Motorsports Australia

On 21 September, Zoe, Erica and I attended the Motorsport Australia Experience hosted by Monash Motorsports students at Monash University. This event showed how STEM is integrated into motorsport.  Students showcased their current racing car and spoke about aerodynamics, electric motor power systems and autonomous control. We then rotated between different activities:

• Mini Dyno: Experimented with different revolutions per minute (rpm) rates and tried to stabilise the torque of an electric motor.

• Remote-Control Car Race: Tested our navigation skills on different tracks.

• Programming robotic cars: Following a sequence of orders as closely as possible.

• Cost Cap: Strategically budgeting a Formula One team, earning as many points as possible whilst still having a reliable and fast team. We lost or gained points due to choices made on our car and drivers.

• Pit Stop Challenge: Learnt about different components of a Formula car. Watched a pit crew change a tyre on one of the Monash Motorsports race cars and we even had a try!

• Race Simulator: With a driving coach we completed three laps as fast as possible around the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

The highlight for me was the simulator as I related to how the people in the Motorsport Club were coached. I also enjoyed being with like-minded people with a passion for motorsport and STEM and being able to talk about this common interest. 

Thanks to Ms Bilton for advocating this event to students.

VALENTINA
Year 10