IRISH STUDENT TEAM CELEBRATES AWARD SUCCESS AT 2011 F1 IN SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS
Dated: 26/09/2011
IRISH STUDENT TEAM CELEBRATES AWARD SUCCESS AT 2011 F1 IN SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS
Octane Racing, a team of students from Dundalk
Grammar School, County Louth, celebrated after winning two awards in the 2011
F1 in Schools™ World Finals held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week. The
all-boys team took home the Best Website Award, with a trophy provided by
Denford Ltd, and the Best Pit Display Award with a trophy of Formula 1™ car
parts provided by Toro Rosso Formula 1 race team.
Adam Matthews, Ben Reynolds, Daniel Finnamore, Daniel McCarthy-Edwards, Kevin O’Malley and Rollo Konig-Brock formed Octane Racing to compete in F1 in Schools, a Formula 1 linked technology challenge which tasks students with creating a miniature Formula 1 car. Winning through Regional Finals in their home country, they then won the Ireland F1 in Schools title, to secure a place at the World Finals.
Octane Racing Team Manager, Kevin O'Malley, reflects on the competition, “It’s been a fantastic experience in Malaysia and we didn’t think we’d be going home with not one, but two trophies. It’s taken us many months of hard work to get here, but every minute has been worth it for the success we’ve achieved. This has certainly been a week to remember, not only for the toughest competition we’ve ever taken part in, but also for the whole experience – travelling to the other side of the world, meeting loads of people from different countries and to top it all, we get to go to the Singapore GP.”
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools , says of the team’s success, “This year’s F1 in Schools World Finals has been the most competitive in the history of the programme and all the teams have risen to the challenge admirably. Octane Racing proved that they are world beaters in two categories, and were one of only three teams to collect more than one trophy, which is no mean feat. As ambassadors for their country and of F1 in Schools, they are excellent and demonstrate just how beneficial it can be to compete in the Challenge. I’m sure they will all go on to have further success in their careers ahead.”
The Australian team, Pentagliders, were crowned 2011 F1 in Schools World Champions at yesterday’s Awards Ceremony. They fought off intense competition, beating 22 teams from Australasia, Europe, Asia, Africa, America and the Middle East to take the title, the Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy and coveted Automotive and Motorsport Engineering degree scholarships at City University London.
Runner-up to the victorious Australian team were German National Champions, BETAGREEN, from Grootmoor Gymnasium, Hamburg. Last year’s World Champions, the USA team, UNITUS Racing from South East High School, Florida and James Madison Middle School, Virginia, took third place on the podium.
The event took place at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 19th – 21st September with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters including the Malaysian Ministry of Education, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, City University London, Denford Limited, Sepang International Circuit and Hilton Racing.
Each team of between three and six students brings together their work to present to a judging panel with a verbal and written presentation to support their model car, which is raced on a specially designed test track. At the World Finals each team takes along a pit display, three identical cars and portfolio, as well as having prepared a presentation for the judges. The cars race on a 20 metre track, with the cars covering the distance in just over one second, a speed barrier which is yet to be broken by any student team since it was set by Team FUGA from Northern Ireland at the 2007 World Finals with a time of 1.020 seconds.
