Formula Internal Combustion

What is Terps Racing Formula Internal Combustion?

Terps Racing Formula SAE is an engineering project team that designs, builds, and races a formula style racecar to compete in the SAE Collegiate Formula Design Series. The team has provided hands-on engineering and project-based learning opportunities for roughly 75 students annually since 1983. Terps Racing Formula IC is a top-class team with both a high-performance, thoroughly validated aerodynamic package and lightweight, high strength carbon fiber composite chassis. We continue to take advantage of several decades worth of innovation and development that the team has achieved and the instructional offerings of the University of Maryland, College Park to compete with the best of the best.

Design

Yearly improvements are what keeps a Formula SAE racecar able to contend with the best at competition. To keep up the team practices a formal design review process and scrutinizes every component on the car no matter how small or large.

Design is aided through resources ranging from the many engineering fundamentals taught at UMD to advanced computer aided simulation, design, and manufacturing software.

Projects are split amongst the respective subsystem teams and are excellent opportunities for aspiring engineers to gain results driven experience.

Build

Following the design phase the team transitions to the build phase. Team members become well versed in manufacturing methods such as machining, composite lay ups and post processing, welding, wiring, and 3D printing. Terps Racing in collaboration with sponsors provides opportunities for students to work with industrial level equipment including CNC mills, autoclaves, waterjets, and jig tables.

Milestones are established before the build phase begins and guide the order and deadlines for how the car is constructed. The team strives to complete rolling chassis, dynoable car, testable car, and competition ready car well in advance of FSAE Michigan in May.

Compete

Every May Terps Racing Formula IC competes at Michigan International Speedway against 120 other schools. Competition consists of two categories of events where teams fight for points that will be tallied to determine the overall competition winner.

Static events consisting of design, cost report, and a business presentation take place in the first two days of competition. These events have the team defending their engineering choices to groups of professional automotive engineers and creating business plans for the hypothetical scenarios where the team needs to target cost reduction, mass manufacturing, and adapting to changing automotive technologies.

Dynamic events take place on the final two days of competition and are acceleration, skidpad, autocross, and endurance. Each event tests the limits of the cars and drivers across different axes of performance to determine who has built that year’s ultimate FSAE racecar.

Meeting Times

In JM Patterson 1225 (Look for the SAE garage door) the Formula IC team meets as follows:

Monday: 5 pm (After ENME408)

Wednesday: 5 pm (After ENME408)

Saturday: 10 am

Also check Testudo for ENME408’s meeting location for the initial briefing on Mondays.

Our Cars

TR24 was a culmination and refinement of previous car’s design philosophies resulting in a 3rd place overall skid pad time and top 15 acceleration time. Major improvements were made for on board telemetry and manufacturing time leading to an extensive testing calendar before May competition.

Chassis: Monocoque Hybrid, front carbon fiber 3/4 Monocoque, rear space frame with 4130 steel tubing, semi-stressed engine.

Powertrain: Honda CBR600RR with 13.5:1 high compression pistons, E85 fuel, custom dry sump oil system, pneumatic shifting, titanium exhaust system, single radiator, Drexler limited-slip differential, RWD.

Aerodynamics: Full aerodynamics package, front & rear wing, undertray, sidepods, nose-wings, pitot probe, carbon fiber construction.

Electronics: Performance Electronics PE3 ECU, Racecapture Pro Mk.4 logger/telemetry, Raspberry Pi touchscreen driver display.

Dimensions & Weight: L: 3010mm / W: 1444mm / H: 1191mm, 493lbs, 61″ wheelbase, 48″ track width.

Suspension: Double unequal length A-arms, Ohlins TTX-25 dampers, front & rear pushrods with bell-cranks.

Wheels & Tires: Keizer 10″ x 9″ 3-piece aluminum wheel shells, Hoosier R20 16 x 7.5-10.

Brakes: AP Racing 4 piston front, 2 piston rear.

