Team Lakshya applauded for their efforts at IMechE, Silverstone circuit and SAE, Prague
Hard work pays and team Lakshya is an outstanding example of this. After putting in all the hard work during University workshops, trotting around the globe to get what it needs to manufacture a Formula Student vehicle, Team Lakshya finally gets a double shot at representing Chitkara University at two of the most prestigious competitions at this level of Formula Racing. These events were IMechE, Silverstone circuit and SAE, Prague held in between July 13 to August 7, 2016.
Formula Student (FS) is Europe’s most recognized educational motorsport competition, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Backed by industry and high profile engineers, the competition intends to motivate and expand enterprising and inventive young engineers.
Being the youngest team in both the events, they performed better than their limits and yielded satisfactory results for the Team and the University. Simran Midha (Graduate M.E. -2012-16), who has been a part of the FS team earlier, led the team for the first time, with the team comprising of second and third year Mechanical and ECE students. The team was assisted by Aautosync department faculty Ankit Khurana and project incharge Varinder Singh.
The event is no easy game and universities from across the globe are challenged to design and build a single-seat racing car in order to compete in static and dynamic events, which demonstrate their understanding and test the performance of the vehicle.
The vehicle was highly appreciated at both the events, specifically by the Design judges, as the team surprised them by shedding off 43kgs of the vehicle weight from their previous outing to the event. It is indeed was commendable.
In the static events, at FS UK, the team was in top 40 out of the 130 teams pouring in from over 30 countries and in FS Prague they managed a well deserved 17/30 rank.
Unfortunately due to a last minute shipment issue causing corrosion in the Cylinder head of the engine didn’t allow the team to get into the dynamic events.
At this point, the University acknowledges the level of perseverance shown by the students to atleast figure out the problem and working out in a foreign land to rectify the same. It took them almost 24 days to repair the issue and be eligible to participate at FS Prague, which eventually they did.
Such events excite and encourage young people to take up a career in engineering. It seeks to challenge university students to conceive, design, build, cost, present and compete as a team with a small single-seat racing car in a series of static and dynamic competitions. The Chitkara team stood out from the rest when it came to technology, teamwork and dedication to make something like this happen.
Amidst all this the team bagged two UK based sponsors for their next FS vehicle production, who shall provide aid in the form of Critical Vehicle components.
Hats off to their hard work and dedication and we hope the knowledge explored at the time of adversity will definitely help the team to grow better.
