University News Last updated 02 August 2011
A motorsports team from Birmingham City University has been speeding round Silverstone in a car they designed and built.
The students from BSc (Hons) Motorsports Technology course took part in an international competition held at the racetrack, called Formula Student, which attracted teams from as far afield as Greece, Prague and Budapest.
The students were led by the only woman on the team, Kerrie Davis (23). Formula Student is the world’s biggest student motorsport event, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Teams from 34 countries worldwide participated in the challenge which involved designing, building and racing a single-seater racing car from scratch. The competition is in its 14th year, and this year took place between Thursday 14 and Sunday 17 July 2011.
Car faced a series of tests
The team from Birmingham City University was put through their paces in seven separate tests which examined not just how fast their car was, but also tested their vehicle’s design, cost-effectiveness and acceleration. However, the Birmingham City University team excelled at the presentation test which was a ‘Dragon’s Den’ type demonstration designed to persuade investors to back their race team. The University impressed the judges and came joint 27 out of 77.
Head of the University’s School of Engineering, Design and Manufacturing Systems, Parmjit Chima, said: “Formula Student is an integral part of the University’s Motorsport Technology degree course and it gives students real world experience of working for a race team, and the opportunity to develop their management, design and manufacturing skills.”
Competition backed by Formula One team principal
Formula Student Patron, Ross Brawn OBE,Team Principal, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team said: “What I find most appealing about Formula Student is the innovation that it encourages, as the competition rules give the entrants a lot of design freedom. This results in many different solutions to the same issues.
“Having worked my way up, I appreciate that to develop a good grounding in engineering, practical experience is essential. Formula Student combines hands-on practical applications with students’ academic studies, but also gives experience in vital skills such as budgeting, project management and team work.”
Birmingham City University is running a major awareness campaign in the Midlands to demonstrate how it is upgrading the future of individuals and companies. From Monday 11 April you will be able to find out more at www.bcu.ac.uk