A group of engineering students have driven their hand-built racing car around the famous Silverstone track.

The team of 12 University of Glasgow students were competing in the annual Formula Student competition which challenges teams from all over the world to design, build and race their own single-seater racing car.

Team leader Samuel Smith said: “It has taken 12 of us four years of hard work to get the car finished and ready to race but it has been extremely rewarding. Racing a car that we built with our own hands at Silverstone was an amazing experience and made all the long days worth it.”Formula Student team

The Glasgow group finished a respectable 64th against more than 110 teams from countries all over the world, including Japan, Australia and America. The car was put through its paces in a range of tests including a brake and noise test as well as an endurance and sprint race.

Sam said: “This was the first year we had been able to enter a fully working car into the race but we hope to be able to build on this attempt and submit an entry every year from now on. We have all learned so much from this challenge and can take away a huge amount of experience from it.”

The competition, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, aims to promote careers and excellence in engineering, by providing students with a real-life exercise in design and manufacture and the business elements of automotive engineering.

More details on the competition can be found on the Formula Student website: http://www.formulastudent.com/home.htm

Notes to editors

For more information please contact Kate Richardson in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 3683 or email K.Richardson@admin.gla.ac.uk

First published: 9 July 2008

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