SIUE Formula SAE Team Showcases Student Innovation at WWT Raceway for INDYCAR Weekend

EDWARDSVILLE - The NTT INDYCAR Series returns to the St. Louis region Friday and Saturday, June 14-15, for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) in Madison, Ill. Among the many attractions at this major motorsports event, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Formula SAE team will be featured on STEM Lane, showcasing their student-built race car to thousands of race fans.

STEM Lane, located in the racetrack’s midway, offers interactive exhibits and hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities for fans of all ages. SIUE’s presence highlights the University’s commitment to experiential learning and its support for aspiring engineers.

SIUE’s Formula SAE is a student organization that supplements classroom instruction with practical, hands-on experience in automotive engineering. Each year, the team designs and fabricates a Formula-style race car to compete in the Formula Student International competition organized by SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers).

“Our SAE Team bridges the gap between classroom learning and practical application,” said Brandon Murphy, a fourth-year student and president of SIUE Formula SAE. “World Wide Technology Raceway has been extremely helpful with all of this, and everyone at the track has been amazing.”

The competition challenges university teams to design a prototype race car that could be considered for production. Student engineers must demonstrate technical skill, creativity, and teamwork. SIUE competes in the Internal Combustion division, one of four competition categories that also include Hybrid, Electric, and, new this year, Autonomous.

The race weekend at WWTR will also feature some of the biggest names in INDYCAR racing, including Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, and Josef Newgarden. While only one driver will take the checkered flag, fans visiting STEM Lane can explore how SIUE and tomorrow’s automotive engineers are designing the future.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high-quality education that powerfully transforms the lives of all individuals who seek something greater. A premier metropolitan university, SIUE is creating social and economic mobility for individuals while also powering the workforce of the future. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Home to a diverse student body, SIUE is situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis.

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