Latest racer ready to ‘burn rubber’
M13, the latest racing car from Monash Motorsport.
The latest racing car from Monash Motorsport will be unveiled at a gala event later this week ahead of its first race in Melbourne.
Each year Monash Motorsport, a student-run racing team, develops a small formula-style race car which competes both locally and internationally in Formula Society of Automotive Engineer (F-SAE) competitions.
This year’s incarnation, the M13, will make its racing debut at the Australian F-SAE competition from 12 to 15 December at the Victoria University Werribee Campus.
Students from the Engineering, Information Technology and Business and Economics faculties at Monash University design and build the prototype race car each year. It is then evaluated for its potential as a production item that targets the non-professional weekend autocross racer. This is done through various different static and dynamic events.
Team Leader Hamish McCredie said the team believed this year’s car had improved on previous designs.
“The new design is more suited to the faster European tracks,” Hamish said.
“We should be very competitive when we travel to Europe for competitions next year. We are currently ranked number two in the world and I believe the innovations to this year’s design will continue to help us achieve our goal of being the most respected team in the world.”
Monash Motorsport have won the last four Australian competitions, and last year came third at the UK competition (out of 100 teams) and fourth at Formula Student Germany (out of 70, but regarded as the premier combustion event).
Also competing in this year’s Australian F-SAE-A competition will be the team from Warwick University in their racing car WR3. Warwick Racing is the only British team to race at this year’s competition, which attracts teams from the whole of Australasia.
The run-up to the competition has seen the two sides share expertise as part of the Monash-Warwick Alliance, which has helped to fund the trip for the English team.
“It has been great to work with the Warwick team and we hope to develop the collaboration further in the future,” Hamish said.
Warwick Racing Project Manager, Hannah Sugrue said the Warwick Racing team was really excited about racing in Australia.
“It’s the first time the car has been in an international competition,” Hannah said.
“”It’s a fantastic opportunity to get involved in motorsport and advanced engineering, and also the chance to work with, and race against, the Monash team gives us a great international perspective.”
The Monash Motorsport and Warwick Racing 2013 launch will take place on the ground floor, New Horizons Centre, Monash University Clayton campus from 6 – 9pm.
For further information visit the Monash Motorsport Facebook page.