Chalmers Formula Student (CFS)

It was a superb feeling

…that after working a whole year with the Formula Student project get the opportunity to drive our produced formula student car. Chalmers Formula Student (CFS) is driven as a project course by the Applied Mechanics at Chalmers University of Technology. The aim of this course is to let the students go through and understand all of the steps commonly used in the industry. In this case by building a small race car from scratch. The team will then compete in the Formula Student competition in which a lot of different universities from around the globe take part. In this competition you compete in a number of different events where judges grade things such as sales presenting, cost motivations, performance testing and design. My duties were “only” make a construction of the documentation for knowdledge transferee for coming years, make a structure of a new website,  overview of the workshop, promote CFS, newsletter, arrange social activities, make and hold the sales presentation, media responsible and video at the competition, as well as being advisor for the subgroups sales and body.

Chalmers Formula Student

Through spirited teamwork and past experience, we will build a reliable, thoroughly tested FS car, to gain knowledge and finish top ten in FS UK 2007.

We wanted to check if it was possible to have a competition called Baltic Open on a new track called “Ale Ring“. I had been on the track before because its a close Gocart track located close to my hometown, Kungälv. It was a calm day at work so I clocked out earlier and helped Mike, Jonas & Malin to do the pre checks on the car. It took us together little bit than an hour to finish the list and we then started to load the stuff into the trailer. Elias from CFS06 joined us as well with his car. When we loaded the fire-extinguisher it accidentally went of and made the corridor outside XP a little bit smoky. This unfortunately just underneath one of the smoke detectors which caused the fire alarm in the M-building to howl. The fire department came very fast, but also left as quick as they came, so no harm done. What a start on an amazing day.

When we left it took us about 40 minutes to drive to the track with the trailer. We were a bit delayed but still got some time to drive. It was a Thursday so the gocart team, Bohus racing, had a practice day. The kids and their parents were very excited and thrilled to see our car which is much bigger than their Gocarts. First out on 826 meter long the track was Mike to check if the car felt right. He did some hard driving with 8 to 10 laps and some accelerations runs for the responsible people of the track to check the sound level. They were happy of the results and would let us have the track for the competition

Afterwards the gocarts got 10 minutes and it was time for me to get into the suit. I had been waiting for this for a whole year so I was very excited to sit down in the car. There had been several of deadlines peer week the last year and a couple of really long days. The competition was over so the car was no longer as “holy“. My team mates would only hate me in case I destroyed the car. We did by the way really great! We ended 12 out of about 20 universities. So it felt good for me to finally drive.

Mike helped me tighten the seatbelt and explained me how to drive the car. The clutch was very sensitive so I had to release it slow and without pressing down the gas pedal. I got directions to only use the second gear but that would for sure be enough I started the engine, shifted to the second gear and then slowly started to roll. The seat felt really comfortable and after a few turns I realized for the first time how different the car was to drive from a Gocart or normally car. it’s very much bigger than a Gocart and also very much funnier. Sitting so low close to the ground and having perfect grip as well as seeing the tires in the front gave me the feeling of driving a small size Formula One car. Not that I have ever been driving one but of course I have seen a lot from television. It was really fun to drive the car and I got comfortable with the car really fast, I thought it would be much harder to drive than it actually was.

Ale Ring track layout

After two to three laps I put a little extra on the gas to feel the real power of the car, but still only in second gear. This caused a few back fires Around my sixth lap I pressed a little bit to much on the gas after a corner and span around. I never felt that I lost control over the car but because I didn’t knew it well enough, it felt safer to turn around and stop on the track, than praying to get the grip back with a turn in the other direction. However I think the car would have handle it. I drove two more laps, now a bit slower but still enjoyed ever single second of it. Due to low battery I only got one picture. It’s amazing how exhausted it’s to drive and as you can see on the picture it’s definitely worth it!