On Saturday, June 29, Oakland University’s Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team, Grizzlies Racing, placed second at the inaugural Oakland University Grand Prix.
“With the team we have, I’m beyond proud of the work that has been put into this car,” Grizzlies Racing President Breckin Helfen said. “Being top five was all 100% expected, and being top two is even better.”
The second-place finish comes off the tires of Grizzlies Racing placing 14th out of 108 universities at the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, Mich.
Despite some rainy conditions at the start, the weather slowly shifted to bright and sunny as the day continued. The Grand Prix attracted more than 300 people who lined the grass along parking lot P37 to watch the competition.
“Seeing that many people is very exciting,” Business Director Morgan North said. “And so I’m glad that the weather held and that so many people were able to come out and enjoy a nice day of motorcar racing.”
Seven schools and eight teams competed in the event, including OU, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Ohio State University (OSU), Western Michigan University, Lawrence Technological University, Wayne State University and Grand Valley State University.
All eight teams had ample opportunities to complete an autocross course designed by former Grizzlies Racing member and OU alum Matthew Solnik. The course opened at 10 a.m. and closed at 5 p.m., with an hour set aside at noon for teams to regroup and break for lunch.
The final placement of teams was determined by which school could complete the autocross course in the fastest time. As the weather improved and drivers gained a better understanding of the course after multiple attempts, most teams gradually improved their times.
Grizzlies Racing held first place for most of the Grand Prix. However, with just 15 minutes remaining to compete, the Formula Buckeyes from OSU made it across the finish line just 0.099 seconds faster than OU.
Staying competitive with the Formula Buckeyes was a massive goal for Grizzlies Racing ahead of the Grand Prix. Remarkably, OSU placed first in the recent competition at the MIS.
Notably, there were 110 attempts between OU’s best time on the track and the Formula Buckeyes’ best time. In total, there were 163 tries at the autocross course throughout the entire event.
The final results include:
First place: The Ohio State University: 42.365
Second place: Oakland University: 42.464
Third place: University of Michigan-Dearborn: 44.64
Fourth place: Western Michigan (IC): 45.512
Fifth place: Western Michigan (EV): 46.803
Sixth place: Wayne State University: 47.159
Seventh place: Lawrence Technological University: 48.251
Eighth place: Grand Valley State University: 49.714
By the Grand Prix’s conclusion, the members of the Grizzlies Racing team were satisfied with the event.
“I think the results that we are seeing today, with how well this shootout turned out, will translate into coming years with the excitement surrounding it,” North said. “So I can’t wait for next year. And hopefully, it turns out as big and bigger and better than this year.”
Helfen added, “Things went pretty flawlessly, in my opinion. The previous leads, who set it up and directly did everything, did an absolutely fantastic job. We’ve been working with the school, and we’ve been working with sponsors and companies to get this going, and it was just fantastic.”
The next Grizzlies Racing event will be held at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex on Saturday, Sep. 14, in Pittsburgh, Pa. The team will then travel across the border to compete in Brechin, Ontario, on Saturday, Sep. 28 at Brechin Motorsports Park.
