Formula Kentucky is known for its dedication to a singular project; designing, manufacturing, and racing an open-wheeled style race car. Most of our members join for either their passion for cars and automotive racing, or to better their engineering skills. Within the team lies a few of our members who participate in SCCA events so they can have some friendly competition on the weekends. 

CKR’s support in our program has been one of the most beneficial to the team as it allows us to utilize a local controlled space to refine our drivers either in their own car or in our FSAE car. We are excited to announce that UK and CKRSCCA will be hosting another joint venture at the University of Kentucky’s Orange Lot. This event will be on the 16th of June, so we hope to see you all there! 

We are so glad that CKR is one of our team’s sponsors and we can't wait for what next year holds for both of our programs. We would like to highlight our members who participate in SCCA, especially since one of our team sponsors is CKRSCCA! Read their stories below!

 

Brody Brown: 2017 BMW M4

Photo Credits: Jack Delligatti

“SCCA has really helped me to develop an understanding of my car. As I started shortly after purchasing my car and having never driven a rear-wheel drive car with that much power, it helped me adjust in a safe environment. Autocross is one of those things that is perfect for learning how to properly drive a car, make you comfortable in situations that require fast reflexes, and safely fills the need for speed that so many of us have. The best part is all of these things are done without putting the car or people in particularly risky situations. Overall, I did ok, but I take it as an absolute win, as I got a ton of great pointers from better drivers that will help me continue to improve.” -Brody Brown

 

Ethan Kammer: Miata Kart #2 (Co-driving with Jude W.)

Photo Credits: Jack Delligatti

“SCCA is a great way for people to not only get to drive their own cars in a closed environment. They get the opportunity to learn driving skills that not only make you a faster driver but a safer driver on the road since you’ll be more prepared for the scary unexpected situations. I was driving the Miata kart with Jude for this event but I normally run a 2001 Miata that is currently getting some upgrades. This event though I placed 23 out of 97 in raw overall time.” -Ethan Kammer 

Kammer while also driving his own personal vehicle has been one of the most consistent and fastest drivers of our FSAE vehicle where CKR’s impact on his driving has helped him refine his attention to detail no matter the vehicles he's in.

 

Jude Ward: Miata Kart #22

Photo Credits: Kenta Goto (@atnekjp)

“CKRSCCA has been a crucial part of my development as a driver. From driving my personal vehicle to our FSAE car, the skills that I have gained both on and off the course have been instrumental in what you could call my ‘driving career.’ From learning basic vehicle dynamics and setup to analyzing competitive course layouts, CKR has been nothing short of challenging each time I go out. And that’s what keeps me returning; the challenges of the course, the challenges of the car, and most of all, the challenges of driving against the people I get to see. Whether it’s my home class of CAM-T, or kicking it in F Street, there’s always something fun to chase at CKRSCCA!” - Jude Ward

 Jude is rounding out his last semester as our acting Team Captain and we hope to continue to see him and other members at CKR's events in the future!

 

John Psyck: Gray Focus ST #02/102 (Co-driving w/ Colton C.)

Photo Credits: Kenta Goto (@atnekjp)

“SCCA helps me to improve my skills as a driver through both the main autocross events, as well as our region's driving school days with their instructors. It has also helped me gain a better understanding of the ‘feeling’ of vehicle dynamics and suspension tuning, as I am able to change the setup of my car each event and then feel the difference. This has helped me in both Formula SAE and in my current motorsports career."

At the latest fun event, my co-driver and I had a lower finish but we were also focused on feeling the brand new suspension out and shaking down the car so I was very happy with everything just staying together!” - John Psyck

 John has always had a keen sense for helping setup the FSAE car, and it's no surprise here that like many other drivers, finding the time on track and figuring out how the car feels with a slew of upgrades present a learning curve every time!

 

Alex Kogos: 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Photo Credits: Kenta Goto (@atnekjp)

“SCCA helps me by allowing me to push my car to the limit without risking others on the road. I am able to get in sync with how my car reacts to certain environments and how different adjustments I make to it make a difference in handling. A large part of racing is being in tune with your car so the driver is ready for anything when on the track. It also helps the driver realize when something is wrong with the car by feeling how it starts reacting differently to the inputs you give it. I did very well at the latest autocross event. In terms of overall positions I did not do anything impressive, but seeing that this is only my 4th event, I improved greatly on my times and am getting really in tune with how my personal car drives. This skill translates to some degree to any car driving, including the Formula car, which I plan on utilizing in testing in the near future.”       -Alex Kogos

Kogos has been on the team for only a year but has jumped into the deep end and hasn’t come up to breathe yet! We hope to see him and many more members strive to excel on the team and hone in their skills both on and off the track!