an integral part of the competition. With less than four weeks to go before competition, the presentation, as well as the question and answer session, were invaluable experience for the duo.

We would like to thank all sponsors, university staff, family and friends who came to see the result of our work this year. We still have a fortnight of very hard work ahead of us, with the car being shipped to Australia on December 1st.

The gallery contains some more photos of the event and the complete M09. We've also put up full technical specifications for the M09 now that has been launched officially.

Once again the team has organised a raffle to help raise funds for this years competition.

Thanks to Formula Challenge, Route 66, and Formula E Indoor Raceway for the following fabulous prizes:

1st: A true motorsport experience at Taupo Motorsport Track courtesy of Formula Challenge.

2nd: Clothing vouchers for Route 66, the ultimate jeans store in the heart of Newmarket.

3rd: Two sessions for five at Formula E Indoor Raceway, home to NZ's premiere indoor electric go-karts. 

The team has worked hard all year and is now less than three weeks away from freighting the car over. This raffle will help cover the associated costs of the freight and competition entry fees.

If you would like to show your support, you can purchase a ticket for $5.00 from any team member, or contact our Business Manager Mike at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The draw will take place on Monday the 30th of November.

Last Wednesday the team had the privilege to present to the Mechanical Engineering Group (MEG) of the Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand (IPENZ). Team Leader Ollie Smith, Powertrain Chief Engineer Nick Rogers, and Vehicle Dynamics Chief Engineer Malcolm Graham presented aspects of the car to a group engineers spanning many different industries.

The presentation was organised by the current chairman of the MEG, Win Miskelly.  Win attended the presentation at Te Papa, and was so impressed that he organised a repeat event for the IPENZ members in Auckland. On the whole, the evening was very successful and gave the team some useful feedback and contacts. Also, on the night Win presented the team with a contribution from IPENZ, for which we are extremely grateful. On behalf of the team, thank you Win for organizing the event, and to all those in attendance.

Wednesday night saw sponsors and family members alike gear up to take on each other and the team in an indoor karting competition. 

The event was held at Formula E - home of NZ’s fastest and premiere electric indoor karts - where drivers competed in a Le Mans styled event. With a great showing of 40 drivers, the field was split evenly into ten teams of four. To keep the teams as even as possible, team members were randomly assigned to duets of family members and sponsors. In an 80 lap sprint to the finish, each driver had two ten lap stints to complete before the final flag dropped.

Pit straight

Pit straight

Perhaps the most exciting part of the racing, particularly for spectators, was the pit stops. Once drivers were signaled to come in, they had one final lap before entering the pits to release their teammate who was ready waiting in a ‘sister’ kart.

The event, a first of its kind for the team, allowed sponsors (and their families), families of team members, and the team to mingle in an informal environment. This created a very relaxed environment allowing us to share laughs and strengthen our relationships.

Pitlane

Turn 2

The race was won by the team from Aquacut 2000 accompanied by driver and Business Manager Mike Male. The top three teams were awarded special F:SAE:47 trophies, custom made for the occasion. The driver with the fastest lap was also awarded a trophy. Luckily for the team, Workshop Foreman Ashton Thomas was able to punch out the quickest time and maintain the teams dignity. Congratulations to all prize winners and big thanks to everyone for coming out to make it such a fun event. 

The nights' Champions

Runner-up team

The fastest lap by a non team member went to Rex from Aquacut.

The team would like to like to thank Formula E for the night’s hospitality. If you have a thirst for speed, we highly recommend you visit the Manukau based team.

On the weekend of the 19th and 20th of September, the M09 and the M07 Simulator were on display as the team showcased their designs at this years Speedshow held at the ASB Showgrounds.

The simulator proved ever popular and there was much interested in the this years M09. Many members of the public commented on how refreshing it was to see a car with all of the ‘working parts’ naked for examination.

M07 Simulator

Newly born M09.

 The team’s innovative carbon wheel and V-Twin also proved to be items of interest; especially among those with with a mind similar to our young engineers.

