VIEWS
▲ 2024 FST Track Day Group Photo - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
On December 9, FST successfully held the second-year 'FST track day' at Taoyuan Yong'an Karting Land, inviting all Taiwanese student teams to join, including those from National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Cheng Kung University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology. Through vehicle inspection and dynamic testing, the track day provides a valuable opportunity for teams to simulate official competition situations. It also aims to promote exchanges between students from each school during this event.
▲ Go-kart competition - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
The first event of the track day was go-kart racing. Drivers from the student teams and members of FST competed fiercely. After three rounds of qualifying, a losing round, and the main race, the NTU Racing Team drivers secured the championship, with the NTHU Racing Team drivers claiming second and third place.
▲ Winners of Go-kart racing - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
NTU Racing Team, NCKU Racing Team, and Taipei Tech Racing Team brought their electric formula cars to Yong'an Land. Similar to the main race, the track day event was divided into static car inspection and dynamic track testing.
▲ NTU team car inspection - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
The FST review first went to the tents of each team to conduct inspections of static items. What is worthy of recognition is that the teams from the three schools successfully completed the vehicle inspection on the day.
FST's judges reviewing cars from student teams - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
The FST review initially involved inspecting static items at each team's tent. Notably, teams from three schools successfully completed the vehicle inspection on the same day.
▲ National Cheng Kung University car inspection screen - Photo by Taiwan Formula Student Association
Prior to the dynamic testing, drivers are required to undergo an escape test. They must swiftly unbuckle their seat belts and exit the car within five seconds. Failure to complete this task within the allotted time will result in disqualification.
▲ Driver escape test - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
The dynamic tests on that day included a braking test and an endurance test. Both the NTU team and the Taipei Tech team successfully passed the braking test. During the endurance test, teams navigated the track route designed by FST, driving continuously for ten minutes to assess the stability of their vehicles.
▲ NTU team conducting a brake test - Photo by Taiwan Formula Student Association
▲ Taipei Tech team conducting a brake test - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
For the subsequent endurance test, Taipei Tech adopted a more conservative driving approach that day, with the team's goal focused on completing the race and collecting materials. However, NTU faced challenges during the endurance test, stopping twice and being unable to move forward. This highlighted the need for further improvements in the vehicle's stability.
▲ Taipei Tech team conducting an endurance test - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
▲ NTU team conducting an endurance test - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
From the perspective of the racing team, this situation illustrates that conducting more test runs before the race provides additional opportunities to identify potential problems, ultimately enhancing performance in the main race. As for the National Cheng Kung University team, despite successfully completing the vehicle inspection on the track day, the vehicle encountered difficulty driving smoothly. It is speculated that the control board may be in poor condition.
▲ Car inspection - Photo by Formula Student Taiwan Association
In conclusion, during the 2024 FST track day, various university teams actively participated in go-kart racing and FSAE competition simulations. The NTU Racing Team excelled in go-kart racing, securing the first-place position, while the NTHU Racing Team finished second and third place. However, during the FSAE competition simulation, each team encountered different challenges, including vehicle stability, technical issues, etc. This track day not only fostered competitive exchanges between student teams but also underscored the importance of dynamic car simulations before the race to enhance performance and identify potential problems.