The 2010 Formula SAE team set out to design a car in a way never before attempted at the University of Manitoba. The major goal for this year was to utilize a full carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite chassis, instead of the conventional steel tube frame and attached fairings. It was intended, at the same time, to continue development of all the other subsystems. While this entailed a high risk, it gave the team the opportunity to take the embedded technology to the next level.

For the first time ever, the team had registered for two competitions. The intent was to compete in Michigan in May and then go to the competition in California in June. The expectation in doing this was that the team would be able to learn from the Michigan competition, fix any shortcomings, and then attempt to win in California.

With the new design came many unforeseen issues. It seemed as though a new concern would arise daily. The level of complexity far surpassed that of any previous car. Everything in the design, analysis, physical testing, and manufacturing required an enormous amount of detail. In previous years, tabs, mounting points and component integration were done during assembly. Now, everything needed to be accounted for in the computer model.

As May approached, the PBR team realized that a competition ready car was becoming increasing less likely. They decided, therefore, to take the vehicle in its partially completed state to the Michigan competition, do the static events, and get feedback from the design judges. This would help them prepare a credible entry for the California event. They had already paid the Michigan non-refundable entry fee and had committed to the rental of the accommodation, so there was little extra cost involved with this decision.

The team was packed and ready to leave by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 10^th for the Michigan International Speedway. The border crossing was quick and the rest of the trip uneventful. They arrived at the house they had rented in Brooklyn Michigan at about 11:00 a.m. on May 11. After arrival, the team went about continuing the construction and preparation for the upcoming events. Later that evening, they drove into town for registration. Then it was back to the house for more preparatory work.

The team spent the entire day Wednesday, May 12 building and assembling the parts for the vehicle. The objective was to have a car on four wheels, with the engine installed, and as much assembled as possible prior to going to the Design event the next day. Much of the afternoon was spent by the Team Leader, Keith Edie and Cale David from the Asper School of Management, on the preparation of the Sales Presentation. They finalized the presentation and the hand-outs and were well prepared for their appointment at 2:00 p.m. the following day.

On Thursday, May 13 they had their appointment with the Cost judges. They attended without the car and discussed the various aspects of the costs to buy components and material, and the cost of manufacturing the car. This seemed to proceed well and they got a mark of 74.67 points.

Keith and Cale made the sales presentation, and did a very good job in this event. The idea was to try and convince a group of simulated business people to invest in a start-up venture to manufacture 1,000 Formula SAE cars a year. Its aim is to get the students thinking about the real world of business and finance. They requested and were given feedback from the judges that they hope will be helpful in their next attempt in June. They received 58.37 points out of a possible 75 points. This gave them a 21^st place finish tied with the University of North Dakota.

From a competition perspective, Friday May 14 marked the end 2010 Michigan Formula SAE event for the UMSAE team. They had done what they could to prepare for the event but, earlier in the year it became obvious that the production of a competitive car for this event would not be possible. It was decided, however, that it would be valuable to attend and get as much feedback from the SAE judges as possible and the expose the junior members of the team to the competition environment. The team observed the events and went to the track to watch a few of the Endurance races. After that, they packed up their trailer and headed for home.