SIUE Competition Cars Make Pit Stop at NASCAR Cup Series at WWT Raceway
When the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway the weekend of June 1 and 2, three competitive cars from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering (SOE) will be on display on the Raceway’s STEM Lane. NASCAR fans and race attendees will experience up close the award-winning vehicles and the students responsible for their design, manufacturing and maintenance.
The three SIUE vehicles that have emerged from various competitions include the SIUE Formula SAE, the Cougar Baja and the SIUE Solar Car.
“The School of Engineering car competition teams are a great learning experience for our students outside the classroom,” said Cem Karacal, PhD, professor of industrial engineering and Dean of the SOE. “They turn theoretical knowledge into practical know-how through their designs and fabrication processes. The recognitions and rankings our student teams are able to achieve among the larger engineering colleges year after year are a great testament to the education they receive at SIUE.”
SOE students have won awards that include first place in the Baja SAE Sled Pull Competition, the Battery Design Award for the Formula Sun Grand Prix, first place in the IEEE Region 5 Circuit Design Competition, and third place in the Winter Baja Endurance Race.
SIUE Formula SAE
The Formula Student Competition is organized to provide a platform for student engineers to experience, build, and learn about automobile design. The competition offers an exclusive way to test students' theoretical knowledge in a practical context. The SIUE Formula SAE team designs and fabricates a formula car based on given specifications to compete in the Formula Student International competition held by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Cougar Baja
Cougar Baja designs and builds Mini Baja vehicles to compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers Baja events. Students use leading-edge engineering design and manufacturing processes to enhance vehicle performance. They focus on reducing vehicle mass, maximizing drivetrain efficiency, improving driver visibility and comfort, and optimizing off-road vehicle handling and maneuverability.
SIUE Solar Car
The SIUE Solar Car Team’s goals are to design, build, and race solar cars powered entirely by the sun’s energy. The team races against other colleges from the U.S. and from around the world. The organized group enables students from all majors to learn about solar energy, apply hands-on knowledge, and create a unique project.
An extra treat for visitors to the SIUE exhibit is the chance to see Bode, SOE’s state-of-the-art four-legged robot dog.
STEM Lane will open at 10:00 a.m. on both Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2. Visit WWT Raceway for event information. Go Cougars!
PHOTOS: Jakob Schoeberle, fourth-year, electrical engineering, with the SIUE Solar Car; (l. to r.) Robert Borik, computer science, '24, Ryan Kulasekara, electrical enginering, '24, and Avery Stilwell, electrical and electronics engineering, '24, with Bodie the robot dog
