Zips Racing going the distance:
How these racers zipped into careers
UA alumni reflect on how Zips Racing prepared them for professional success
Thirty years ago, with little more than some textbooks and brainpower, a group of students at The University of Akron decided to build a formula-style race car.
“We did not have the internet,” says Mike O’Neil ’93, ‘95, one of the original members of what would become UA’s highly successful Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula Team, Zips Racing. “There were few books and most of those addressed other forms of racing. Most of our designs were generated using basic hand calculations and simple drawings.” Hear more from Mike about the early days of Zips Racing.
Limited budget and resources notwithstanding, the team built a car that, in its first test run, broke the track record at Goodyear’s 0.62-mile maneuverability course – a record that was set by a Corvette, adds O’Neil, who served as the team’s captain for three years. The team went on to place 15th out of 42 teams in its first competition in May 1990.
Over the next three decades, Zips Racing went on to collect numerous regional, national and international titles and recognitions in Formula SAE competitions across the country and around the world – propelling many graduates into a range of successful careers along the way.
A green light to the racing industry
Ryan Kruse
Ryan Kruse
“Being a member of Zips Racing made entry into the racing industry after college a reality,” says O’Neil, the technical director at North Carolina’s Essex Parts Services Inc., which develops brake systems for professional auto racing. “It allowed me to make my passion my career. It is a project that will help one land many different engineering jobs and at a higher starting pay than what might otherwise be earned without such experience."
Indeed, Ryan Kruse ‘14, an engineer at Team Penske in North Carolina, says employers were more interested in his Zips Racing experience than in his academic performance.
“From my personal experience, when I graduated and began looking for jobs, employers were more interested in my experience with Zips Racing than in my academic performance. The reality is the field, you’ll find yourself specializing in something, and Zips Racing allowed me to specialize in vehicle dynamics and even make a career of it,” says Kruse, who specialized in vehicle dynamics and served as team captain in 2014.
Develop in-demand engineering skills
Anna Davies
Anna Davies
After graduating in 2016, Anna Davies is now designing tires for the IndyCar series as an engineer for the Firestone Race Tire Engineering Team at Bridgestone Americas in Akron – thanks in large part to Zips Racing, she says.
“So many companies are looking for the kind of experience you get through Zips Racing, since they know you have a head start on the engineering process,” says Davies, the team’s administrative co-captain in 2015-16. “You learn a ton of skills on the team, whether that be in CAD modeling, machining, welding, carbon fiber, 3D printing, engine tuning or electrical wiring. A huge skill that transferred to my job is understanding vehicle dynamics.”
Learn to lead and collaborate
In addition to technical engineering skills, Chris Chatfield ’18 says Zips Racing has given him the leadership and teamwork abilities to be an effective project engineer at Smithers Rapra in Ravenna, Ohio.
“I believe the most important preparation I gained was from project management,” he says. “This includes learning to coordinate with people of varying levels of experience and backgrounds, as well as managing time, budgets, etc. Having that type of experience is proving to be an invaluable asset in the workplace.”
Chris Chatfield
Chris Chatfield
Collaboration through Zips Racing has other benefits, as well.
“I made lifelong friends through Zips Racing,” Kruse says. “For five years, unless I was in class or sleeping, I spent much of my time with my teammates. Now, five years after graduating, whenever we see each other, we tell the same dumb stories and make fun of each other for the same stupid things.”
Boost business acumen – and confidence
Zips Racing members not only design, build and race a brand-new car each year; they are also responsible for maintaining a budget, working with manufacturers and suppliers such as the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., securing sponsorships, speaking to the press and public at events – and even delivering marketing pitches to judges at Formula SAE competitions.
“Prior to joining the team, I was not a fan of speaking in public,” Davies says. “Different roles on the team taught me a lot about being comfortable with presenting information by knowing it inside and out. This has rolled over into being comfortable with giving tours, whether at Bridgestone or at the track.”
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