Engineering a Legacy:
Zips Racing Celebrates Milestone 30th Anniversary
On Monday, April 29, 2019, Zips Racing shared with the world a secret they were keeping for many months, one that had been in the making since the previous year behind closed doors.
It’s their 2019 competition Formula race car. But the big reveal was more than just showing off to donors, sponsors, and supporters a race car that can go from zero to 60 mph in about three-and-a-half seconds. It’s a symbol marking 30 years of engineering creativity and students spending thousands of hours annually in a design center building a brand-new machine each year to race at competitions around the globe.
Most of all, “Monica,” the 2019 car’s nickname, is a token of honor as Zips Racing celebrated its 30th anniversary as an award-winning Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula team in The University of Akron’s (UA) College of Engineering.
Ezra Malernee
“Thirty years is a pride thing for me,” said Zips Racing team captain Ezra Malernee, a senior engineering technology major. “It makes me feel like I’m part of a legacy. As I reflect on my time with Zips Racing, I realize I was part of a bigger legacy of engineering students, who, like me, built the best race car they could possibly create year after year, and were proud of it. This has given me a sense of purpose in something.”
Ezra Malernee
Zips Racing formed in 1989 under the guidance of then-mechanical engineering professor Richard Gross, Ph.D.
“We created the team because we wanted to give engineering students hands-on experience, and to show them how to apply what they learned in class to the real world,” said Gross, now retired.
The year following its inception, the team produced its inaugural car and participated in its first competition in Lawrence, Mich., placing 15th out of 42 teams. Zips Racing continues to rank high in annual competitions. The team has placed in the top 10 overall at Formula SAE Michigan 10 times since 1992, earning first place out of 89 teams in 1999. In 2013, the team placed third overall out of 104 teams.
Zips Racing competes annually in Formula SAE design competitions. Today, the 25-member team is one of about 100 student SAE teams in the U.S. that competes against other universities from around the world. Students representing several academic majors have conceptualized, designed, and built a race car that is entered in competitions that judge such factors as design, dynamics, acceleration, endurance, and finances, among others.
Like the other student design teams in the College of Engineering, Zips Racing enables students to learn soft skills that they might not become acquainted with in a typical classroom setting, such as time management, communication, and trouble shooting.
Daniel Deckler, Ph.D., who’s been Zips Racing’s faculty advisor for the last few years, and has worked in the engineering industry as a space shuttle engineer and an undersea warfare engineer, said the power of Zips Racing is that it provides students with real-world skills that make them technically skilled exceptionally qualified for engineering careers.
“Students start with a concept, then apply engineering principles to manufacture, build, and race a car,” said Deckler, a professor of mechanical engineering. “The team members go through every step of product development all engineers are going to experience, whether you’re in the automotive industry or a rocket engineer. No matter what industry you’re in, you’re going to go from concept to design, manufacturing to build. That’s why so many employers want members from all the different design teams in the University’s College of Engineering.”
“Zips Racing is a great motivator to find your passion in engineering,” said Henry Wathen, a third-year mechanical engineering major and drivetrain leader. “When you look at Zips Racing, you might think it’s just automotive, but there’s a lot of aspects into every single part of this car that touch every facet of engineering.”
Literally, the students make each year’s race car from scratch. About 80% of the car’s parts are made by the students, who also have to raise money for the organization, as if Zips Racing is a business. Zips Racing is funded primarily through UA’s College of Engineering, along with donations from foundations and local sponsors.
“Speaking for the entire team, we’re grateful for the generous support we receive from our sponsors,” said Malernee. “Without their help, Zips Racing would not be the awarding-winning design team that it is today.”
Partners of Zips Racing include Goodyear Racing, Summit Racing, Bridgestone, Schaeffler Group, Cub Cadet, Collins Aerospace (formerly UTC Aerospace), Allan Aircraft Supply, and AVL, among many others.
Jeff DiSante
Jeff DiSante
The team’s first competition during the 2019 season was Formula SAE Michigan at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Mich., May 8-11. At the 2018 competition, Zips Racing placed sixth out of 114 teams – outranking all U.S. teams. Zips Racing later placed ninth at Formula North 2018 in Ontario, Canada. UA’s team was the only one from Ohio to finish in the top 10 in either competition. The team was also scheduled to compete during the summer of 2019 in Europe at Formula Student East in Hungary (July 17-21) and Formula Student Austria (July 28-Aug. 1).
Following the competition in Michigan, Malernee handed over the reins of team captain to vehicle dynamics leader Jeff DiSante, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major.
“Over my last four years on the team, I have worked with many great past and present teammates, and I am extremely eager to lead the team during this summer's European competition trip,” said DiSante. “It is an incredible honor to be the captain for the 30th Anniversary of Zips Racing, as there is no shortage of accomplished leaders this team has had in its first 29 seasons. I look forward to working with my team next year and am enthusiastic about the potential for our next combustion race car.”
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