April 2, 2009

September 28, 2008

September 17, 2008

We are happy to report that we have gotten our new engine running. There are still a few bugs to work out, but we were very excited to finally hear it rev. Getting to this point means that in the last few weeks we have completed all of the plumbing for our fuel, coolant, and oil systems. The intake and exhaust systems are finished, and we were happy to find that our new intake system in its entirety flows %25 better than last year's venturi alone. Our wiring harness is finished, and we are currently working on programming our ECU. We should be on the dyno soon!

Today several members of VU motorsports headed over to Nashville Superspeedway to take part in an autocross event. The team was unfortunately not able to bring the 2008 FSAE car, but instead, four members brought their own cars to race. This was a great event to kick off driver training for the year. Getting track experience and learning tricks to autocross will prove valuable when the May FSAE competition comes. As for the freshmen who did not drive but also attended this event, they experienced what the autocross and endurance portions of the competition actually are by seeing it firsthand. At the end of the day, it was a fun learning experience for all the members who attended.

With a significant amount of research and design work being completed over the summer, the VU Motorsports team came back to school in August with determination to have the car finished earlier than any previous year. Due to this enthusiasm both from returning members and a large, already dedicated group of new members, work is being completed at a record setting pace. The entire chassis of the car will be completed within the week, and suspension/engine mounts to follow in the coming weeks.