Other: Custom carbon fiber steering wheel, custom carbon fiber seat, driver controlled traction control, fully adjustable pedal box, Beta angle sensor, steering angle sensor, pressure tap sensors, pushrod load cell, damper potentiometers, auto-upshift function.

TR23 was a major redesign, switching to a 3/4 front Monocoque to improve packaging, stiffness, and push the limits of design. This is by far our smallest car ever,

Chassis: Monocoque Hybrid, front carbon fiber 3/4 Monocoque, rear space frame with 4130 steel tubing, semi-stressed engine.

Aerodynamics: Full aerodynamics package, front & rear wing, undertray, sidepods, nosewings, pitot probe, carbon fiber construction.

Electronics: Performance Electronics PE3 ECU, Racecapture Pro Mk.3 logger/telemetry, touchscreen driver display.

Dimensions & Weight: L: 3010mm / W: 1444mm / H: 1191mm, 490lbs, 61″ wheelbase, 48″ track width.

Suspension: Double unequal length A-arms, Ohlins TTX-25 dampers, front & rear pushrods with bellcranks.

Wheels & Tires: Keizer 10″ x 9″ 3-piece aluminum wheel shells, Hoosier LC0 16 x 7.5-10.

Brakes: AP Racing 4 piston front, 2 piston rear.

Other: Custom carbon fiber steering wheel, custom carbon fiber seat, driver controlled traction control.

TR22 is the first showcase of Terps Racing since Covid, improving on TR19 by using E85 fuel, high compression pistons, and vastly upgrading the aerodynamics package to the most advanced it had ever been, especially the brand new undertray.

Chassis: Monocoque Hybrid, front carbon fiber 1/2 Monocoque, rear space frame with 4130 steel tubing, semi-stressed engine.

Powertrain: Honda CBR600RR with 13.5:1 high compression pistons, E85 fuel, custom dry sump oil system, single radiator, oil cooler, Drexler limited-slip differential, RWD.

Aerodynamics: Full aerodynamics package, front & rear wing, undertray, sidepods, carbon fiber construction.

Electronics: Performance Electronics PE3 ECU, Racecapture Pro Mk.3 logger/telemetry.

Dimensions & Weight: L: 2933mm / W: 1473mm / H: 1193mm, 494lbs, 61″ wheelbase, 48″ track width.

Suspension: Double unequal length A-arms, Ohlins TTX-25 dampers, front & rear pushrods with bellcranks.

Wheels & Tires: Keizer 10″ x 9″ 3-piece aluminum wheel shells, Hoosier R25B 18 x 7.5-10.

Brakes: AP Racing 4 piston front, 2 piston rear.

Other: Custom carbon fiber steering wheel, custom carbon fiber seat, driver controlled traction control.

TR19 represents a huge shift in design and manufacturing techniques for Terps Racing IC, with the introduction of our first-ever monocoque hybrid chassis. This car has paved the way for years to come, raising the limits of design, performance, and possibilities.

Chassis: Monocoque Hybrid, front carbon fiber 1/2 Monocoque, rear space frame with 4130 steel tubing, semi-stressed engine.

Powertrain: Honda CBR600RR, 93 octane fuel, custom dry sump oil system, dual radiators, Drexler limited-slip differential, RWD.

Aerodynamics: Full aerodynamics package, front & rear wing, undertray, sidepods, carbon fiber construction.

Electronics: Performance Electronics PE3 ECU, Racecapture Pro Mk.3 logger/telemetry, LED tachometer.

Dimensions & Weight: L: 3022mm / W: 1422mm / H: 1193mm, 471lbs, 61″ wheelbase, 48″ track width.

Suspension: Double unequal length A-arms, Ohlins TTX-25 dampers, front & rear pushrods with bellcranks.

Wheels & Tires: Keizer 10″ x 9″ 3-piece aluminum wheel shells, Hoosier R25B 18 x 7.5-10.

Brakes: AP Racing 4 piston front, 2 piston rear.

Other: Custom carbon fiber steering wheel, custom carbon fiber seat, driver controlled traction control.