September 24, 2024
Trine University students and community members enjoyed classic cars and food trucks at the second annual Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) car show on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Dakota Carter, vice president of business affairs for Trine’s SAE chapter, said 49 cars were entered in the show, held in the Best Hall parking lot.
"We were very happy with how much of the Trine and Angola community showed up to participate and interact with campus,” he said. “The Exotics & Tacos and Fire and Ice Shaved Ice food trucks were very popular with everyone, and thanks to Michelin's event sponsorship we were able to have really nice signage, too. All in all, we couldn't have asked for a better second year."
He said about 60 people stopped by the show throughout the day, in addition to participants and those helping with the event.
A 2002 Chevy Cavalier owned by Brandon Boyd received first prize for the show. Second prize went to a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS owned by Dave Thomson and third place was awarded to a 1972 Dodge Demon owned by Rocky Delaney.
A 2021 C8 Corvette owned by Angela Sorg received the People’s Choice Award.
SAE activities
Along with hosting an annual car show, Trine's SAE chapter participates in track days through the National AutoSport Association (NASA). The club owns and operates a Honda Civic in this organization to provide its members with an avenue to try racetrack driving without a large investment of personal resources.
Participation in NASA allows SAE members to get track time at multiple different racetracks in the Great Lakes region, including Gingerman Raceway, NCM Motorsports Park, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Participants can also work to obtain a racing license through NASA's High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) events and training.
The Trine chapter also is part of a growing movement on college campuses to incorporate electric go-karts. The club is currently in the process of rebuilding one such kart and is hoping to participate in electric vehicle (EV) events like the Purdue EV Kart Grand Prix. The club is also working to plan a Trine EV Kart Time Attack, held on the Trine University campus.
The Trine SAE Chapter is part of SAE International, a collegiate and professional organization that allows students to participate in various events with other students, as well as over 100,000 engineers and related technical experts worldwide. These experts can be found working, teaching and researching in the fields of aerospace, automotive and commercial vehicles.
The goal of the Trine SAE chapter is to educate and provide resources for those students who are interested in a job in the automotive or motorsport industries. You can learn more about Trine's SAE chapter by visiting Trine's website and searching "SAE."
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