The University of Tennessee Motorsports Team
| The University of Tennessee has been invited to participate in the first ever
intercollegiate motorsports series. The series is sponsored by 600
Racing, the company that makes
Legends Cars, and sanctioned by National Collegiate
Automobile Racing (NCAR). Tennessee' entry is a replica of a 1937
Ford sedan. There will be exhibition event held at
Charlotte Motor Speedway July 26,
before the first ever Indy Racing League race to be held at the speedway.
Each school (
The University of Tennessee,
Duke University,
University of South Carolina,
North Carolina State University,
and
University of North Carolina Charlotte) will have two drivers to compete in two 10 lap events,
with the winning school having the highest combined point total for the two events. Plans for the
series include expansion to 20 schools and 10 events this fall.
| The teams took delivery of their cars Thursday, July 10, at 600 Racing's
factory in Harrisburg, North Carolina. There was a driver orientation
session held at a 1/5 mile asphalt oval near Charlotte Motor Speedway
and a mechanical orientation session held at the factory.
Brian buckling in at the orientation session
On the 1/5 mile oval at Charlotte
The Team
| 
Butch Irick
| Butch is one of the drivers as well as one of the mechanics.
He is a doctoral candidate in Mechanical Engineering and holds a BS and an MS in Mechanical Engineering
from the University of Tennessee.
| 
Brian Moore
| Brian is one of the drivers and is also one of the mechanics. He
is a Senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Brian is also a member of
the University's FutureCar Challenge team.
| 
Tim Johnson
| Tim is the crew chief for the team. He
is a Senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Tim is also a member of
the University's FutureCar Challenge team.
| 
Jill Nicole Ballard
| Nicole is one of the mechanics on the team. She is a rising
senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering and is also a member of
the University's FutureCar Challenge team.
| 
| Professor Hodgson is the faculty advisor for the motorsports team as well as for the
FutureCar Challenge team.
| 
| Professor Hamel is the faculty advisor for the motorsports team as well as for the
FutureCar Challenge team.
Sponsors
The Car
| Tennessee's vehicle is a 5/8-scale replica of an 1937 Ford Sedan,
modeled after the modifieds raced in the early years of NASCAR.
The car, like all Legends Cars, is powered by a Yamaha XJ-1200 four cylinder air-cooled motorcycle
engine. The engine is rated at 125 horsepower, and drives the rear wheels through the integral
motorcycle transmission connected to a modified Toyota Celica rearend. The car is equipped with
front disc/rear drum brakes also taken from the Celica, rack and
pinion steering, coil-over suspension on all four corners, a four-gallon fuel cell,
five-point safety belt and harness, factory-manufactured racing seat and
13x7-inch steel wheels. All Legends cars compete on B. F. Goodrich Comp
T/A steel belted radial tires. For the exhibition event, our car's springs, tires, and rearend gear
ratio must remain unchanged; although, changes to these components are generally allowed in racing.
Friday morning after the trip home from Charlotte
Professor Hodgson
Starting on the chassis setup
Breaking in the engine
Getting dressed up at TDS Exhibits
All done
Now that says TENNESSEE
Brian's and Butch's favorite view
Professor Hamel preparing for an interview on WVLT
|