Tim Bimasakti Optimis Tembus Dominasi Jepang di Formula SAE 2019
Tim Bimasakti Optimis Tembus Dominasi Jepang di Formula SAE 2019
Bimasakti Racing Team UGM has started preparing the development of the 8th generation Bimasakti formula car to be contested in Japan SAE Formula competition in 2019.
Although the top ranks of the competition are still dominated by teams from Japan, the Bimasakti team is optimistic it will achieve better results next year and break the Sakura country teams’ dominance.
“The award-winning 7th generation car of this year’s competition is our best car yet. We will continue making improvements and we are optimistic we can compete with top teams next year,” stated one of the team supervisors, Fauzun, Ph.D.
At the 2018 Formula Japan SAE competition held from September 4-8, the Bimasakti team won 2 prestigious awards, which are 3rd Place Business Presentation Category and JAMA Chairman Award given to the team that completed the entire competition without being penalized by the committee. Aside from these two awards, Bimasakti also won the Top 10 in Skid Pad Event.
In a press conference on Friday (10/12) at UGM Central Building, Fauzun explained that in terms of technology, Bimasakti’s competence was not much different from that of Japan’s top teams. One of the Japanese teams’ advantages, he opined, lies in the use of lighter materials.
However, the 7th generation car's quality and capability have advanced significantly from the 1st generation which was first contested in 2011.
“Even in terms of weight, our car has reached 203 kg, 80 kg down from the first generation. We are confident that it will be better in 2019.”
The 7th generation Bimasakti team captain, Fajar Fitrahadi Danda, recounted the challenges they had to face in the competition were not only in the technical aspects. There were also unexpected factors they had to anticipate.
“In the previous competition, we had to compete against the weather due to typhoon warnings. In that condition, we had to set a strategy to prevent this challenging condition from affecting us,” he said.
Preparing for the 2019 competition, the 8th generation Bimasakti captain, M. Kamal Ardi Putra, asserted the team would not make many changes to the car physical design and would focus more on engine optimization and safety aspect improvement.
“Our strategy for the next year is to maximize the static event. Our target is to reclaim our achievement and add 1 or 2 more awards,” explained Kamal.
UGM Vice Rector for Cooperation and Alumni, Dr. Paripurna, S.H., M.Hum., LL.M., noted that the competence and achievements of students joining in the Bimasakti team were a reflection of the socioentrepreneurship character of UGM which emphasized creativity and mutual cooperation.
Meanwhile, according to Engineering UGM’s Dean, Prof. Ir. Nizam, M.Sc., Ph.D., student involvements in global competitions is a part of a whole and continuous classroom learning.
For this reason, he gave full support to students to apply their knowledge for this team, in the hope they would continue raising Indonesia’s reputation and proving that Indonesian students could compete globally.
“It is a real learning to be a champion, on how to face challenges and pressures before the competition, and how to build a solid team. The team needs our constant support to win more achievements,” said Nizam.