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20.10.08 » QUT Motorsport goes Totally Wild !
The students of QUTMS are set to become Qld’s next TV stars, following a recent film shoot with Channel Ten’s program Totally Wild. In a joint feature with leading Brisbane Boys’ School, Churchie (Church of England Grammar School), several of QUTMS’s students were filmed at the grade 7’s All Terrain Challenge race comp as guest judges. Initially invited to assist the year 7 students by giving a presentation on the finner workings of key car components including gears and suspension, QUTMS reps returned to scruitineer and offer race day advice to the young boys as they tested their cars in the showcase day. Held on September 17th, the day saw 160 grade 7 students compete for glory, whilst the Totally Wild production team captured the excitement of the afternoon. Community icon and Totally Wild presenter Ranger Stacey, was also in attendance at the event to cover the story.
Involving the entire year 7 cohort of 170 students, the All Terrain Challenge was a project for the young students to build a small race vehicle that was capable of driving over a mock up four wheel drive track. The project endeavored to encompass theories learnt in maths, science and design technology. Technical Manager and third year Mechanical Engineering Student, Daniel Naylor was pleased that the students of QUTMS could assist and pass on valuable knowledge to the younger students.
“Its great to see that our project is not just about designing and building our own FSAE vehicle – but we’re growing to include events and opportunities to be involved in the wider community. It’s a chance to pass on the knowledge of race vehicle design to younger age groups – and give something back to the community.” With the feature to be aired within the next two months, keep your eyes peeled and ready for the program to air in late November. - Elecia Douglas
24.08.08 » QUT Wow Loyal Partners
You could talk all you like about how quick a Formula SAE car is. You could pull out figures, display tables and graphs detailing the specs, rave about the speeds, and plough through the throngs of recorded data. But for the average human being, performance stats and numbers don’t mean much, unless they’re seen firsthand in moving, action-packed glory. So when a collection of QUT Motorsport’s sponsors were given the opportunity to not only view the intricate racing machine in full flight but also to drive it for themselves, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking a chance such as that would be almost impossible to resist. For representatives of QUT-MS sponsors Mazda, Plastic Ink and Laser Central, the lure proved sufficient enough to brave mid-morning showers to attend the team’s Sponsor Drive Day, held at Willowbank Raceway. A little rain didn’t prevent the car from running, and after a quick test run in slippery conditions to perform a system check, the team’s regular drivers displayed the potential of the ultra-quick SAE car. “It’s a bloody quick machine!” said Laser Central’s Michael Ballard. “The guys driving that thing must be either supremely skilled or just plain mental!” With QUT’s regulars having ‘warmed the car up’ for many countless laps, re-establishing the blurriness of the skilled/mental line in the process, it was the sponsor’s turn to put the foot down and get very close and personal with QUT’s racing apparatus. They weren’t shy either – Mazda’s star representative put the car through its paces, showing impressive speed. Questions were asked whether Mazda’s employees had considered careers as racing professionals! Overall the day went without a hitch, with Plastic Ink’s representative having also taken a run in the QUT car, and further runs from QUT’s drivers ensured they got their money’s worth out of the petrol available. “It was a successful day, and it was a testament to the organisational capacity of QUT’s guys that the event was so successful.” - Ash Miller
8.07.08 » QUT Impress as RACQ Motorfest
QUT Motorsport’s well-presented team were in attendance at the ever-popular RACQ Motorfest on June 29th, showing off their 2007 car to a throng of eager motoring enthusiasts.
Held at the evergreen Eagle Farm Racecourse on Brisbane’s north side, hundreds of motorists filed through the vast array of colourful motoring examples, with QUT’s stunningly turned out machine catching the eyes and questions of countless passers by.
In amongst the world’s most famous motoring marques, QUT’s racing contraption caused a stir amongst the crowd, drawing interest and proving to be an overwhelming stimulant for curiosity. Exuding crowd-pulling charisma, QUT Motorsport’s display was scarcely without delightedly interested onlookers.
“It was a great day, and a great opportunity to interact with people and answer all the questions of the general public, who would not regularly be exposed to what we do,” said QUT’s event organiser Kerstyn Dance.
“The interest was across the board, from eager little kids to those experienced in both years and cars, and everyone went away satisfied!”
