The NC State University Pack Motorsports Formula SAE team competed against around 90 other teams at Formula SAE Michigan in Brooklyn, Michigan earlier this month, drawing a close to their official 2023 competition season.
According to Formula Co-Captain JP Cantonwine, the team garnered praise from judges in the design event, in which they placed 8th. Additionally, the team secured solid rankings in the Skidpad and Autocross events, placing 13th and 12th respectively. With a 4th place ranking in Acceleration, the team was in 3rd place overall at the end of the third day of the competition.
That’s when disaster struck.
“We failed to finish our endurance test,” Cantonwine, a five year veteran of the Formula team, said in an alumni newsletter. “Over the course of this past year we have had shifting issues with Pingel. It was very finicky with its alignment, and unfortunately on the second lap of our endurance run the car got stuck in 4th gear. We were able to complete the first driver stint by slipping the clutch in all of the low speed sections, but this completely cooked the clutch by the 3rd lap of the second drivers stint.”
The team suffered the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish) ranking in the Endurance event, which makes up a large amount of points in the overall rankings, dropping them to 29th overall at the end of the competition.
Despite the team’s turn in luck during the Endurance event, Cantonwine had nothing but good things to say about the rest of the competition.
“As sad as it is, racing is racing and it is what it is. We remember that failure should be seen as a learning experience, and that is obviously the point of FSAE,” Cantonwine said. “Although we were not able to complete endurance, the rest of the week was a huge success … We are really making a name for ourselves as one of the top teams.”
In the alumni newsletter, Cantonwine took the opportunity to introduce the team’s leadership for the 2023-2024 season and academic year. Current Co-Captain Scott Davis will continue to lead the team and will be joined by incoming Co-Captain Drew Davidson.
In addition to announcing a new Co-Captain, Cantonwine identified Gonzalo Insaurralde as the Aerodynamics Lead, Kristen Seavy as the Chassis lead, Sam Gerstner as the IC Electronics Lead, Sean Moren as the IC Powertrain Lead, Easton Price as Suspension Lead, Jordan Bogue as Steering and Brakes Lead, and Eve Frazier as Manufacturing Lead.
It’s been my pleasure to help Scott lead the team this year, and I will always cherish the knowledge I have gained and the memories I have made from my time on the team,” Cantonwine said before concluding the alumni newsletter, . “I don’t even know what I would have done without this club in college, but I know I wouldn’t be who I am now. After five years of doing this, though, I think I am ready to be done. The other graduating members and I are all looking forward to a bright future in engineering, but we will strive to remain involved.”
While their official 2023 competition season has ended, the team will compete in an unofficial competition in July before they begin work on the 2024 vehicle.