Team Swinburne FSAE motor racing team at Benalla for Engineering Our Future program
In Summary
Students at Benalla Secondary College will get a taste of what it is like to operate a motor racing team when Team Swinburne brings its Formula-Society of Automotive Engineers (F-SAE) electric racing car to town as part of the Engineering Our Future program.
Team Swinburne’s chief commercial officer, Matt Tanis, said the team would talk to year nine students about the F-SAE race car program run at Swinburne University of Technology and give the students a demonstration of how the car works. In the afternoon they will speak with senior mathematics and physics students about studying engineering.
“The objective of the Engineering Our Future program is to get students from regional Victoria interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects early and to show them the variety of career paths they can take,” Mr Tanis said.
“This is our first school visit for 2014 and is being sponsored by the Prahran Rotary Club in Melbourne.
“We’re hoping to make more visits to other schools throughout the year.”
The race car is part of the F-SAE program, which offers engineering and business students a final year project to design, build and market a race car and then compete in it, giving them the opportunity to gain practical experience and work together in a dedicated team effort.
Team Swinburne also includes students from a wide range of disciplines and year levels at Swinburne, with the aim of being able to benefit from the best-rounded team possible.
“Team Swinburne operates much like a mini Formula 1 team, from keeping the car in top mechanical order through to sourcing parts and securing sponsors,” Mr Tanis said.
“Swinburne has been involved in F-SAE since the Australasian event’s inception in 2000, and has been one of the highest performing and most consistent teams in the competition.
“The car that we will be showing to the students is our 2013 model, and we will be building a new car for the 2014 F-SAE competition.”
Last year Team Swinburne was involved in the activities at the Australian Formula One grand prix at Albert Park, including a demonstration drive on the track. The team also kept a weekly blog on the Royal Auto Club of Victoria’s (RACV) website, giving the public an insight into the construction of the 2013 race car.
Team Swinburne won in 2012, and was runner up in 2011 and 2013, in the electric division of the F-SAE Australasian competition.
What: Team Swinburne F-SAE racing team – Engineering Our Future program
Date: From 9.30am, Wednesday 5 March 2014
Where: Benalla Secondary College, Faithfull Street Campus, Faithfull Street, Benalla