SAE Warrior Racing ranked top team from Michigan, earning 12th place in the international Formula West Competition

The Wayne State University College of Engineering's SAE Warrior Racing team shined at the Formula West Competition, earning 12th place in this international event. The team surpassed local competitors such as Kettering University, Oakland University, Michigan State University and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor to earn the top ranking for Michigan teams.

"Our team members put a lot of time and effort into making this success possible. Road Warrior 9 (RW9), aka Lily, is a clear example of how far Warrior Racing has come," says Adam Niner, mechanical engineering student and business director for Warrior Racing. "Over the past year we have worked so hard to break program records and achieve our goals, and we are happy to say that it paid off in full at Formula West."

The team was able to succeed despite the many obstacles they encountered. On the first day of the competition, they had to quickly swap an engine because RW9's was compromised a week earlier, and the spare was damaged as well. The team rallied, however, and was able to tear down and rebuild RW9's engine moments before they were called into technical inspection.

Later in the competition, the team overcame a noise test issue through quick and innovative thinking. In the last two days of the competition, they competed in every run of every event, a feat that only 14 of the 80 teams competing achieved. Ultimately, the team broke all of their program's records, setting the bar high for the next competition.

"Our Warrior Racing Team is a great model for student organizations on campus. They mix hard work with community service and team collaboration," says Farshad Fotouhi, dean of the college of engineering. "I am extremely proud of their accomplishments this year."

Formula West was the final formal competition this season, but the team will continue driving and showcasing the car at various events such as race days with other universities.

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Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering 380 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students. For more information about engineering at Wayne State University, visit engineering.wayne.edu.