23 August 2016 – Engadine High’s successful F1 in Schools Challenge team is heading to Austin, Texas in October to contest the world titles after receiving a ‘wild card’ invitation from the competition organisers.
The Fast PAYCE team were runners up in the open national titles in March this year, where they collected three trophies, including the coveted award for fastest car of all competing teams. They qualified for the national titles after winning their regional and state titles in the Junior Professional Class.
The Fast PAYCE team comprises Year 10 students Blake Williams (team manager), Lukas Foyle (graphic designer), James Mitreski (design engineer) and Sean Sultana (manufacturing engineering). Teacher and mentor, Ray Treloar and several parents will accompany the team on the USA trip to provide support and cheer them on during the four days of competition.
Engadine High’s former Principal, Joanne Jarvis, said the school’s Year 10 team impressed the judges at the national titles with exceptional performances against the older Year 12 team who were the overall champions by a small margin.
“It has been a major investment for the school to buy the necessary specialised equipment and to modify rooms since deciding to become involved in the F1 in Schools Challenge at its inception, but it has all been worthwhile with a heightened interest in maths, engineering, science, technology and innovation.
The Relieving Principal, Ms Kerrie Jones said: “We are all very proud of our team’s achievements in this year’s competition and the invitation to compete against the world’s best in Texas is well deserved.”
Mr Treloar said the team members had not rested on their laurels and since being notified of their wild card entry they have been busy modifying and testing their car for more efficiency and speed as they prepare to take on the world.
“We expect the competition to be tough and we won’t know how we measure up to the rest of the international teams until race day, but the latest tests indicate we are in the ball park of world record times in car speed,” he said.
“As part of the international rules, the boys also had to develop an overall fresh look and come up with new graphic designs and presentation material. They have also had to fit in time to raise funds to help finance the trip and their fundraising efforts will continue right up until they leave.
“We have been very fortunate to have PAYCE as our primary sponsor throughout the competition and their support continues to be highly appreciated and invaluable in so many ways.” Mr Treloar said.
PAYCE’s Managing Director, Brian Boyd said the team’s progress through the various stages of the competition had been exciting to follow and their inclusion in the world titles came as no surprise after their earlier successes.
“PAYCE is very pleased to play a part in their exciting journey and we are thrilled and impressed that all that hard work and dedication has paid off and secured them a place in the world titles,” he said.
“The multi-talented team is a credit to their school and their families and it is great to see all those hours that they have put in, both during and after school and on weekends, have helped them achieve their goal of representing Australia.”
F1 in Schools Technology Challenge Background
The F1 in Schools Technology Challenge is an international competition open to high school students in countries around the world. Teams design and build a small scale F1 racing car from a block of balsa wood, using a sophisticated Computer Numerical Control (CNC) router designed especially for the competition. The teams also use a 3D printer to produce parts such as spoilers and winglets to fine-tune their designs.
The CO2 gas cylinder powered cars can reach speeds up to 80 kilometres an hour and are timed to one-thousand of a second as they travel in pairs down a 20 metre two-lane track.