Even E-Toll’s foam-headed mascot was transfixed by the car’s magnetic attraction, and joined QUT’s team in the fun, insisting on posing for a photograph with QUT’s finest.
“It was a successful day, and we had a great time informing the public about our professional little race team.” - Ash Miller
19.5.08 » QUT revel in 888 opportunity
When front running V8 Supercar team, TeamVodafone Triple 8 Racing, offer to open their doors for a behind the scenes preview of the state-of-the-art facilities required to run a leading race team, few would decline a viewing.
So when a select number of QUT Motorsport members were offered the unique chance to sample first-hand the way Triple 8 are run and maintained, they jumped at the prospect of perusing the workshop.
Armed with various quantities of experience in motorsport involvement, and participating in degrees ranging from engineering to business, the assembled entourage were gobsmacked at the level of engineering prowess and sheer professionalism of the team – much of which swelled heads and refreshed ideas on how to go about building the 2008 QUTMS Formula SAE chassis.
“It was incredible!” team electrical boffin Jared Cox said, “Every part of their workshop and everything they do is purely sensational!
“I think I can speak for everyone when I say we all learnt a hell of a lot, and we’re all so impressed with being able to witness first-hand the level of professionalism involved in a top-shelf racing team.”
With an abundance of fresh ideas and a whole wealth of experience with which to draw upon, QUTMS’s enthusiastic squad are all the more fired up to build a better, quicker 2008 car.
Many thanks to Mark Dutton Simon Holt and Campbell Little for the fantastic opportunity and amazing hospitality!
- Ash Miller
16.4.08 » 2007 grounds a solid 2008 Campaign With 2008’s campaign already enthusiastically taking shape, an aura of excitement has unmistakably surrounded the team at QUT motorsport. In the wake of a successful 2007, 2008 is looking even stronger as the momentum continues to accelerate. An injection of fresh faces, new ideas and a renewed positivity has seen QUT’s motorsport’s already heftily streamlined operation become even more professional. The 2007 season proved to be one of the toughest, as the team faced a myriad of challenges, en route to an eventual 13th place out of the 22 competing University-based Formula SAE teams from all around the nation. A string of mechanical woes prevented the competitiveness of a car already to be a proven front runner; QUT’s entry posted the third fastest time in the autocross competition, a one-lap dash similar to Indy-style one lap qualifying, but struggled in the endurance event due to a problematic engine. However, despite the hiccups, QUT’s enlighteningly enthusiastic squad performed faultlessly – a point highlighted by the swift overnight engine change in the middle of the competition. In spite of the initial disappointment of the final places, the whole team took away a wealth of experience, showing camaraderie amongst themselves and with other teams, and learning invaluable lessons while performing under pressure. In addition to the final SAE competition, the team achieved highly in other events, such as the Australian Hillclimb Championships, where QUT’s entry posted a new record on the way to victory in their class. With 2007’s performance still fresh in the minds of all at QUT motorsport, 2008 is looking to be a dynamite season. Watch this space! - Ash Miller
19.9.07 » QUT Motorsport to Defend number 1 title at Hillclimb QUT Motorsport took out top honours in the final 6 shoot-out at Round 4 of the Mt Cotton Hillclimb Series in August with the team’s fastest time of 42.81 seconds around the 946 metre track.
The team will be looking for a repeat performance on September 23 while fielding a smaller pit crew to look after the QMX3 at Round 5 of the 6 part series next weekend. QUT Motorsport’s success during their debut year at the hillclimb series is just one way the team has continued to forge a strong reputation as a force to be reckoned with, on and off the track. Despite younger drivers and a smaller engine capacity, the team’s 2006 Formula SAE car has continuously challenged its racing counterparts to lift their game – a credit to the engineering and design of the team’s car and talented drivers! During the fourth round of the MG Car Club Series, both drivers Cameron Short and Rob Hackwood achieved personal best times with the track in excellent condition. Minor modifications were made to the car during the fourth round including the removal of fans in the sidepods, which had been drawing considerable battery power, resulting in improved the airflow to the radiators and minimal impact on the car’s temperature given the short distance of the Mt Cotton track. 2007 is the first time QUT Motorsport has participated in competitive racing such as the Hillclimb Series outside the Formula-SAE competition each December. Stay tuned for details about the Australian Hillclimb Championships November 2-4 at Mt Cotton. 27.7.07 » QUT Motorsport seeks drivers for 2007 Formula SAE Australasian Competition
Are you QUT's best Driver? QUT Motorsport is currently scouting for QUT students who have experience in motor racing to become drivers for their team. The team enters the annual Formula SAE competition which requires the designing, fabrication and racing of a 600 cc open wheel race car. For applications to be considered:
If you are interested in becoming a driver for QUT Motorsport please send a one page application detailing your experience to bee.motorsport@qut.edu.au. Applicants are also required to put 'QUT MS Driver Application' as the subject field.
