Outstanding season for Ravens Racing

By Kristy Strauss

Hard work paid off for the Carleton Ravens Racing team, which took home special honours at Canadian and American Formula race car competitions this year.

Ravens Racing includes two teams: one is comprised of 27 fourth-year undergraduate engineering students who receive a credit for creating and testing their components on a Formula Hybrid all-wheel drive car; the other team includes more than 40 volunteer students from all academic backgrounds who create and test their components on a gas-powered Formula race car.

“I think we did very well this year,” says Kenneth Chow, Ravens Racing team leader. “This is the first year our hybrid competed after we developed the car for three years. When we went to compete, it got first place.”

Chow says the team created improved parts and processes for the race cars this year – which helped them succeed when the Ravens Racing Hybrid team competed in the 2013 Formula Hybrid competition in New Hampshire between April 20 and May 2. The team took third place in design, second in marketing, and sixth in endurance – placing sixth overall.

Carleton’s next victory took place at the 2013 Formula SAE Michigan competition from May 8 to 11, where the volunteer team faced off against 122 international teams.

Chow says the volunteer team did an outstanding job – coming in ninth place in the cost event, 34th place in marketing, and tying 68th in design.

“We went from four to five people on the team last year, to more than 40 this year. So this was a huge step forward,” says Chow.

Both Ravens Racing teams competed at the 2013 Formula North competition in Barrie, Ont., from May 23 to 26. The Hybrid team members earned first place overall in their category, and in the acceleration and endurance events. The volunteer team placed 23rd in the competitive combustion class – facing the top teams from the Formula SAE Michigan competition.

Ravens Racing members will be demonstrating their cars at various events this summer, including at the Ottawa Ferrari Festival, which takes place June 15.

For more information on the teams, visit: ravensracing.com.