F:SAE:47 would like to thank Speedshow for accommodating us and congratulate the organisers on running such a fantastic event. The exposure the team managed to gain was huge and we hope to be back next year for Speedshow 2010.

See the Speedshow website for more event info. Pictures courtesy of Performance Car NZ.

Last year the team set the very optimistic goal of having a running car at the start of September, and the 2008 car ran its maiden laps on the 3rd of September, many weeks ahead of any previous UoA vehicle. In 2009, despite major redesigns over a significant portion of the car, we aimed for the same goal, and in the  early hours of the 8th of September the car turned a wheel under its own power for the first time. Once again this puts us in great stead for preparation for the FSAE-A competition in December, and with an experienced and highly motivated team this is set to be our most competitive entry yet.

Paul gets ready to launch the M09 for the first time.

At first weigh in the car was a trim 170kg - light enough for two team members to lift on and off the chassis table! This is nearly 60kg less than what the completed M08 weighed, and should remain under 185kg once all body work and other finishing touches are added.

The team now moves on to shake-down testing, to find any bugs in the car; before the all important tuning and development stage, where the car and drivers will be honed on a series of standard test tracks the team has developed - allowing a direct performance comparison between the M08 and the M09.

The team put in numerous late nights to achieve this milestone.	There was always a job to be done in the last week of the build.
The M09 on the ground courtesy of a temporary loan of unsprung from the M08	The team stands around in anticipation of the M09's birth.

The University had a record attendance for the annual courses and careers day late last month,  when thousands of prospective students toured the City campus to see the opportunities the University of Auckland has to offer. Each faculty hosted a myriad of interesting displays, Engineering being no exception.

20 Symonds street was buzzing with interest and enthusiasm over what the University can offer those interested in Engineering. As quoted by the Faculty, “each of the departments showcased their skills and expertise through a wealth of interactive displays, laboratory tours and topical seminars; giving prospective students a taste of what it means to be at the forefront of Engineering”. The Formula SAE team were showcasing our 2007 simulator which proved a crowd favourite, prospective students and parents alike keen to get a closer look the little blue race car positioned in the centre of the event.

In addition to those drawn in by the simulator the team were very pleased with the amount of interest students had in the engineering aspect of Formula SAE. A steady stream of well thought out questions throughout the weekend gave team members on hand the opportunity to explain our designs as well as give students a bit of advice on University life and a little more insight into an Engineering degree.

The team recently featured in ‘The Aucklander’, which was sent out last week. 

The article, written by reporter Andrea Warmington, was published on page fourteen of the NZ Herald released paper. Team Leader Ollie Smith and Business Manager Mike Male were interviewed by Andrea at the workshop, and later photographed with the M08. The article provided another means of raising the profile of Formula SAE and the team in the Auckland Region.  

For a PDF version of the article, click here.

Last Wednesday evening the team held their tech night, to showcase off their accomplishments to their sponsors and families. 

The event opened with light conversations between sponsors and team members. The team provided insight into their projects and explained what they have achieved. “It (the session) was a great way for our sponsors to see one on one what they have helped make happen" said team leader Ollie Smith.

Afterwards, Chief Engineers Malcolm Graham and Nick Rogers gave a presentation about the project as a whole, with a run down of the technology and development that goes into building and racing the car. The tech nights are a great way to display to the sponsors how far the team has progressed since 2004. “The car is starting to take shape and we are proud of what wave achieved and want to show our sponsors and families that we could only have done this with their support”, says Malcolm.

Nick Rogers added "tech nights are a great way for the engineers to show off their talents to future employers". Since its inception in 2004, FSAE has provided numerous skilled graduates to high tech New Zealand based firms such as Flotech and Rivers Carbon.

Five team members set off to revisit the Te Papa museum in Wellington on 14th and 15th of August. The trip proved to be a great platform to ‘launch’ our new supporters club.

