LAND
PROVING GROUND
The Formula Society of Automotive Engineers ’ ( SAE ) engineering design competition tests cars for acceleration , braking , speed ( a 1-mile autocross race ) and endurance ( a 14-mile course ). Of the 90 + universities that compete , many teams don ’ t make it to the endurance challenge , and only 30 percent of those actually complete it .
TRITON RACINGEST . 1997
CUSTOM-MADE AND BUILT FROM SCRATCH , these Formula One-style race cars are designed , manufactured and driven entirely by undergrads . They ’ re no slouch either — 110 horsepower brings these hot rods from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds . And while professional racers can cost millions , these students do it with roughly $ 50,000 , thanks to the support of sponsors .
MEMBERS
About 35 students each year , split between five subsystems — Aerodynamics , Chassis , Electrical , Powertrain and Suspension .
SPEED RACERS ( Above ) Triton Racing members show off their speed machine with advisors Carlos Coimbra and Rob Shanahan ( front , from left ) and Albert P . Pisano , dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering ( center ).
EQUIPMENT
Over the past two decades , the team has built 14 cars . For their 2019 car , the team decreased the wheel diameter , went with a narrower track width between the two tires and built a lower-slung chassis . Their car weighed 50 pounds less than previous machines , and had a lower center of gravity , just 11 inches off the ground — a lean , mean speed machine .
Triton Racing zoomed into eighth place out of 80 teams in the 2017 and 2018 competitions , making them the top-performing SAE team in the state of California .
BIGGEST CHALLENGE
Nadia Casper , Triton Racing president : “ It ’ s always a matter of making sure our five subsystems work together properly , functionally and efficiently to create a race car that is fast , lightweight and can handle corners .”
WHAT I ' VE LEARNED
“ Over four years on the team , I ’ ve gained technical , manufacturing and leadership skills , and learned everything from design software to welding and machining . And the leadership skills , of course — I would have never learned so much in a class .”
TEAM HIGHLIGHT
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