Amberg, December 1, 2008 – After the rollout of the new racecar RS08 in May, the “Running Snail Racing Team“ achieved an extremely successful season.

After the Michelin competition was won in May (as we reported), the actual kick-off of the season began in Silverstone by garnering a respectable 10th place among a total of 72 participating teams.

A few improvements were added and then it was off to Hockenheim. This competition had the most participants in Germany to date with a total of 78 international teams. Nonetheless, it was possible to land in another notable position, 11th place, which resulted from the following placements:

* Acceleration: 6th place
* Skid pad: 11th place
* Autocross: 27th place
* Endurance: 13th place
* Fuel economy: 4th place


But the greatest highlight of this event was winning the “Formula Student Germany Sportsmanship Award“, which is presented for team spirit, fairness and willingness to help.

After the very good results in Hockenheim and Silverston, the next stop was the SAE Italy competition. Maranello, to be precise – to the “Pista di Fiorano,” which is the Ferrari test track.

Although it is not the largest European competition with its 31 participating teams, the competitive environment is in the top leagues. Here the “Running Snail Racing Team“ was among the frontrunners in all areas, which was honored with an overall ranking of 5th place. The placements in the individual disciplines:

* Skid pad: 1st place
* Acceleration: 2nd place
* Fuel economy: 3rd place

TraceParts would like to express its warmest congratulations and hopes that the Running Snail Racing Team of Amberg in Bavaria makes another successful start into the racing season 2009.

Formula Student
The Formula Student is an international engineering competition that was founded in the US in 1981 and is now held in seven different countries each year. The main organizer is the largest engineering association in the world, the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).
The Formula Student is based on the idea that a company places an order for the construction of a race car prototype for amateur race car drivers. The vehicle has to fulfill certain requirements and therefore the competition is conceived in such a way that all aspects are evaluated, from the design to the cost control and from the marketing to the practical usability.

During the annual competitions in the US, Germany, England, Italy Australia, Brazil and Japan, the race cars go up against a large international group of participants.

Disciplines
Skid pad:
The skid pad is a horizontal figure eight whose circles have a diameter of 15.25 m. Each team may provide two drivers who have two tries each. The quickest try is the one that is evaluated.

Acceleration:
The acceleration competition measures the acceleration of the car. The vehicle is accelerated from a standing position for 75 m. Each team may provide two drivers who have two tries each. The quickest try is the one that is evaluated.

Autocross:
The car has to be steered along a handling course that is 800 m long. It includes straight lines, hairpin turns and slalom sections. Each team may provide two drivers and each driver has two tries. The quickest try is the one that is evaluated. The drivers do not have a training round.

Endurance:
The endurance competition is the most important one. The vehicle has to be steered along a circular course that is 22 km long and resembles an autocross. The driver is changed after 11 km. In this process the engine and ignition have to be switched off and then start again without outside help. Usually several race cars are on the track at the same time, which however do not race against each other but against the clock. Special passing zones are furnished for faster cars. This competition is so important because it results in more than a third of all points and because nearly half of the cars do not make it through the entire 22 km.

Fuel economy:
The fuel consumption is measured during the endurance competition. The most economical team received 50 points in 2008. As of 2009, the consumption is ranked more highly and up to 100 points will be awarded.

(Source: Article, Formula Student Germany. In: Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie. Last revision: November 9, 2008, 20:38 UTC. URL: http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Formula_Student_Germany&oldid=52812608 (accessed: November 14, 2008, 12:15 UTC))

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