23.12.07 » Right On Track at the 2006 Formula SAE-A
At the recent Formula SAE Australasia competition, QUT Motorsport has pulled off another successful campaign by racing into the top 10. The team performed above expectations to claim an impressive 9th overall out of 27 universities. Highlights include 6th place in both the Autocross and Endurance events and 8th in the Sales Presentation. Despite experiencing last-minute mechanical and electrical failures, the team responded to the challenges promptly and professionally. Once again, the competition proved to be a fantastic learning experience for all team members. It was the culmination of an exhilarating year involving hard work, long hours and outstanding dedication. Congratulations to RMIT and University of Western Australia for raising the bar yet again. RMIT set a new record by obtaining an overall score of 959.5 points (out of a possible 1000) to lift the competition trophy.
The team would also like to take this opportunity to thank all sponsors for their generous support throughout the campaign and looks forward to working with them again in 2007. Special thanks and mention to Mazda, QUT Motorsport’s premier sponsor since their inaugural year. This year’s result of 9th overall is a vast improvement from previous years’ placing of 13th and 17th. With three years of competition experience behind them, a pattern seems to be emerging. According to the trend, QUT Motorsport is right on track for 2007 and beyond…16.08.06 » QUT Motorsport Social Day at Willowbank QUT Motorsport held a social day for the members of the team as well as sponsors at Willowbank Raceway. The events of the day included five teams of six competing in two of the FSAE style events: Skid pan and Endurance in the QUT Motorsport Go-Kart.
Eventual winners were Team Blue; Ross Cole-Hunter, Scott Osborne Ben Grassick, Bradley Jones, Colin Gibbs and Adrian from sponsor Parsons Brinckerhoff. Winners of the ride in the FSAE car were Tom Gardiner for his contributions to the construction of the 2006 car, and Ben Grassick who won due to the extra chances for team members from the winning team. 8.12.05 » QUT Motorsport Jumps Four Places in Formula SAE-A All of the team are very proud of their achievements in only their second year of competition and look forward to performing even better in the up and coming years. The winner of the event, University of Western Australia obtained an overall score of 952 points of a possible 1000. This was the highest ever score obtained in the history of the Formula SAE competitions.
29.11.05 » Latest testing videos available 22.08.05 » Chassis '05 Construction Completed After months of jigging, machining, cutting, grinding & welding the construction team have finalised the fabrication of the 2005 chassis. As opposed to last years design the chassis is lighter and stiffer and will run with a ground clearance of only 2cm. This is to lower the centre of gravity of the car and hence improve its overall vehicle dynamics. In the next couple of weeks the construction team is also anticipating the completion of suspension fabrication. 22.08.05 » QUT Motorsport to Conduct Testing at Brisbane Airport Team and Marketing Managers Micheal McInnes and Matt Glass (respectively) today attended a meeting to discuss possibilities of performing the testing of the QUTMS 2005 vehicle on part of the runway at Brisbane Airport . Outcomes were all positive with the team anticipating 2 months of testing in preparation for the competition in December. "It's going to be a great place to do some testing and driver training", quotes Michael. "We were very impressed with the surface and the layout potential". 4.08.05 » Parsons Brinckerhoff Joins Team '05 Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of Australia 's leading Engineering consultancy firms, recently joined the QUT MS 05 team. 30.07.05 » Mazda Premier Sponsors for 2005 Mazda continues to show its support for QUT Motorsport, backing the team for the second year in a row and becoming the premier sponsor of the 2005 campaign. One of Australia's leading car manufacturers, the company was also the leading sponsor in the 2004 competition.
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