CARBONDALE, Ill. - A garage door on the east side of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's engineering building opens, revealing a small, but neat workshop and a dedicated group of students who have a real need for speed. They belong to SIUC's racing team. 

Their work with a wrench goes hand-in-hand with what they're learning in the classroom.

The team has just returned from Pontiac, Mich., where they put their SAE Formula race car through its paces in an annual contest that attracts university teams from around the world. Sponsored by some of the biggest names in the automotive industry, the event tests cars for their endurance, maneuverability and design.

"We did pretty well," said team captain David C. Freeman, a senior in mechanical engineering from Reynolds. "The car held up and we were competitive in all of the events."

About 20 students make up the race team; each is assigned to work on a specific system. "It's not a cookie-cutter car," said Freeman. "We designed and built it from the ground up. In fact, the car was the talk of the competition because of the design of several of the components.

"Judges like to see innovation, and that's what made our car stand out from the others. Many of the top teams and some of the sponsors were very interested in what we were able to come up with."

Among the components that drew rave reviews were the car's front suspension and its shaft drive system. "We had the first successful shaft-driven car at the competition," Freeman said proudly. "Most other cars are chain driven."

Students also designed and built the computer-controlled fuel injection system. A Honda 600cc four-cylinder engine powers the SIUC car. Top speed is about 135 mph.

"Work on the car is never really finished. We're always tinkering with the design, trying to make things better," said Freeman.

Raising money is also a never-ending part of the project. "Just like professional race teams, we have to search out sponsors," said mechanical engineering professor Kambiz Farhang, the team's faculty adviser. "We have several who have been very good to us, providing money and, in some cases, spare parts. The students also raise money and some of our alumni are very excited about the program."

Although competition on the track is the name of the game, potential employers attend the event with an eye toward the latest designs and often approach students with job offers. "I had four job offers this year alone," said Freeman.

Some former team members now hold jobs with the biggest names in auto racing including Penske Motorsports and Roush Industries, which owns five teams that compete in NASCAR's Winston Cup series.

The car also serves as a recruitment tool. "Several students have told me they decided to attend SIUC because of the opportunity to be part of the race team," said Farhang. "The students who work on the car are very dedicated, both to the project and in the classroom." 

College of Engineering Dean George M. Swisher echoes those sentiments. "The car provides great visibility for our program," said Swisher. "We take the car out to high schools and fairs in order to give potential students an idea of what our program is all about. The kids really identify with the car."

Swisher also believes the program gives students a taste of engineering in a real-world situation. "Plus, it is very competitive and a lot of fun," he said.

In its first competition back in 1997, the SIUC team won Rookie of the Year honors. This year the team ranked 78th in a 104-car field, finishing ahead of such schools as the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Illinois. "We have come a long way since our first competition," said Farhang. "The students have learned quite a bit about the engineering process in that time. The hands-on experience is a great way to apply what they have learned in the classroom."