Much like the expo we attended a month earlier, the M08 had a prominent display in the front atrium of Te Papa. There was widespread interest from both the public and other exhibitors. This interest was further sparked by the two seminars that the team presented; one on Saturday and the other on Sunday.

The team was fortunate enough to be invited by IPENZ to present a ten minute case study to around fifty experienced engineers.  Chief Engineers Malcolm Graham and Nick Rogers gave a detailed case study respectively on unsprung and power train design. Business Manager Mike Male concluded with presenting a sponsorship opportunity.

Mike, along with Malcolm and Nick, during the IPENZ presentation.

Sunday brought with it a new crowd and another presentation. This presentation was opened for the public and was held in the large Soundings Theatre. Hamish Shaw and the presenters from Saturday focused on the Formula SAE design process and how we as a team operate. This was followed by a question and answer segment.

Both presentations were well received and many positive comments were made.

The team would like to thank Te Papa museum, the team from IPENZ and the Bruce McLaren Trust for all their support over the two weekends.

Alongside long hours at the workshop, the team has also been busy raising the profile of Formula SAE.  As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the team made a trip down to Wellington to exhibit the M08 at Te Papa for the opening weekend of the Formula One “The Great Design Race” Exhibition.  As a part of this exhibition, the team will again venture down to Wellington to participate in the “Working on Design” weekend on the 15th and 16th of August.  Chief Engineers Malcolm Graham and Nick Rogers will give a short seminar about designing a Formula SAE car and the competition itself, followed by a question and answer session to allow the public to get a better idea of what Formula SAE is all about.

At a more local level, the team again made an appearance at the Coke Careers Expo held at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane from 6th to 8th August.  Standing alongside the University, it gave the team a chance to show current high school students the opportunities available to them if they proceed to tertiary education at the University of Auckland.  Attracting in excess of fifteen thousand patrons, the expo is also attended by recent graduates, the developing workforce and workers in career transitions, as well as anyone else interested in the career prospects available in today’s economy.

The M06 displayed at the Coke Careers Expo

Coming  up on the horizon, the team will be exhibiting again at the annual Speedshow, to be held at the ASB Showgrounds on the 19th and 20th of September.  Exhibiting alongside the world’s fastest NASCAR and the unique Kiwi-developed Synergy V8 engine, the show is covered extensively by the media, with The Sunday Star Times, The Sunday News, New Zealand Autocar, Radio Hauraki and Radio Sport all onboard as sponsors and partners.  The Speedshow attracts national patrons, with twenty-four percent of visitors from outside Auckland.  The only show to have a bigger appeal nationally is the Big Boys Toys exhibition usually held in November.  However, due to the tough economic climate, the show has been cancelled.

The team is also set to make an appearance in The Aucklander as part of a drive for more media coverage in the Auckland region. Reporter Andrea Warmington visited the workshop and interviewed team members about the Formula SAE experience. Keep reading The Aucklander for our article.

The M07, recently converted into a simulator, made its maiden appearance in the UoA Engineering Building last Wednesday and Thursday. Placed prominently between the Engineering Cafe and Study Area, it attracted both students and staff alike.  It gave fellow students the chance to step into an actual UoA Formula SAE vehicle and drive around the endurance track from the 2008 Formula SAE  Australasia competition. 

The simulator in action in the engineering cafe.

With the M07 no longer in a operating state, the team decided to turn the shell into a simulator to help with driver training and to allow the public to experience the thrill of racing a Formula SAE car.

The team approached computer control technology company Logitech who instantaneously liked the idea. They gratuitously supplied us with G25 and Driving Force GT Racing Wheels, as well as a EX130 wireless keyboard and mouse combo and a X230 speaker and subwoofer set.

This provided the foundation for operating the simulator, though the heart of it had not yet been sourced. The University of Auckland Electrical and Computer Engineering Department donated a computer and monitor to complete the needs required to make a simulator. 

