News
 
Formula SAE
 
DAWSON FAST ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
 
It has been an incredible seven days for Post Graduate Engineering student and racing driver Craig Dawson from Pury End, Northants. Just over a week ago the 24-year old raced to second place in his self-prepared Vauxhall Astra at the Donington track in the latest round of the 750 Motor Club Hot Hatch series. The success puts him further in the lead of the Championship, backing up earlier first and second places.
 
Two days later he climbed aboard a plane with ten other students from Oxford Brookes University, bound for Detroit to compete in the 25th anniversary Formula SAE event – a worldwide competition for racing cars built by University teams.
 
Dawson, currently on secondment to the BAR Honda design team, has played an important role in the all-British Formula Student car which features a full carbon fibre monocoque and other Formula 1 features. The car, which is powered by a Triumph motor cycle engine, is built to a stringent set of regulations.
 
Competing against 140 other teams from all around the World, the Isis 04 car showed its speed with the fastest ever time on the skid pan with Dawson at the wheel. The car also placed third place in the category for innovative engineering – thanks to its trend-setting “spike” intake throttle.
 
The Oxford Brookes team also picked up second prize in the Arvin Meritor Suspension Systems category awarded to the team that exhibits the best suspension design and development.
 
A spin by one of the drivers in the Enduro event, plus a slight engine problem robbed Dawson and the team of a top ten finish in the overall competition but they still placed 13th, the best ever result by European University. The competition was won by Cornell University , with Western Australia second and Wisconsin third.
 
The rest of the team comprised Oxford Brookes students Dominique Reifstahl, Nathan Skinner, Chay Anderson, Chris Cronin, Kiran Devulkia, Luke Green, James Gornall, Matteo Tirnanzi, Luis Arraiz, Matt Pryce and Faculty Advisor Dr Howard Ash.
 
The trip was made possible thanks to sponsorship from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and 3T Racing, organisers of the British University Karting Championship.