BELLINGHAM - Teams from Western Washington University's Vehicle Research Institute fared exceptionally well at a pair of recent competitions hosted and sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers, with each team posting its best-ever finish.
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| Western Washington University's Viking 43 Formula SAE Team |
Western's Formula SAE team finished sixth overall at the Formula SAE West competition on June 25 and 26 at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. WWU's team actually finished the static events in the overall lead, and its car, Viking 43, was the first WWU vehicle to complete every event at Formula SAE in more than a decade and was the first to WWU vehicle to ever make the design finals at a Formula SAE competition. While limited to a top speed of 100 mph, the Viking 43 can reach 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds.
VRI Director Eric Leonhardt, an associate professor of Engineering Technology at WWU, said the top finishes at both events highlight the fact that the VRI teams are producing some of the most advanced student-built, student-designed vehicles in the world.
"What these students learn in the year they work on the car - teamwork, project management, working within a budget, working within a timeline - are lessons they'll take with them long after the competition is over," he said. "Both teams did an amazing job, and I'm really proud of them."
For more information on the SAE Mini-Baja or Formula SAE events, or the VRI, call Eric Leonhardt at (360) 650-7266 or e-mail eric.leonhardt@wwu.edu.
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