I want in to FSAE!

[albino_insect]

Right now I am a junior in high school but I have been looking into FSAE since 8th grade. I have long thought about getting a local community college to do FSAE along with select high school students just like they accept certain high school students for other classes. Do any of you guys have any advice for trying to convince my local community college as well as the local school district that this is a good idea? This district seems to like hands on stuff and that is my main argument right now. They already have vocational welding, machining boat repair/fiberglass and CAD classes and I know a few people in the area who would most likely be willing to put some money into the program. Could I do it? What do you think it will take?

[albino_insect]

Right now I am a junior in high school but I have been looking into FSAE since 8th grade. I have long thought about getting a local community college to do FSAE along with select high school students just like they accept certain high school students for other classes. Do any of you guys have any advice for trying to convince my local community college as well as the local school district that this is a good idea? This district seems to like hands on stuff and that is my main argument right now. They already have vocational welding, machining boat repair/fiberglass and CAD classes and I know a few people in the area who would most likely be willing to put some money into the program. Could I do it? What do you think it will take?

[B Dana]

First step, read the FSAE rules and SAE information carefully. Here are some items of interest:

FSAE team members must be at least eighteen and degree seeking undergraduates or graduate students. Further, to form an FSAE team you need a collegiate SAE chapter (http://students.sae.org/chapters/collegiate/club/). Chapter requirements would seem to preclude most community colleges.

B.Dana

[Lash]

I think that high school students taking interest at that young of an age is a great idea. By the time you were in university your knowledge would be vast. The team would be great. Let me know if it works out.

[Jon]

Its great that you are interested in this type of stuff at such a young age.

As previously stated though, FSAE rules tend to limit invovement to University chapters of SAE. And, really, you don't start gaining the engineering skills you need to design such a vehicle until you start your engineering degree. Fabrication is only half the picture, engineering is the other half.

If you are intersted in getting hands on, look into FIRST (www.usfirst.org (http://www.usfirst.org)). It is a national robotics competition for high school teams. Teams have a lot of involvement with industry and Universities

[J. Schmidt]

Some local high school students are building a go-kart for a kind of independant study kind of thing. Our FSAE team is helping the kids out once a week to keep them on track. Now, this kart will be simple (ie. briggs motor, centrifical clutch, rear brake only...) but the principles are there for kpi, camber changes, proper fabrication, and deadlines. The kids get to work side-by-side with experienced FSAE members on a simpler project. If you could get your high school to get a program like that going you'll be a step ahead of the rest of the new FSAE team members.

[rjwoods77]

Just a couple experiences I had. 3 years of US FIRST. It's why I got into engineering. In Baja, there a couple teams that are high school students that work through a local community college and a the other one is a trade school. They were all high school students doing baja. Good bunch of guys with a very knowlegable advisor. That is the other thing you would need would be a sharp advisor who is into or has had a good deal of experience in automotive topics. You could do it but the planets have to align a little bit. Go for it. If someone ever tells you that you cant do something, do it to spit whoever said you couldnt.

[albino_insect]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by B Dana:
First step, read the FSAE rules and SAE information carefully. Here are some items of interest:

FSAE team members must be at least eighteen and degree seeking undergraduates or graduate students. Further, to form an FSAE team you need a collegiate SAE chapter (http://students.sae.org/chapters/collegiate/club/). Chapter requirements would seem to preclude most community colleges.

B.Dana <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I've looked through the rules quite a bit and I understand that I couldn't officially be part of the team. That doesn't dampen my enthusiasm a bit. I will have to see if any of the local colleges have an SAE collegiate chapter. Do you know what is required to start a chapter? As far as the "FIRST" idea that others presented, as cool as that is, it isn't what I'm interested in. Motorsport is just plain my deal and though I have made some simple robots and have a casual interest in robotics, it just plain isn't my deal. I would venture to say that you might be suprised at my engineering knowledge. I am also proficient with SolidWorks. If I was to do a project by myself it would most likely be a motorcycle based on a large two-stroke from a jet-ski or snowmobile. Perhaps something like Dr.Robin Tuluie's Tul-aris (if you haven't seen it, google tularis and see what comes up, it is absolutely fascinating even if you don't care about motorcycles). I've also thought about a R/C boat powered by a micro-turbine and an FSAE-like car with a large two-stroke. Thanks for your suggestions and keep them coming!

[gug]

what you can race is limited only by your imagination.
http://www.nickhaddock.co.uk/turbine_stills/Jetgallery/groupphoto.jpg
these are all turbine powered, note the ride-on lawn mower on the left and the shopping trolley on the right. i love it.

or check out these: http://www.pocketracer.com.au/

[evilbum]

I am also a junior in high school, but I've just starting looking into this recently. I would really like to start up a raceing club somewhere near where I live. The only problem is I live in the moutians and will have two feet of snow in my back yard inside the month. I would really like some suggustions if anyone has any.

[james17]

To evilbum and anyone else reading this to whom it may apply. This year my job on our FSAE team is to work between the upper classmen designers and the freshman and sophomores that make up our building group. This year we have a group of very talented guys building the car but there is one specific thing that keeps causing some degree of trouble and indeed keeps the new guys from showing us their ideas in a way which we can work with, they have no 3d solid modeling skills. If you come into any team with the skills to read and make drawings of what you can do then you'll be ahead of most.

[B Dana]

Albino Insect,

To answer your question, follow the link on my orginal post; the page lists the required steps on starting an Collegiate SAE chapter.

