Great success for the Speeding Scientists

 
The students in the Siegen University racing team ranked 22 when they returned from the Hockenheim circuit., ”Using our second racing car, the s3-10 to participate in the Formula Student Germany 2010, we ranked 22 positions higher than last year. Our team had the best score in North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Jan Böcking, technical manager.

The junior engineers took one year to construct the racing car. They had five days in which to show their skills, demonstrating acceleration, endurance, design and financial planning. The Siegen Speeding Scientists competed with 77 national and international teams.
When they presented their business plan, outlining the marketing for small series production, the Siegen students scored two-thirds of the maximum points. Subsequently, the design event got underway, during which adjudicators scrutinized all the teams’ constructions. “DTM record champion Bernd Schneider sat in our car and reviewed the ergonomics“, explained Jan Böcking. During the following cost event, the team was interviewed by the jury.

The following day saw the dynamic disciplines, starting with the Skid Pad, which is used to assess cornering speed. The team scored 40.53 points, ranking 23. During the acceleration race, both drivers demonstrated the car at greater speed compared with the previous year, scoring 44.6 points. In Autocross, the drivers set off for a fast lap and in this round the team scored 36.02 points.

The last day was the highlight of the Formula Student Germany event. The day began with an endurance race, which also comprised a fuel efficiency test, where fuel consumption was measured. The starting sequence for the endurance race was based on the results of the Autocross. The Siegen racing team started at around 11 a.m., with André Willmes, as first driver, delivering solid lap times. During the last three laps, rain set in, making the race exciting. Second driver, Gregor Hidde, managed to cross the finishing line safely. The fuel consumption measured 3.72 litres. The two drivers combined ranked 18. With this, the Siegen team had completed all disciplines and looked forward to the famous Mahle party, where they celebrated their overall ranking of 22nd.

“We would like to thank all our sponsors and supporters for their continuous support during the last few months!” added Jan Böcking.

For more information visit www.s3racing.de.