Corporate Sponsorship

ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE

THE PROGRAM
The collegiate chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) at the
University of Illinois aims to provide it’s members with numerous educational,
professional, and social activities and opportunities related to vehicular design. As
part of this initiative, UIUC SAE fields two engineering design teams: Formula SAE
and Baja SAE. Both teams design, construct, and race vehicles against many
college-level teams from all over the world. Participation in either of these teams
affords students the opportunity to gain real-world engineering, communication,
and leadership skills that are otherwise not necessarily available in an academic
setting. Furthermore, engineering students have the chance to apply the theory
they learn in the classroom, leading to a better understanding of their engineering
discipline overall. Upon the completion of their degree, SAE graduates are among
the most highly sought-after candidates for engineering jobs due to their
enthusiasm for the field and their experience with the application of
engineering theory.

ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE

FORMULA SAE
What it’s all about...
The Challenge: A fictional manufacturing company has enlisted
the services of a design team to develop a small formula-style
racing car, targeted to the nonprofessional weekend autocross
enthusiast. Based on a strict set of templates and rules, they must
design the fastest, most effective racing machine possible while
keeping costs minimal, maximizing reliability, and utilizing the
latest technologies in racing today. Formula SAE students have
the opportunity to become this design team, using the skills
learned in the classroom to execute this company’s vision. Each
year, competitions are held in various places all over the world
(California, Michigan, Australia, Brazil, Italy, United Kingdom, etc.)
where these design teams are able to bring their car and compete
against some of the best engineering students from across the
planet. At each event, cars are judged based on their performance
in a rigorous set of tests which include acceleration, braking,
skidpad, autocross, and endurance runs. However, the cars are
not the only element being judged; teams are judged by a group
of industry experts on their performance in “static events” which
include:

A cost report highlighting the estimated cost to set up a

business to annually produce 1000 examples of their
vehicle and a business plan to make such a
venture profitable

A design report which explains the philosophy and

technicalities of the design choices made in developing
the car

A sales presentation where the team must attempt to

market their car to a panel of prospective buyers

Such a diverse set of grading criteria demonstrate how Formula

SAE competitions foster multiple disciplines amongst its
participants; engineers must learn not just how to create effective
designs, but also how to defend their designs and eventually sell
them to a very discerning public.

ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE

DESIGN FOR SUCCESS
For our 2010 entry (dubbed the “I10”), our team jecting our Honda F4i engine and its intake system
designed an evolution of our 2009 car, retaining its to extensive modeling within the GT-Power engine
best elements and incorporating several improve- simulation suite and CFD software, respectively.
ments to maximize performance. Most noticeably, we Both will allow us to refine our operation param-
opted to use carbon fiber bodywork for the shell of eters and geometries to achieve better fuel
our car, the first time our team had done so in several economy and a better-balanced powerband.
years. In addition, an aerodynamics package con- Development of a variable intake geometry
sisting of a diffuser and wings was designed to maxi- system is also in the works. All models will be
mize cornering ability, another first for our team. tested and validated through dynamometer test-
These ambitious changes proved to be very benefi- ing. Integration with the electronics team is
cial; our first competition at Michigan International another key goal as we plan on researching and
Speedway (widely considered to be the “world cham- fully exploiting the capabilities of our new Motec
pionship event” of M400 ECU.
the series) yielded
a 13th place finish Suspension
out of 120 com- (led by Joe Korte &
petitors. We also Brad Knicker)
had an exception- With an already highly
ally strong show- competitive suspension
ing at our second system, our goals for
competition at the 2011 are to improve the
Auto Club Speed- car’s aerodynamic inte-
way in California, gration and increase
staying near the the car’s roll stiffness
top of the field and wheelbase while
until the last day also reducing weight. A
of competition tentative two-inch
when an unfortu- increase in wheelbase
nate chain failure will maximize stability
prevented our car at higher speeds and
from finishing the allow for a more effec-
endurance com- tive underbody diffuser
petition. Nevertheless, we managed to finish 15th out and encourage further drivetrain development. To
of a field of 56 competitors, bolstered by the high further reduce weight, we are redesigning our bell-
scores received in the prior events. Going into the cranks to use less material and are investigating
2011 season, we are greatly looking forward to the use of carbon fiber A-arms. All this work will be
further evolving our design. Most importantly, we done alongside our standard work of reanalyzing
have opted to place a heavy emphasis on simulation our prior work with bearings, wheel choices, and
and modeling to help us further refine our package upright designs, all in the effort to shed weight and
and extract its full potential. Here are some short improve handling.
blurbs from our team leaders about what their goals
are for the 2011 contender: Chassis/Integration
(led by Damian Kucbor & Arron Calvache)
Engine We are looking to further strengthen our chassis
(led by Dale Sormaz & Prashant Jayaraman) through the use of structural carbon fiber
Simulation will be our main focus of this season, sub- panels while also targeting a 5 pound

ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE

DESIGN FOR SUCCESS CONT’D
reduction in weight. The wheelbase of our car will be Aerodynamics
lengthened to improve handling and balance. Also, (led by Jillian Roettiger)
we plan on laser cutting our chassis tubes to The 2011 aerodynamics package will build on last
improve fit and finish while also allowing for more year’s design, focusing on an iterative CFD simula-
accurate load path geometry. tion in 3 dimensions, specifically with respect to end-
plate design and wing placement. Fabrication will put
Drivetrain craftsmanship and weight savings in the forefront
(led by Henry Africano) through the use of female molds and high strength
This year’s drivetrain will be focused on reducing composite materials.
drag throughout the entire driveline. By using
upgraded bearings that are repositioned to mini- By fulfilling these design goals, we are certain that
mize energy losses, more power can be transferred our program will maintain the high level of success
from the engine to the ground. Integrating the hubs that it has experienced over the past few years and
into the spindles will that our car will
produce a more favor- once again be a
able half-shaft angle, top performer on
further reducing drag- the international
induced losses. This stage. We expect
will improve our that come May of
vehicle’s reliability by 2011, this car will
simplifying and lighten- be competing for
ing the system as a overall victory at
whole. Further changes both the Michigan
include changes to our and California
braking system; a new events. At the
brake pedal orientation same time, we
will be determined to have also begun
allow for adjustable to set up the
pedals and better framework for a
geometry, resulting in potential full
more solid braking and re-design of the
improved driver ergo- car for future sea-
nomics. sons. This would include the possibility of switching
from our current steel-tube chassis to a carbon fiber
Electronics monocoque, as well as transitioning to a smaller
(led by Eric Lui & Jack Sormaz) engine. Because such changes would require a
One of our major projects for this year is to develop great deal of flexibility from all the other vehicle sys-
a wireless telemetry system for real-time monitoring tems, a 2 to 3 year plan has been laid out where
of vehicle data during races. In addition, we are current sophomores and juniors would be respon-
looking to reduce the size of our electrical compo- sible for the primary design and development of this
nents and improve their encapsulation and mount- future car with assistance from the seniors. We
ing so they can better withstand race conditions. believe that by taking this amount of time to refine
and test our ideas, a completely redesigned car
debuting in 2012 or 2013 could be highly competitive
within its first year of competition.

ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE

WHY SUPPORT SAE?
Almost all Formula SAE teams, including our own,
rely heavily on corporate partnerships and
sponsorships to maintain their operation. Despite
the fact that our vehicle has consistently been a top
performer amongst cars built on substantially
higher budgets, the cost of remaining competitive is
always increasing. A breakdown of our
projected budget for this year is provided below:
In most years, around 40% of our total budget has
been provided by the Engineering Design Council,
an umbrella organization that oversees all student
design projects. This year, however, we have
learned that financial constraints have greatly
limited their capacity to help us; recent estimates
from university faculty estimate that their financial
backing of our team in particular will most likely
drop to under 50% of their previous support levels.
Thus, more than ever, we will need your help in
making our car a reality. By becoming a sponsor of
the University of Illinois Formula SAE team, you will
ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE
be supporting a program with a proven track record
(pun definitely intended) of producing some of the
finest engineers in industry today. As mentioned
earlier, participation on a Formula SAE team gives
students the chance to apply lessons from the
classroom and experience “real-world” engineering
projects. Furthermore, participants pick up valuable
leadership skills which are rarely developed in other
collegiate organizations. There truly is no other
engineering extracurricular organization that
prepares engineering students for industry like
Formula SAE. In addition, your support of our team
can deliver excellent return on investment. Because
we bring our car to competitions around the country
attended by schools from many parts of the world,
your company would have the opportunity to
experience global exposure to a well-reputed group
of engineering professionals and academics, most of
whom are involved with state-of-the-art engineering
firms and projects. On a much more intimate level,
we routinely have sponsors visit our team either at
our shop in Urbana or at any of our competitions.
Visiting sponsors not only get to witness the design
and construction of our car, but they also have the
chance to speak to our engineers about their
company. This allows our corporate partners to
develop a “one-on-one” relationship with our
engineers, thus making for a much more effective
recruiting experience.
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
We offer several sponsorship packages tailored to your company’s budget. Support
of our team through sponsorship can come in the form of a monetary sponsorship
or an “in kind” sponsorship through engineering/manufacturing
assistance or services.

Orange & Blue

Honorary Member Bronze Partnership Silver Partnership Gold Partnership
Partnership
Up to $1,000 $1,000-$4,999 $5,000-$9,999 $10,000-$19,999 $20,000 and Above
Company name X
Representation on sponsor board
Small company logo X
(displayed at all SAE events)
Large company logo X X X

Company name X
Representation on team website
(www.illinimotorsports.net, Company logo X X
includes link to company website)
Company logo featured on front
X X
page
Sponsor newsletter subscription X X X X X

Team photo and appreciation letter X X X X

Invitation to speak with the Illini Motorsports team X X X

Distribution of corporate recruiting materials at team events X X

Company name included in all team publications and event
X
registrations
Top of Nosecone X X

Side of Nosecone X X

Front Wing Endplates X

Top of Sidepods X
Representation on the car
Side of Sidepods X

Front Wing Surface X

Rear Wing Endplates X

Rear Wing Surface X

ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE

THANK YOU!
The University of Illinois Formula SAE team thanks you for your
thoughtful consideration. We hope we’ll be able to add your company to
the list of partners that have helped us become one of the premier col-
legiate racing teams in the world. If you have any questions about our
team or our SAE chapter in general, please do not hesitate to contact
us!

Prashant Jayaraman Professor Michael Philpott

President, UIUC FSAE SAE Faculty Advisor
jayaraman.prashant@gmail.com mphilpot@illinois.edu
(847)-226-0866 (217)-244-3184
http://www.illinimotorsports.net

ILLINOIS FORMULA SAE