14 June 2011

Racing team get new wheels

Photo opportunity: 2pm on Wednesday, 15th June at Fulton Building, University of Dundee. The DRIVE team will accept a new trailer donated by Duncan McIntosh Trailers.

DRIVE, the University of Dundee's Formula Student motor racing team, will tomorrow take delivery of a new, purpose-built trailer.

Specially built and donated by Brechin-based firm Duncan McIntosh Trailers, the trailer is designed to be towed by either a small car or a large van. It sits low on the ground to enable the loading and unloading of racing cars to be easily undertaken by two people.

The company’s Ian McIntosh worked closely with the team to build the trailer and spent many hours taking measurements and making sketches before the final design was agreed.

Mr McIntosh said he was delighted to be backing the team. He will be at the Fulton Building, University of Dundee, at 2pm on Wednesday, 15th June, to hand the trailer over to members of the DRIVE team.

'It was great to be able to work on such an exciting project,' he said. 'Although we sell trailers for all sorts of vehicles, it's not every day that someone wants one for such a lightweight and experimental racing car.

'The trailer itself is also lightweight and low but unlike the racing car it is restricted to the national speed limits!'

Dr Alan Slade, of the University’s Mechanical Engineering department and DRIVE’s Academic Co-ordinator, said the team were extremely grateful for the sponsorship from Duncan McIntosh Trailers.

'Ian and the other members of staff have put a lot of hours into designing the trailer, and we appreciate the help that they have given us,' he said.

'Everyone involved with the team is looking forward to putting it to the test over the coming months as we attend various shows across the country, as well as heading down to the Formula Student race event at Silverstone in July.'

Formula Student promotes careers and excellence in engineering by providing the students with a real-life exercise in design and manufacture and the business elements of automotive engineering.

It gives practical experience of working as a team, under pressure and to tight timescales. There are lots of late nights and many frustrations and challenges along the way, but the net result is the development of highly talented young engineers.

DRIVE helps further the reputation of the University and provide its students with a unique opportunity to experience a 'real world' challenge and develop the skills learnt in the lecture theatre.

The project is run by students who dedicate time outside their courses to design, build and race the Formula-style car. The ultimate aim of DRIVE is to prepare students for the challenges and problems that the real world may throw at them and to produce better educated and well rounded engineering graduates.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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