While its not exactly "motorsports", Supermilage would allow you to be involved in a SAE design comp while in highschool (http://students.sae.org/competitions/supermileage/). If you are successful in Supermilage, I think starting a FSAE team in your area would be easier.

Anyway, nothing is stopping you from designing your own FSAE car. That would put you in a great position when you can "offically" compete.

B. Dana

[Sarsippius]

Why are you dreaming of Fsae, we are only pretending to know what we are doing. Why not join a real race car team. You will learn lots, get to go racing from week to week and wont have to put up with premadonas who think thay are the bees knees. Oh yeah, there are better pit girls on proper race car teams too.

[Igor]

Well, for starters they let you into an FSAE team if you are completely without skills. (except for the really well organised teams with official application procedures)
Real race teams will hesitate to let someone from high school be in charge of stuff like the engine management.

Igor

[Eddie Martin]

Sarsippius,
What are you talking about? Fsae is a great training ground for engineers that want to go in motorsports. You do learn huge amounts about management, design, testing etc.
There are a lot of teams out there that know exactly what they are doing and produce extremely high quality cars for this competition.
Some of our grads have moved into V8 supercar and they say that our racing team was way more organised and well run than the team they are with now and it is a big name, big budget team. Their budget is over 100 times bigger than our as well.

[Sarsippius]

My intention was that FSAE is not the bee all and end all of motorsport for youngsteers. I doubt any team is going to let a junoir work on the engine management side of things straight away. A lot of enthausiasm will go a long way when it comes to getting your foor in the door. We have 1st year student on your team who chose to some here over another uni because they didnt allow 1st years, even with a years work experience working for a major performance comapny. ITs really good but not the only way to learn for kids who arent yet able to go to uni.

[gug]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Sarsippius:
You ... wont have to put up with premadonas who think thay are the bees knees. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

do you honestly believe there is any escape?!?!?

about the best advantage of a real racing team over fsae is that you dont have to put up with stupid stupid stupid university politics.

i still think FSAE is a good thing to get into though.

[albino_insect]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Sarsippius:
Why are you dreaming of Fsae, we are only pretending to know what we are doing. Why not join a real race car team. You will learn lots, get to go racing from week to week and wont have to put up with premadonas who think thay are the bees knees. Oh yeah, there are better pit girls on proper race car teams too. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
You make good points, but the reason I want in to FSAE is because doing well there is a ticket to the big leagues. Working with your buddies in local competition might be more fun, but most big teams don't give a flying, well, you know, about some amateurs messing around on weekends even if they do pretty good and have alot of money. Basically I think FSAE is the best springboard to my goals.

[Garlic]

FSAE is by no means a ticket to the big leagues. I've been told by more than one racer that 'everyone' has FSAE experience. Or at least almost everyone, especially green applicants ,those without anything else.

Don't get me wrong, FSAE is great. But there are probably 1000 FSAE graduates every year.

I'd say teams will be more receptive to someone who's worked on or with a race team will be more of an advantage than you think, even if it is an amateur team.

Use FSAE to your advantage. Learn as much as you can, you get an opportunity to be in charge of a project and really research and develop your ideas (race teams aren't often able to do that). FSAE can prepare you very well for a racing job. But it doesn't make you a sure thing to get into motorsports.

If I were you I'd try to get other forms of motorsport experience now. This will help you in FSAE later, and add to your experience in the long run.

[james17]

Ok, I've absolutely got to chime in on this one if for no other reason then for the sake of any high school students reading this thread. This fall I'm a true sophomore, one and a half years out of high school and all, and I think you need to know not all FSAE teams react the same to younger members. My university was basically a first year effort last year and as a freshman I was at different points second and eventually third in charge of our organization (second when we had two people, third when we had three). This year we have about ten serious members and I'm still third in command (over some older, more advanced teammates) because I've been around a year and can do my job. FSAE and indeed college is very much what you make of it. You can go to a top tier FSAE school and know that you'll be on a top ranked team and maybe in your junior and senior year can become a very pivotal member of your FSAE team, or, if you dare, you can choose a school such as mine where the FSAE team was (last year) less established and younger members can be pretty much as involved as they can put up with. As for what a four year degree and FSAE knowledge will get you I have no advice, but with over 100 FSAE teams in the U.S. alone I think a little research could yield you whatever rolls you're willing to step into. A freshman and two juniors built our racecar in 5 months, we finished 113 out of 138, but rank by no means shows the knowledge we acquired in that short time.

[Sarsippius]

That's fucking awesome what you guys achieved, I'm from one of the smaller teams and I can't emphasize how important enthusiasm is! You can have HD students or guys who have race before and if they aren't interested in the car they aren't worth a pinch of salt. I'm telling young guys who are coming into our garage door that you don't need to know about cars, just as long as you are keen to learn. It's the enthusiastic ones who are now running areas on our car. It's really like in life; the keen people get in there and get the job done, young or old. They are the people who have risen to the top of their field.

[PatClarke]

Sarsparilla,
DON'T swear on the forum!
PDR

[Test Driver]

Hello,

I just want to chime in about this as well. Besides the obvious reasons to follow this advice, there is also a practical matter. I get the digest from this site at work as I imagine several other professionals do as well. Due to my company's anti-spam system, I end up getting a lot of the fsae.com daily digests blocked due to "offensive"� language. When this happens, while not actually offended, I do get a little upset at having to navigate through the .com site for the latest posts because someone yet again failed to hold their tongue. So please, keep it clean.

Cheers.

Ramon


<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Suddenlee:
Sarsparilla,
DON'T swear on the forum!
PDR <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>