Drexel Formula Hybrid Club Places Third in International Competition

May 19, 2009 The Drexel Formula Hybrid team competed at the New Hampshire Speedway in the 3rd Annual International Formula Hybrid Competition. Drexel placed first for series drive train configuration hybrids and placed third overall.

“The whole focus of the competition was performance,” said Matthew Janisch ’09 (MEM) and member of the team.

Twenty-nine teams from the U.S., Canada, Russia and India competed in the three-day event sponsored by SAE and IEEE to push the limits of hybrid powered race cars in acceleration, autocross and endurance events. In the five months prior to the competition, the Drexel Formula Hybrid team designed and built an entire series hybrid drivetrain, electrical system, suspension and chassis from the ground up, starting only with a bare front half of a frame.

In the static events, Drexel placed sixth in the design competition and seventh in the marketing presentation. In the dynamic events, Drexel took sixth for acceleration, third for autocross and second for endurance.