Many kids dream of one day becoming a race car driver. Few will actually achieve it, but for those who have a knack for science and technology, designing a race car might be a more achievable goal – a chance to live life in the fast lane. For students involved in Powercat Motorsports at Kansas State University, this dream is a reality.
Powercat Motorsports is the university’s Society of Engineers Formula Race team. Open to any student enrolled at Kansas State University, the team designs and builds a brand-new formula one race car every year. They compete with their car at various events throughout the year, but the biggest competition occurs at Michigan International Speedway.
“We design, build, manufacture and test [our car] and then we take it to the competition in Michigan at Michigan International Speedway. Then we do it again the next year,” said Tyler Weber, mechanical engineering student and president of Powercat Motorsports at Kansas State University.
Being part of the team allows students to gain practical knowledge, skills and abilities they can take with them after they graduate and enter the workforce.
“We learn a ton of engineering outside the classroom,” said Anish Srivastava, mechanical engineering student and Powercat Motorsports team member at Kansas State University. “Our students leave here with real world knowledge and connections.”
Competing since 1997, the team is made up of students and a few faculty advisors. However, all the work is completed by the students. Historically, Powercat Motorsports has ranked somewhere between 60 and 70 in the world. Not bad, considering there are over 700 collegiate level teams across some 40 countries who compete each year at Michigan International Speedway.
But the team wasn’t satisfied with ‘not bad.’ So, two years ago they decided to host a local formula one event to help their team, and others in the region, practice and prepare before the international competition in Michigan.
Formula Wheat
The Powercat Motorsports team got together with their counterparts from several universities in the Midwest and created a small-scale formula one competition, called Formula Wheat. Located in the heart of the Wheat State, Kansas State University, in partnership with the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has hosted the local competition for two years in a row.
The event takes place at the dam spillway at Tuttle Creek Lake, which is operated and maintained by the Kansas City District. According to Srivastava, who organized this year’s Formula Wheat competition, it is a chance to introduce new students to Society of Engineers formula one competitions.
“The idea is, a bunch of teams can bring out new freshman who are just entering college, they have no idea what formula one is, so they come out here in a low-stress environment and compete where there’s not 1,000 people watching you and just have some fun,” said Srivastava. “It’s a low-key competition.”
A two-day competition tests the teams’ skills in a variety of events including an acceleration drag race, a figure-eight race, a one-lap shootout and the final endurance race. This year, the event, which occurred on Oct. 19 and 20, included eight teams from the region: Kansas State University, University of Kansas, University of Nebraska, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Wichita State University, Iowa State University and Washington University in St. Louis.
“[Before Formula Wheat], we didn’t really have a competition in the Midwest. So, we decided to start this last year and bring some Midwest teams together,” said Weber. “It’s a little bit smaller scale event, a little more laidback, a few less teams. Just a nice, local event.”
Turbocharging success
Last year, Powercat Motorsports placed 10th overall at the international competition in Michigan – a significant increase from their historical standing. While being able to participate in a small-scale, local competition like Formula Wheat has certainly helped the Powercat Motorsports team improve their performance, there was another significant change that helped propel them into the top 10.
About 12 years ago, Powercat Motorsports started practicing at the spillway at Tuttle Creek Dam. Located just a couple miles from Kansas State University, the spillway provides a space best mimicking the conditions of a real competition.
“Powercat Motorsports has used [the spillway at Tuttle Creek Lake] on a less formal basis for testing and tuning – especially when they prepare their car for events that occur on concrete [versus on] asphalt – and for time trials since 2011-2012,” said Trevor Schulte, natural resource specialist at Tuttle Creek Lake.
Through a special use permit issued by the Kansas City District to the university, the spillway at the lake’s dam provides a large, flat concrete area in which the team can practice, test their skills and host competitive events. Hosting the annual Formula Wheat competition at Tuttle Creek Lake exposes a group of mostly engineering students across the Midwest to the important work done by USACE, as well as the recreation opportunities available at its lakes.
“Formula Wheat is a great event that brings both competitors and spectators to the Tuttle Creek Lake project. It promotes the Kansas State University Engineering program and allows networking with students from other universities across the country,” said Schulte. “It allows the world’s largest engineering organization, USACE, to host a sizeable group of prospective engineers each racing season to what our agency can offer them after graduation and possibly entice some to become employees.”
For Schulte and the Kansas City District, partnering with the university serves as a great way to expose a larger audience to the benefits Tuttle Creek Lake – and USACE as a whole – offers the local community. According to Weber, being able to use the spillway at Tuttle Creek Dam for practice and for hosting events like Formula Wheat has been valuable to the team, helping them move up in competition standings.
“Ever since we started using the spillway, we’ve been slowly, progressively moving up. We got 10th this last year, bringing home a trophy for the first time,” he said. “We’re incredibly blessed to be able to use the spillway. We get to do all our testing out here, which we’re incredibly thankful for.”
To learn more about Powercat Motorsports and Formula Wheat, visit Powercat Motorsports.