On Friday, February 26, Homestead-Miami Speedway participated
in Florida International University’s 2016 Engineering Expo. We were invited by FIU’s SAE team, a group of
mostly engineering students that design, build, and race a Formula-style car.
Each year about 120 teams from all over the country and world meet to compete
at our sister track, Michigan International Speedway.
The Engineering Expo hosted around 1,400 students from a few
South Florida counties. The expo aimed to engage the students with interactive
STEM presentations. STEM refers to science, technology, engineering, and math
education; fields that are increasingly present in the real world.
As part of the presentation the FIU SAE team had their
vehicle alongside our show car. Together,
students were able to compare a professional race car with an SAE car made by
the young engineering students. This displayed the gradual steps in development
and what can be accomplished by pursuing a career in those fields.
The iconic sound of the stock car got everyone excited and
brought questions about the body of the car, NASCAR as a sport, and
qualifications needed to become a professional driver. We
were also able to give explanations on aerodynamics, drag, and friction. The visiting students also got tours of a wind tunnel,
played with bottle rockets, and explored shops where FIU students weld and
design projects. To learn more about the FIU SAE team visit https://sae.fiu.edu/