The simulator uses the lifelike simulation game Live For Speed to model the driving experience of racing around the Formula SAE Australasia 2008 Endurance course layout. The game, developed only four years ago by three individuals, has a Formula SAE vehicle with similar handling characteristics to the M08 already in the garage. This gives the public a unique opportunity to experience an extremely realistic stint.

The conversion process was given a head start with the M07 already in pieces. The engine block was removed to make way for the Logitech 20W RMS subwoofer. The cylinder heads, as well as the intake and exhaust manifolds, were fixed in place to maintain elements of realism. To keep an authentic feel to the M07, the original steering wheel was retained. The guts of the G25 were pulled and placed in the nose cone and linked via a modified steering column. The pedalbox was replaced by the G25 pedals mounted to a sliding tray. The clutch is actuated using the vehicles original clutch lever. The cooling system in the sidepod was discarded and replaced by the computer. Thanks also go Mag & Turbo Warehouse Panmure for fitting the tyres to a refurbished set of rims.

The guts of a G25 wheel was placed in the nose cone.

The heart of the simulator was placed in the left sidepod.

The entire project of going from petrol to virtual provided an enriching learning experience for the team. Thanks to Logitech the excitement of driving a F:SAE:47 vehicle will be available to the public at Formula E in Manukau.

The team was recently invited to the Formula 1 'The Great Design Race' Exhibition at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Six team members made the lengthy trek down the North Island to display the M08. We were lucky to be in a premium spot in the foyer next to the McLaren M8A Can-Am car, where all the museum patrons were directed past the stand.

The car was displayed during the first weekend of the exhibition, the 17^th to 19^th of July. Team members were generally busy with a lot of interest in the car and the team. Apart from the general public, it was a pleasure to talk to some of the children and teenagers. and introduce engineering as a possible career path for those interested in what our team does in general.

The team will be back again from the 14^th through to the 16^th of August to partake in a discussion on open wheel race car design in NZ. Members will present a brief overview of how the M08 was designed and general open wheeled concepts to a large audience of both the general public and those already involved in motorpsort.

The team would like to thank Marion, Richard and Jean for the accommodation, Janelle from Te Papa, and the Bruce McLaren Trust for all of their hard work getting us down there and their organisation throughout the weekend. The group had a lot of fun and encourage everyone to attempt to get to the exhibition.

For more photographs of the weekend, click here.

The electrical team has been making good progress towards designing the subsystems to be used on the M09, namely the electronic gear shifter, inertial measurement unit (IMU - 6 axis accelerometer and gyros) and power distribution/control board. Without wanting to disclose too much at this stage, we expect these will enhance the M09 by allowing easy selection of Neutral (generally difficult with most electronic/pneumatic shifters) and increased flexibility with a reconfigurable power distribution board. We're also beginning to do a small redesign of the 2008 dash to minimise size and component count. Preparation for the wiring harness is also underway, with a large order of items needed to construct it expected to arrive from our sponsor RS Components any day.

2009 shifter prototype board

2008 dash (MK1)

Credit must go to the University of Auckland ECE Department for putting up with our many requests for multiple prototype boards, and Advanced Circuits, for manufacturing the funky red PCBs seen above.

We'd also like to thank two companies who have specifically helped us out with the electrical side of the car:

Firstly, Saleae have very generously supplied us with one of their Logic logic analysers. This allows us to monitor a serial channel and work out what data is being sent with a certain protocol (eg, Serial Peripheral Interface/SPI and similar). These things are fantastic for simple prototyping work and design, we're using it currently to assist in the development of the power distribution board. We also have plans to try it as a portable digital oscilloscope for assisting in diagnosing engine management issues with the synchronisation of cam and crank angle sensor pulses. They're usb powered and tiny, meaning all we'll need is a laptop and the Logic, rather than an AC supply and a long extension cable.

Saleae Logic

Secondly, Hella has kindly provided us with a large number of items for the wiring harness such as battery isolation switches and LED brake lights as well as a plethora of cable ties to keep it all tidy.

Hella goodies!

Stay tuned for more updates in the next fortnight from each team.

