AMES, Iowa -- There's a lot of confidence in the Formula SAE garage on the Iowa State University campus.
Barring a gearbox breakdown or a drive shaft failure, "I think this car has the potential to be in the top 10," said James Rasmussen, a senior from Audubon who's studying mechanical engineering. "That engine will be one of the most heavily modified single-cylinder engines out there."
He was pointing to the car's ethanol-powered Yamaha YZF 450 engine. It's an engine that normally runs in all-terrain vehicles. But this one will sit in the rear of a mini open-wheel race car designed and built by a team of Iowa State students. They'll compete against 119 other university teams May 13-16 at Michigan International Speedway in one of three annual contests sponsored by SAE, the Society of Automotive Engineers.
The Iowa State students took that stock engine, bored out a wider cylinder and lengthened the piston stroke. The result is a jump to 565 cubic centimeters of displacement and a lot more horsepower.
But that's not all that's fueling the team's confidence, said James Whisler, a sophomore from Eagan, Minn., who's studying mechanical engineering.
First, the team has a nearly finished car three weeks before competition. That means there's time for testing and tuning before pulling into the Brooklyn, Mich., speedway. Last year's car wasn't finished before the team left for the racetrack and the team never managed to get it running.
Second, Whisler said there's a new emphasis on design and engineering. Building this car wasn't a matter of following 105 pages of rules and fitting all the parts together. It was a matter of designing the best way to follow the rules and account for the hundreds of details that create a fast and competitive car.
And third, they've made some of the usual improvements: They've built a light car. They've made the suspension softer and more responsive. And they've developed a way to push buttons on the steering wheel to electronically shift gears.
"This car should be fast," Whisler said. "It should be perfect for what we race in."
The Formula SAE Series isn't quite Formula 1 or the IndyCar Series; cars aren't racing each other for the checkered flag. They're competing one at a time in five racing events: acceleration, cornering, autocross (a quick and curvy half-mile course that can be raced at average speeds of 25-30 mph), endurance (a 13.7 mile race that features top speeds of 65 mph) and fuel economy.
The teams also try to impress judges during a technical inspection, a cost and manufacturing analysis, a business presentation and an engineering design contest.
Iowa State's team has had success in the past. The team finished a best-ever seventh in 2006 and 18th in 2007 and 2005.
Nick Krauel, a junior from Audubon who's studying meteorology and is the team's project director, said this year's budget of about $100,000 should be enough to build another competitive race car. Major sponsors include ICM Inc., a Colwich, Kan., company that designs and builds ethanol plants; SolidWorks Corp., a Concord, Mass., company that develops 3D design software; and the Iowa State University Engineering Student Council.
As team members prepared for an afternoon of testing, Krauel said he feels good about the team's business and engineering work.
"I'm confident we can get a top 20 finish," he said. "I'd love to finish better than that. I do think we have a good shot at getting in the top 10 again."