Formula SAE

As a member of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), I participate in Formula SAE. It is a collegiate design contest against other college SAE teams. I figured this would be a good place to share some of my experiences.

I was on Jalopnik, and I came across this video they posted about. It is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign team, and it is a time-lapse of building their car. It's a cool look into what we do. Starting from nothing, and finishing with a car.

Here's the link to the story and video: http://jalopnik.com/5142827/time+lapse-video-makes-formula-sae-chassis-fabrication-interesting   

Throughout the semester, I'm going to start trying to post some pictures, and hopefully some videos of our cars and their progress.

Behind the Wheel

I was driving home the other day when I was stopped at a red light. I looked over to the person next to me, and noticed she was talking on the phone. Now, I'm not a very big advocate of such actions while driving, but what am I going to do? Yell at her to hang up the damn phone. I mean, we are stopped at a light. 

Well, the light turns green and I havn't gone more than a block when I notice that this woman just about nearly crashes. Could this have happened because she was on the phone? More than likely, and I come to realize, maybe I should tell her to get off the damn phone. 

You see, I enjoy driving in its purest form. No distractions, such as the phone, texting, eating and drinking. Nope. Just me, and the car. I like rowing through the gears, and flicking my car into corners as fast as legally possible. Hell, sometimes I don't even listen to the radio. You get to learn all of the little creaks and sqweaks your car makes.

Then again, I probably don't multi-task in my car because it is a manual, and it is painfully slow. But that wouldn't be the truth, either.

I find multi-tasking behind the wheel incredibly dangerous. I knew a kid in high school who wrecked his new car into a tree while texting, and while we all laughed, we should have slapped the hell out of him, because that tree could have been a kid. I've also witnessed with my own eyes, many accidents, which is kind of creepy to me. Think about it. If I were in that other lane, or that person turning left, I could have been the victim of those accidents.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have a problem if using the phone behind the wheel became against the law. Most people don't drive very well to begin with. Our licensing program sucks, you don't get taught shit unless you go to a driving school, and to pass the stupid test all you have to do is drive around a parking lot. Big deal! Do you know what to do when your tail comes out from behind you at 40? Probably not. Especially when you are 16, and havn't been driving for more than a year or two.

You may be reading this, and saying, "Meh, I'm a 'good' driver. I can talk on the phone, eat a burrito, and drive at the same time." Well, my friend, you have a very different definition of "good" than I do. Oh, and try not to spill that mild suace, it stains horribly.

Economy Woes

Just yesterday GM announced their sales figures for the year, and Toyota took numero uno, for the largest car sales manufacture in the world. Times are tough, and GM's really getting kicked around. But its not just GM. All car manufacturers are getting hit. 

Funny thing is, I've noticed this pattern from manufacture-backed racing. Most manufacture- backed racing teams are pulling out of racing this season. This may seem like common sense, but it gives you a very good idea of where some auto companies sit financially. For instance, Formula 1. Honda dropped out of F1, because it requires the most tremendous budget than any forms of racing. It's not that Honda is broke. It's just not in their priorities right now to invest their money in it. Suzuki, Subaru, and many other teams have dropped, as well, because they just don't have the cash. 

Here's the good part. At least we know Mercedes, Ferrari, and Toyota are doing well. They just unveiled their 2009 Formula 1 cars this past week. It's good to know some companies aren't being hit as badly in this economic slump.

Hello!

There's just something about cars that have brought people together for almost a century. Whether it be the looks, the sounds, or the feelings they inspire and inflict upon us. The car community is at its largest and still growing. As a car guy myself, I reach out to others through cars, as well. I build race cars on a team at school, and meet other teams around the country. It's a great way to meet people, and everyone is pretty friendly, because everyone shares the same interests.

The internet has proven paramount to the growth and connection of car lovers across the globe, by making communication to others easier. There are forums, blogs, and video-sharing sites that allow car guys to share information, experiences, as well as their own lives, with other car enthusiasts alike.

By using the internet as a tool for learning, I can hopefully share my opinions and ideas about cars with others through this blog. As an active member of the car community, I believe it is important to share as many thoughts and ideas as possible. Who knows? It might inspire new ideas and products.