Photo credit: Brendan Doherty
UMSAE Baja and Formula teams see checkered flag stateside
Two University of Manitoba Society of Automotive Engineers (UMSAE) chapters have returned from a stateside competition, returning like many other teams, with awards, recognition and an unforgettable experience.
The UMSAE Formula Electric team made their way to Michigan to capture their first endurance finish in the team’s history. The team was one of six out of 55 Electronic Vehicle (EV) teams to compete in the endurance competition. Despite not having attended competition since 2019 and the many hurdles faced since, the team received great feedback on their car and are now back in the shop working on a new frame and suspension to address the issues with the car, and ensure the team passes mechanical tech smoothly next year. They will also be undertaking minor changes to the accumulator and electrical systems, to address some of the performance limiting problems they encountered this year. The team placed 14th overall in the competition and have set themselves the goal of placing in the top 10 for 2023.
“Even in the face of adversity caused by the pandemic and the resulting uncertain financial landscape for our industrial partners, we were able to be nimble and adapt to the task at hand. With the help of the Formula IC team members, we were able to exceed all our goals and there is a clear path for Polar Bear Racing Electric to become a top 10 team next year.” – Matthew Pawluk, outgoing Electric team lead
The team was lead by Matt Pawluk and Aaron Loewen with Troy Eskilson serving as the faculty advisor. 
Red Lion Racing, also known as the UMSAE Baja team attended Baja SAE Rochester 2022 at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester NY. After two year of no competition, the team was eager to pick up their pieces to familiarize new team members with all the tools, abilities, skills, competition events, presentations and processes. The year for Baja was as much about team building and professional growth as it was competition. The team sadly suffered engine carburetor troubles due to unclean fuel, which led to the team only completing seven testing laps. Despite this, 3 members got to drive in this event, and all had an incredible experience. Even after 60 hours of driving round trip, the team is eager to get on the road again next year. Their faculty advisor and photographer is Nishant Balakrishmnan.
We congratulate the UMSAE Baja and Formula teams for their performance at SAE International 2022.