The AA E-Zine apologizes to the SB Motorsports Club. This story came in at the start of Summer 07 and we contacted Dr. Kao for the names of all the members to add to it. Then our summer production schedule was postponed to the Fall and this got lost in the mix. But they are still deserving of the recognition so better late than never!

Below is the official press release but Student Activities also did a great page on the competition that includes a photo slide show:
http://me.eng.sunysb.edu/student_activities.php

May 29, 2007 - 3:34:31 PM

STONY BROOK, N.Y., May 29, 2007— Every year, students from all over the world design and build a race car from the ground up for the world’s most prestigious off-road collegiate auto racing competition. More than 100 teams from countries as globally diverse as the U.S., France, Canada, Mexico, So. Korea and So. Africa compete for engineering honors at The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City, So. Dakota.

For the first time, the Stony Brook Motorsports team finished third overall, second in Overall Design and first in Static Design Judging.

Known as the Baja SAE Challenge, the competition is comprised of three regional events that simulate real-world engineering projects and their related challenges. Engineering students are tasked to design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain.

The object of the competition is to provide SAE, (Society of Automotive Engineers), student members with a challenging project that involves the planning and manufacturing tasks found when introducing a new product to the consumer industrial market. Teams compete against one another to have their design accepted for manufacture. Students must function as a team to not only design, build, test, promote, and race a vehicle in accordance with the rules, but also to generate financial support for their project and manage their educational priorities.

“Without the sponsors and support of our in-house staff, our participation in this event could not be possible,” says Henry Gumbus, Team President of Stony Brook Motorsports. This year the Stony Brook Motorsports team was sponsored by Flagpoles, Inc., Poletech, Grob, Timken, Polaris, Briggs & Stratton and Fox Racing Shop. On-campus sponsors include CEAS, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Undergraduate Student Government, URECA and Dr. Gail Habicht.

According to Dr. Yacov Shamash, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, “This is an excellent achievement for our students and a proud day for Stony Brook University.”

Noah Machtay, Graduate Advisor to the team adds, “Watching the team progress from nothing more than a concept to a formidable off road machine is inspiring! I am very proud of the students.”

About Stony Brook Engineering

“In addition to a comprehensive curriculum and student learning experience, Stony Brook Engineering believes very strongly in “hands-on” experience,” says Dr. Imin Kao, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “This allows our students to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it in a real world setting."

Contact: Dr. Imin Kao, 631 632 1752

http://commcgi.cc.stonybrook.edu/am2/publish/Faculty_Student_Awards_17/
Stony_Brook_Places_Third_In_Baja_Sae_International_Engineering_Competition.shtml

STONY BROOK MOTORSPORTS TEAM ROSTER

Lin Shu Wang, Faculty Advisor
Noah D. Machtay, Graduate Advisor
Henry Gumbus, President & Suspension Leader
Jean Christian Brutus, Vice President
Michael Kuhl, Secretary
Jon Bielik, Treasurer
Pavel Kolomiyets, Design Manager
Louis Santora, Fabrication Manager
Jessica Newman, Director of Marketing
Milan Karunaratne, Human Resources
Jonathan Del Grande, Powertrain Team Leader
Tom Catalano, Chassis Team Leader
Pavel Kolomiyets, Control Systems Team Manager
Carl Eng, Steering Team Leader

SOUTH DAKOTA ROSTER
(i.e, those who got to go and race)

Lin Shu Wang, Faculty Advisor
Henry Honigham, Faculty