FEATURE
Track Tested
Laker Racing Team turns concept into reality at Michigan International Speedway
FEATURE
Track Tested
Laker Racing Team turns concept into reality at Michigan International Speedway
STORY BY THOMAS CHAVEZ / PHOTOS BY CORY MORSE
It would have taken more than a cool, overcast Saturday morning in May to dampen the spirits of the Laker Racing Team. Through wind and clouds that threatened to let loose an oncoming rainfall, the Lakers watched in anticipation and excitement as their car took on its final test of the four-day Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) competition at the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn.
The Formula SAE competition at MIS invites teams of undergraduate and graduate students to create a formula-style racecar from conception to construction. Universities from across the United States and several international universities were represented. Out of the 109 competing teams, Grand Valley placed 63rd overall and fourth among universities from Michigan.
The Laker Racing Team, a student organization open to any major, designed a car that successfully passed scrutiny during safety and technical inspections during the first two days of the competition.
On day three, the vehicle survived shorter driving tests, including:
Team members knew the car could stand up to the wear of these shorter events. They hoped it could survive endurance, the competition’s final event. In the endurance test, the team’s car must complete 10 laps of a designed course with two drivers taking on five laps each.
Passing on tradition, rebuilding after the pandemic
For the Laker Racing Team, just making it to the endurance test with a functional car was an accomplishment. John Dirkse, the team’s data analytics lead, said making it to day four with a car that can run already placed the team in a good position, as some teams had cars that would not even pass inspection and others would not survive the tests of day three.
“We built a badass race car,” Dirkse said. “It’s been cool to see it really come together. No matter what happens, we’ve already won.”
(Clockwise from left) Jacob Veine, Tyler Coker and Thomas Helquist work inside the vehicle bay at the Kennedy Hall of Engineering.
(Clockwise from left) Jacob Veine, Tyler Coker and Thomas Helquist work inside the vehicle bay at the Kennedy Hall of Engineering.
Nicholas Baine, the team’s faculty advisor and associate professor of electrical engineering, said the team made major strides in rebuilding after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted its foundations. A wealth of knowledge was lost in graduating members, Baine said, leaving incoming members without experienced students to mentor them.
With lower numbers of veteran students, first- and second-year students were called upon to fill leadership roles. That included the team’s suspension lead, Caleb Ulman, now a third-year mechanical engineering student who initially started in that role during his first year at Grand Valley.
Annika Mattson, team president, said they have documented their work in a way that future team members can build from previous years.
“We built a badass race car. It’s been cool to see it really come together. No matter what happens, we’ve already won.” — John Dirkse
Jace Kragt, left, and Ethan Whiting, work inside the vehicle bay at the Kennedy Hall of Engineering.
Jace Kragt, left, and Ethan Whiting, work inside the vehicle bay at the Kennedy Hall of Engineering.
“For future teams, they don’t have to take a step back and work through what decisions were made,” she said. “We have them laid out clearly for them, so they can just read what we did and understand from that what we chose to do and how to better iterate it for the future.”
Racing to the finish
With rebuilding the foundations in mind, the team competed in the 2023 Formula SAE, then took a gap year, only watching the 2024 event. In May, the Lakers faced a time crunch as the competition got closer, only managing to fit in one practice day at the Watson Lot on GVSU’s City Campus before they needed to pack up and head to MIS.
Team members who have experienced previous competitions said this year’s tests would provide great experience for the team's younger students.
“[Competition] is a great place to build camaraderie,” said Jace Kragt, one of the team’s drivers and the electrical lead. “You have to do what you’ve done on the car over and over again, but you have to do it under pressure. You just have to hop in and do it.”
Endurance event gives Lakers their final test
As the Lakers watched their car speed around the course, they held their collective breath, hoping their adjustments would hold up against the endurance track. The team prepped themselves and the vehicle as much as possible for the tests they would face at MIS, but bumps were inevitable when the rubber met the road.
Whether it was improvising a seal for a leaky fuel pump, fixing the tire pressure after a near spin-out in the brake test or shortening the drive chain after it slipped during the acceleration test, the team constantly made modifications to optimize the car's performance.
The car made it through the first five laps without incident, and drivers were exchanged after a successful restart. Rain sporadically sprinkled from the sky, but the downpour that would have forced another adjustment to swap tires was held at bay. On the final lap, the team was silent until they erupted in celebration as the car crossed the finish line.
“Competition is a great place to build camaraderie.” — Jace Kragt
It was not a first-place finish, but completing the endurance test was a testament to the hours of work they put in to build a car that stood up to scrutiny and had the stamina to last through the four-day event and beyond.
Baine said he hopes the team can begin competing in the event every year, like they had before the pandemic. Completing the entire competition is a good first step as they look to find sponsors for their next car.
But those were concerns for the future. At that moment, as the team pushed their car back to their paddock and continued their celebration with hugs, slaps on the back and cheers, everything was about reveling in their hard work and success.
“It’s engineering,” said Baine. “You face problem after problem, you solve them one at a time, and, eventually, you run out of problems. You get to the end of the day and you can be very proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
Ethan Whiting, left, reacts near driver David Rockel, who completed the endurance event.
Ethan Whiting, left, reacts near driver David Rockel, who completed the endurance event.
The team cheers Jace Kragt, who completed the brake test.
The team cheers Jace Kragt, who completed the brake test.
