Hornet Racing’s teamwork resulted in significant improvements in international competition

By Daniel Wilson

June 05, 2024

With grease under their fingernails and determination on their faces, some Sacramento State students spend hundreds of hours each year in a room that looks more like a garage than a classroom, as they design, build, test and perfect the University’s Formula 1-style race car, preparing it for competition annual.

The latest test for Hornet Racing, a student-run club in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), is a competition May 8-11 against more than 100 colleges and universities from around the world in Michigan Formula SAE.

Hornet Racing (HR) occupies 40th position^th of the 108 teams in the competition, a dramatic increase of 51 spots over the finish in 2023 and sixth among 10 California teams. The annual event is held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

“I’m very proud of this team,” said club president Jason Tran, a Mechanical Engineering major who will graduate next spring. “We came back strong, and we finished all our events.”

Competition organizers SAE International say, “The Formula SAE competition challenges teams of undergraduate and graduate students to conceive, design, build, develop and compete in small formula-style vehicles.” Teams must qualify for each event which includes acceleration, autocross and endurance races, among others. Sac State placed 30th^th of the 49 teams in the final team.

Tran, who joined HR in 2020, said the team’s performance marked a return to form after experiencing setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had two or three members in 2020, and they really kept the club alive,” said Tran, one of 20 active members. “There’s definitely no competition, at least not directly. It felt strange being on Zoom and (explaining) our designs to the judges.”

Hornet Racing started in 1995 and is open to all students. Most of the members are engineering majors, but Nico Pfeifer, vice president of HR, said opportunities on college racing teams exist for students interested in finance, business and marketing.

“Almost everyone who joins this club is interested in cars,” said Pfeifer, a sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering. “Even if they don’t, they are almost always willing to learn.”

The program and some expenses are primarily funded by the college, but the team also raises money through events, donations and support from sponsors, including Underground Construction, Jon Manji, SAE and others. In racing tradition, the sponsor is proudly displayed on the body of the car, which is named HR22.

“HR Club and other ECS clubs are great opportunities for students who may not know much about some of these areas to learn more and get more involved,” said ECS Dean Kevan Shafizadeh. “They expand classroom learning by providing hands-on experiences, fostering creativity and improving critical thinking skills.”

Cars are required to pass various inspections and safety checks before teams compete. The HR22, which sits about 3 inches off the ground and has a top speed of about 65 mph, features two engine kill switches and a safety harness, and drivers must be able to physically exit their car within five seconds in the event of an emergency.

Faculty advisor Christopher Savarino, a Sac State alumnus who teaches Mechanical Engineering, said completing the steps to compete is a significant accomplishment. This includes development funding – a $2,750 entry fee, travel and accommodation costs – and passing competitive exams.

“A lot of teams don’t get past the first few stages,” Savarino said. “So even just being able to get through and do it all and do (the endurance race) was a huge accomplishment.”

The team used computer software to design the car during the fall semester before sending the design to the Canadian company, which built the chassis. Welding and assembly of the vehicle was carried out in the spring, utilizing carbon fiber body material donated by Mitsubishi. Mechanical parts, such as Honda motorcycle engines, are reused in each iteration of the car, worth $18,077 this year. New parts are sourced when necessary.

The goal of the car’s design was to improve competition event times. The HR22 weighs about 465 pounds, about 24 pounds lighter than last year’s vehicle – a significant improvement.

“Each pound is basically a second taken from your car during endurance driving,” Tran says.

Drivers are required to know a little about everything so they can provide input to the team, said third-year Mechanical Engineering student Matthew Pena, one of the four drivers.

“It’s really fun to ride, but it’s also really hard,” said Pena, a racing enthusiast who plans to study medicine. “There’s a lot of intuition involved in it, and a lot of practice and muscle memory.”

Each team is required to have a minimum of three racers, Pfeifer said, so racers can take turns. This ensures fairness and avoids driver fatigue.

“It’s just a matter of safety,” said the team’s technology director, Skyler Lund, a third-year Mechanical Engineering major. “Three incidents happened in one day, so you don’t want the driver to get too tired and go off the road.”

Savarino said he was proud of the team.

“It’s amazing to see the amount of dedication, time and effort that goes into it,” said Savarino, who has been the team’s advisor for two semesters and whose son recently joined the team. “They learn so much, gain so many hands-on skills, and real-world problem solving.”

Savarino said other benefits for students include networking and connections with program alumni, who often help HR team members find jobs, learn desirable job skills, and the camaraderie and experience of working as a team.

Former HR member and 2020 Mechanical Engineering graduate Grayson Browne, who works at professional racing company Pratt Miller, can attest to the benefits.

“It provides a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience and practical knowledge,” Browne said. “I wouldn’t have gotten a job in motorsports without the time I spent with the team.”

For students who might want to get involved, Tran offered some advice.

“Don’t worry about your skill level, just come and participate,” he said. “Everyone starts somewhere. Just come and be prepared to participate and try to learn.”