NEWS

Formula Buckeyes drive home 1st place finish (OSU)

May 14, 2024

The Formula Buckeyes beat out 107 teams and placed first at the Formula SAE competition at the Michigan Intl’ Speedway. This is the best result ever by an Ohio State Formula SAE team since its inception 36 years ago.

108 collegiate teams from around the world competed in this four-day event which included autocross, endurance, acceleration, business presentation, skid pad, cost and efficiency. The Formula Buckeyes received high scores in each category, including first in autocross and endurance and second in acceleration and business presentation.

“We're certainly most proud of the overall result, as it’s a culmination of our primary goals for this year,” said Team President Colin Mullan. “We had a quote that said, "Your car should be a points-getting machine," which ended up being a good way to describe how the competition went. We hardly left any points on the table across all events!”

In 2023 the team successfully placed 3rd and this year worked to tackle their weaknesses early in the season. Their detailed preparation and more than 430 miles of vehicle testing at TRC allowed for a strong execution at competition.

The Formula Buckeyes have established a reputation for supporting each other and having great camaraderie among its teammates. This is possible through shared goals throughout the team and high expectations for the work that is done. Mullin believes that this mindset is what attracts hardworking students to the team. Whatever part of the car each person is responsible for, they do the best that they can. 

“Watching the team get better and better has really been a pleasure for me,” said Formula Buckeyes Advisor, Jeff Chrstos. “Being with the team at competition and watching how well everyone worked together, supported each other and enjoyed being with each other has been great. I have always hoped the team would get to a place where there was value placed in leaving the team in a better place than it was at the beginning of the year. This, from my perspective, is really important and a core value found in successful teams.”

This is the final year that the Formula Buckeyes will build and race an internal combustion (IC) vehicle as they will be transitioning to electric in 2025. “We're excited to end our IC era on a high note,” said Mullan. “The team's future is very bright, and I can't wait to see how they'll tackle the EV car over the next few years!”

via https://car.osu.edu/news/2024/05/formula-buckeyes-drive-home-1st-place-finish