The Honda Indy Grand Prix took place this year on April 5th-7th in Birmingham, AL. It was the 10thyear this race has taken place at the unique venue of Barbers Motorsports. The track includes a 2.38 mile road course that has 17 flowing turns and 80 ft of elevation change, which makes the race engaging for all race enthusiasts. SAE Atlanta joined in on the fun this year by having a tent to highlight the activity of the group. 5 SAE Atlanta board members took turns manning the tent over 2 days of race action and were even joined by family and friends. During this time, we were lucky enough to discuss and engage current mobility enthusiasts, retired engineers, and budding young minds. It was a wonderful opportunity to reach out to more Alabama future and present members. We were also able to discuss with some of the collegiate SAE members on the benefits of becoming a professional member once they graduate. Jianan Sun, Alan Hill and Heather Woods were able to host the tent on Saturday, while Ted Arnold and Brad Jenkins held down the fort on Sunday.
This event also included a “Gear Up Your Career” display presented by Honda, which included a live build of a car. The races themselves included a Formula 3 Americas Race, Mazda MX5 Race, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race, and a Porsche GT3 Race. Additionally, there was a fan-fueled parade lap! It was a great weekend highlighting many different aspects of racing and mobility.
- By Heather Woods