FormulaDIT

A group of DIT student, made up of final year Manufacturing and Mechanical engineering, have just completed a successful entry in the five day international formula student competition at Silverstone in the UK.

The competition is the biggest educational motorsport event in Europe. It challenges university students to design and build a single seat racing car and compete with it in a series of static and dynamic events. The technology and performance of the cars is tested while each team has to demonstrate their understanding of the design and present their costs and business proposal. Teams are scored on their car's performance, on the engineering behind the design and on their overall business proposal

Competing against over 100 universities from around the world, the DIT team scored well in all categories, and had the third highest score in the "Special Task" exercise. Scoring an impressive 29 out of 30 for this task, which involved the design and manufacture of a brake pedal, the team received a commendation form the head judge in this category.

A better than mid-table finish in the overall rankings, for the Republic of Ireland's sole representative in this world class event, was a very creditable inaugural result. In DIT's first year of participation at this "Class 1" Level, our students competed against a field of teams from colleges most of whom have more than 10 years of competitive experience and iterative improvement at this level; many with very significant levels of sponsorship from such companies as Red Bull, Audi and Mercedes to name but a few. In this context, the DIT students' performance was all the more impressive.

Only 79 teams managed to make it through the gruelling scrutineering stage, of which the DIT was one. The teams goal this year, was to try to compete in all events, both static and dynamic, which they successfully achieved.

They team made it to the final day of the endurance test where the car handled very well. Unfortunately the aging (2003) Suzuki GSX 600 engine blew a piston and the car had to withdraw from the final race. Next year the team hope to purchase a new Yamaha 450cc engine around which they will build the new car.

John Wood, the president of the Institute of Mechanical engineers, is pictured above congratulating some of the team after they successfully passed scrutineering.

The student team members were:
Ronan Seery, Ciaran Egan, Chris O' Reilly, Darragh Forrest, Damien Kennedy, Mark Johnson, Tadhg O Grady, Paul Jones, Philip Kee, Eoin Howard, Andrew Roe, Robert Thornton, Gordon Mc Cabe, Brian Dowling, David Keogan.

The team supervisors were:
Donal Mc Hale, Derek Mc Evoy, Gerry Woods, Bill Reddington,
(School of Manufacturing & Design)