Penn State’s Applied Research Lab (ARL) and the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics’ (ESM) Composite Manufacturing Technology Center (Composite Lab) provided key support to the Penn State Racing team this past school year. Professors Tom Juska of ARL and Chuck Bakis of ESM guided the team as they prepared for the annual Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) competition in May. The student-run group was tasked with designing and prototyping a formula-style race car for the competition.

Held at the Michigan International Speedway, the FSAE competition hosted 120 teams from across the globe that were judged on a variety of factors, including production cost, fuel economy, and a grueling endurance race. Penn State’s team was one of 19 competitors with a winged aero-package. This design included composite carbon-fiber front and rear wings and side pods and the car ranked competitively in many categories.

During a recent visit to campus, Congressman Glenn Thompson toured the College of Engineering’s Learning Factory, where the FSAE car is housed. ESM senior and FSAE team member Shawn Liang presented the car to Representative Thompson and described the students’ hands-on learning experience readying the car for competition.