7 November 2011
DRIVE team to take to the track at Knockhill
(Teams will be at Knockhill from 9 am Tues 8th Nov, live demos on track from noon)
The University of Dundee's Formula Student motor racing team, DRIVE, will go up against other Formula Student teams from across Scotland in a live race at Knockhill Racing Circuit on Tuesday, 8th November.
The Formula Student Scotland Track Day Event has been organised at Knockhill, who are the sponsors of all Scottish teams this season. This means that they will provide the use of their testing facilities free of charge to the teams, who will all come together for the event next week.
Teams representing the Universities of Heriot Watt, Dundee, Strathclyde, Glasgow and Aberdeen, will begin the day by making a five-minute presentation setting out the details of their car, design plans, and aspirations for the coming season.
Live car demonstrations will then take place on the Knockhill track itself, while testing facilities will be provided as required. The day gives teams the chance to have a close look at their rivals and test their cars out against each other in a time-trial environment.
Dr Alan Slade, of the University’s Mechanical Engineering department and DRIVE’s Academic Co-ordinator, said the Track Day represented a great chance for the students to test their creation on a real race track.
'This is a good opportunity for the team to get some valuable practice in, and it’s great that Knockhill are sponsoring all the Scottish teams by giving free track time,' he said.
'This will actually be the last time the 2011 car is raced as it will be undergoing extensive modification to enable the team to retain their No. 1 status in Scotland, at Silverstone next July. We’ll also be taking part in other events between now and then using the 2010 car which we will also be taking to Knockhill so that people can see the progression of our cars.
'The cars are definitely getting better every year. The team is learning from experience every year, and we are developing a new fuel system for 2012.'
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. It demands total commitment, 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 has been set up to further the reputation of the University, and to 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, test and finally 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 further information on the team Telephone 01382 385160 or e-mail DRIVE@dundee.ac.uk.
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902 |