Alongside sitting exams and manufacturing the M09 monocoque, the team has begun the process of selecting and training potential drivers for the competition in December. Due to competition rules limiting the amount of events one driver can compete in, each team requires at least five drivers.

The first outing took place in mid-May shortly after new team members had been welcomed in, and acted as a team building experience as well. The venue was the Action Raceway at Silverdale. The objective of the session was to post the best time, and see how it stacked up against the times of our regular drivers. The end of the session resulted in a shortlist of potentials and a good time for all.

Team members running around the Action Raceway indoor kart track in Silverdale.

The next instalment of selection was driving a Rotax 125cc kart around the Mt Wellington Kart Track, courtesy of Business Manager Mike Male. This allowed us to see how the guys handled a more powerful vehicle before stepping into a FSAE car.

The most recent session of training was a testing session down at Champion Dragway in Meremere. This was the first chance this year’s ‘possibles’ to have a drive in an FSAE car. Workshop Foreman Ashton Thomas and Drivetrain Leader Gareth Williamson both had a spin in the M04 under the watchful eyes of Race Engineer Paul Wood-Stotesbury. The M08 was also run by Powertrain Chief Engineer Nick Rogers.

Ashton test drives the M04 under the watchful eyes of Paul and Ashley.

Nick and Richie look over the M08 set-up before it is run.

The Environmental Affairs Team recently finished constructing a new steel rack which will hold all of our steel and aluminium stock. This rack will allow us to better organise our materials and reduce the time needed to find a suitable piece for the job at hand. It also ensures that our workshop is a safer place to be building a race car.

The team owes many thanks to Canadian Pacific Limited for providing the steel for the project and to Absolute Blast for the anti corrosive zinc coating which will ensure the rack serves the team for many terms to come.

With the car entering the first stages of its build, the University of Auckland Formula SAE team is progressing nicely towards its goal of winning the 2009 F-SAE-A competition in Melbourne in December. Over the past fortnight, the team has been working on its monocoque mould at Rivers Carbon in Onehunga, Auckland. Chassis team leader Lee King is very happy with progress and is looking forward to finishing the mould. Thanks must go to Jackson Electrical for machining the plug and Rivers Carbon for allowing us to use their facilities.

F-SAE-A has recently announced that E85 biofuel blend will be available at the competition in December. This is a major boost for the University of Auckland team who submitted a proposal for this fuel to be available in 2008. Much hard work will now be required to get the car running well on this ethanol blend fuel.

With a goal to have the car running in September, there is plenty of work still to be done but the team feels that they have it under control, especially as the new members of the team begin to contribute more and more.

Events are also planned for the near future with a cocktail night or dinner and charity auction in the pipeline to raise funds and promote the team. There will also be the traditional car launch and open night at the workshop.

The team is also pleased to announce that major sponsor Flotech has reconfirmed for 2009. This is a huge boost for the team. We would like to thank Flotech and all our sponsors, for their continued support and assistance.

The weather turned it on for the draw of the raffle, which took place outside the Mt Wellington Rebel Sport store. The results, as drawn by the store manager, are:

1^st Prize: DeWALT XRP Cordless 18V Power Tools Pack

Manoj Kumar

2^nd Prize: Skycity Grand Luxury Suite Package

Jian Chew

3^rd Prize: $100 MTA Vouchers

Audsley Jones

Bonus Prizes: Burger Wisconsin Vouchers

Kate Blewett

Kirsten Harty

Gwen Lemon

Rimon Nissan

Trevor Roberts

Thanks to DeWALT, Skycity, Burger Wisconsin, and David McLister for the wonderful prizes, and to Mt Wellington Rebel Sport for hosting us on multiple occassions.

Lastly, thank you all for making the raffle a successful endeavour for the team.

Our fundraising raffle is being drawn tomorrow outside Rebel Sport, Mt Wellington. The team will be present holding a sausage sizzle, with the raffle being drawn at 4pm.

The winners will be posted here on our website and contacted directly.

