The competition comprises both static and
dynamic events. The static events consist of a business and design presentation each of which
are marked by a panel of experts. A tilt test of the vehicle is also performed to simulate
cornering and the determination of the height of the centre of gravity of the vehicle. The
dynamic events aim to test the vehicle in all aspects of competition car performance with
acceleration, skid pan cornering, autocross and a final twenty-two kilometre endurance test.
Marks are awarded for the performance of the vehicle in each of these tests as well as on the
fuel economy of the vehicle during the endurance event. The total marks received from both
the static and the dynamic events determine the overall winner of the competition.
Aerodynamic downforce is hugely exploited in the design of the modern race car (Refs.
[1][2]). The performance benefits which can be gained through the resulting increase in
traction has made the search for increased downforce and reduced drag a highly sought after
performance edge in motorsport. The benefits of downforce and effective aerodynamic design
in the Formula SAE car, however, were not entirely clear. It was the goal of the present
research to determine areas where the aerodynamic forces are most performance enhancing by
utilising CFD as well as model testing in a wind tunnel equipped with a moving belt ground
plane, and then to validate the predictions using on-road measurements. Further details are
available in Ref. [3].