Getting Started
Welcome to driver training! We learn and teach the skills necessary for any great driver from engineering/physics principles all the way to on track understanding and performance. Our team is more than just driving fast, since we are only allowed 4 drivers at the competition all of our drivers will have to know additional engineering. Below you will find more information about our subteam, how to become a better driver and more.
Intro Course
We have created a course to help you understand some basics of racecar driving and some common pitfalls. In the course you will find more inforamtion about telemetry data, vehicle dynamics, the competition, what different flags and signals mean and more. All driver candidates must complete this course to be considered as a competition driver.
Telemetry Data
In order to extract the most performance out of the car, we gather and analyze data from the throtle position, weight transfer, cornering speed and more. After understanding the data the information is relayed to the appropriate team. This data will also be a critical factor in determining our 4 drivers. Understanding this data is an incredibly useful skill that many professional motorsports teams heavily recruit for.
Driver Selection
The team president will determine who are the drivers and the method for choosing those drivers. To be eligible for consideration you must be available for the competition dates in June, and have a valid drivers license. They will consider things such as: Participation in sub teams, Lap Times, Consistency, Attendance, Years Remaining etc. Below is some additional inoformation that may help in your driver selection process. Good Luck!
The Competition
There are 4 dynamic events at the competition: Straightline acceleration, Skidpad, Autocross, and Endurance. Efficiency (the 5th event) for the car is calculated during the Endurance event. Each event poses different challenges and strengths. We are allowed 2 drivers to compete in any one event. Each driver will receive 2 runs and then our best out of the 4 runs is used for our final score. These are defined in more detail in the intro course and in the rules.
Equipment
The Team will provide drivers with all necessary clothing and helmet for the competition and testing. Outside of official testing and competition drivers are on their own to purchase equipment. There is no need to buy your own equipment unless you plan on going to official tracks like Utah Motorsport Campus. Check their website for required equipment.
Practice driving
We have a racing simulator available for team members to use. Coordinate with the team lead about specific times. We also have several events where people will bring additional simulators and compete against each other. Initial rounds of driver selection will most likely be done based on performance in the simulator.
Driving on the simulator can only get you so far. Driving an actual car/ go-kart is the most accurate representation of what driving our car will be like. Here in Utah there are a couple of places you can practice driving cars/go-karts. These are the most popular but are not the only options.
The Grid is an indoor electric go-kart track. Top speed of about 45mph. Equipment is provided. Similar but still different than the competition. Hours, pricing, and location are on their website. We do have a partnership with them and will host secondary rounds of driver selection here.
Utah Motorsports Campus is a great outdoor location to practice. Not all equipment is provided for free. Check the website for more details. Here they have several different options such as: Gas go-karts, Bring Your Own Car, Drive One of Theirs and more. Hours, pricing, location, and dates are available on their website.