The University of Auckland F:SAE team won the Outsource IT Domain Hillclimb with an overall time of 21.8 seconds, 0.7 seconds faster than the second placed car.

Last year the team struggled with the rain and this threatened to ruin the day again this year, with the wet tires being used for the first two runs. However, the rain stopped and stayed away and the team were able to complete their remaining four runs on their normal tires.

After problems with traction control in the second run followed by a rough start in the third, the team along with driver Ashley Blewett turned in the fastest time of the day on the fourth run as Blewett piloted the car near-perfectly up the hill to put the team into first.

With two runs remaining, the goal became the team's all time course record of 21.6 seconds. Unfortunately this was not to be. Even with a drying track, the team could not push the car any faster on the day.They did finish with the top few times of the day, however.

Victory in the Domain Hillclimb is another great success for the University of Auckland F:SAE team and provides the team with a mid-year competitive boost.

The team would like to thank the Historic Racing Club for organising the meet and all our sponsors for making our participation possible and their continued support.

We've put some pictures up in our gallery here, more will follow as we sort through the ones we have! If you do have any good photos of us and the M08 at the Hillclimb and wouldn't mind sharing, we'd love to have them as we're unfortunately engineering students, not photographers! Send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The annual Auckland Domain Hillclimb is taking place this Sunday 26th of April. We have attended this event for the past few years and it's always a great day out (dampened only by the weather). The M06 is the current course recordholder and we hope to better this time with the newer M08 car.

We will be there all day, so please do come come and have a chat and a look at the car between runs - we do appreciate the interest and love talking about our car!

As part of our annual fundraising, we're holding a raffle thanks to the generous support of DeWalt, Sky City and Burger Wisconsin .

Prizes:
1st prize
Dewalt XRP 18V Power Tools pack .

2nd prize
One night stay for two in a Sky City Grand Luxury Suite.

3rd prize
$100 worth of MTA Fuel vouchers.

Bonus prizes
5 x Burger Wisconsin Vouchers

Proceeds from the raffle will go towards the costs of building the car and shipping it to the competition in Australia.

The raffle will be drawn on the 3rd of May 2009.

If you wish to make a contribution to the team by buying a raffle ticket for the cost of $5, please contact Ollie at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Progress is beginning to gain momentum with the completion of our Environmental Management Plan and the arrival of some bio-ethanol from Gull.

Our Environmental Management Plan outlines the steps we intend to take over the coming year to become more environmentally friendly.  The plan covers waste reduction, E85 (85% bio‐ethanol) implementation, organised transport, energy savings and education.

Now that we have bio-ethanol, testing can begin on fuel components and materials which we plan to use. As ethanol is more corrosive than petrol we need to take extra care when choosing and using materials. Data on Australian E85 needs to be collected in order for us to duplicate its properties when we mix our own blend of E85. The closer we can reproduce the conditions in the Australia the better prepared we will be.

In other news we have recently acquired numerous plastic containers from the inorganic collection which will be used for organising recycling, metal scraps and swarf. We are also looking for a compost bin to deal with our food scraps and other suitable organic matter.

Check out our new Environmental section to download our Environmental Management Plan and Bio-ethanol Proposal to FSAE-A

The 2009 University of Auckland Formula SAE Team is currently looking for enthusiastic new members. Being a part of the team is one of the most exciting and rewarding things you can do at University. We are one of approximately 500 teams from around the world who compete in this hugely successful, internationally renowned competition.

How can you benefit from being a part of the team?
The vast skill set that you will learn as a team member is incredibly valuable when you graduate. We also have contacts with many engineering and commercial companies, giving you a head start when finding a job. We also have a lot of fun!

What might you be involved in?
- Engineering Design using theory and computer modelling programs such as CAD, FEA and CFD.
- Machining, fabrication and construction.
- People, project and event management
- Car development and testing
- Fundraising and budgeting
- Teamwork
- Additionally, you will have the opportunity to learn about:
    - Engines, Electronics, Aerodynamics, Suspension and Composites, as well as other mechanical concepts.

Who should apply?
If you are self motivated, keen to learn and like to be part of a team then Formula SAE could be for you. We are specifically looking for 1st and 2nd years: NO experience necessary! You do not need to know a lot about cars or be an expert machinist. This project is about engineering design, not racing cars, and we are all here to learn.
Don't pass this opportunity by, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and explain why you want to join. Please do so by Saturday 7th March as we will be holding interviews during week 2.

The team recently held an event to celebrate the success of the M08 and to allow our valued sponsors their first ever chance to drive one of the team's cars. The M04, the first car built by the UoA FSAE team, was driven by a number of sponsors who were all thrilled by the experience. The event took place at the Mt Wellington Go Kart track, which was coned-up to better replicate an FSAE style course.

Those in attendance we then treated to a rare sight, the M04 and M08 engaging in a head-to-head pursuit battle. Team member Paul Wood-Stotesbury had a head start of about 15 seconds in the M04, before Ashley Blewett engaged the launch control on the M08, dropped the clutch and took off after him. Both drivers pushed the cars to the limit, an impressive sight for all those watching, with Ashley managing to catch up and pass Paul at the begining of the 5th lap. 

Another first was the appearance of all the cars ever built by the team, two of which had been rebuilt, albiet to a show-only state, by team members over the last month. The team would like to thank all the sponsors who attended, and hope those who weren't able to make it will be able to come along to the next event.

Bruce and Daniel from Fletcher Construction

Start of the Pursuit

M08 reeling in the M04

The team and the M08, M07, M05/6, and M04

Following a short break over Christmas and New Years, the team is now back in full swing for what promises to be a busy 2009. From a team of 42 at the end of 2008, around 20 members will continue in 2009. This leaves us with a strong group of people to put in the groundwork for the 2009 car. For 2009 we have decided to split the team into more subgroups, hopefully to take some pressure off those in management positions. Recruitment for new members will be taking place early in March so for those who are interested, keep an ear out. The 2009 team management is listed below:

Team Leader: Ollie Smith

Business Manager: Mike Male

Chief Engineer (Chassis and Dynamics): Malcolm Graham

Chief Engineer (Powertrain): Nick Rogers

Environmental Affairs Manager: Dan Leighton 

Aero Subgroup Leader: Matt Graeme

Chassis Subgroup Leader: Lee King

Drivetrain Subgroup Leader: Gareth Williamson

Electrical Subgroup Leader: Jeffrey Hawke

Engine Subgroup Leader: James Muir

Suspension Subgroup Leader: Ashley Blewett

This year the team will continue to strive to again complete a car as early as possible, aiming to have a running car in early September. Having learnt a lot from our experience last year, we will again be pushing hard to return to Australia with our most competitive car yet. With that goal in mind, design and testing are currently taking place for the M09 at a fast pace with designs looking more and more like a car each day. 

Alongside the design for the new car, the team is also working hard to return the older cars to their former glory. With the M08 returning damaged from Australia,  the engine and gearbox have been replaced and the car should be running again very soon. Also, the team is working to reinstate the M07 and M06 cars as rolling bodies to showcase the history of the team. The teams first car, the M04, continues to soldier on, though is not exempt from some TLC of its own. 

On top of all of this, the team has a busy calendar of events throughout January and February. We recently took an almost complete M08 down to the A1Gp in Taupo, which generated a lot of interest in the car and the project. Also, the team also has plans to attend the Paeroa Street Race, Orientation Week at the University of Auckland and is holding a special event for the team's sponsors next week.

Essentially, everyone at the moment is flat tack working on various areas of the 2009 campaign. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors for your generous support of the 2008 campaign. Without your support we would be unable to take part in Formula SAE and we are immensely greatful for the opportunity. To those sponsors who will continue with us in 2009, we thank you in advance for your continued support, especially in the current economic climate. 

We will be keeping you posted on progress in the months to come so until then, best wishes for 2009 and watch this space!