It is the quintessential interdisciplinary sport and it's one of Carnegie Mellon University's longest held traditions. This annual student-led relay race, officially known as "Sweepstakes," partners designers, engineers, mechanics and athletes. Together, these brilliant, quirky, creative minds produce a buggy — an aerodynamic vehicle with no engine. It's powered by brains and brawn alone.
In just over two minutes, teams of power-pushing men and women race around a .84 mile track with buggy and driver leading the way around Schenley Park's Flagstaff Hill, with speeds up to 40 mph.
the two-man teams that once changed places halfway through a race and rode in everything from rain barrels with bicycle wheels to three-wheeled ash cans 99 years ago.
This year Fringe is planning to roll four different vehicles, built and maintained in the Fringe workshop in the basement of the East Campus Garage, known as the "Froom."
"We're used to saying everything with 'fr' in front of it but when we say something in front of other people, it gets them confused," said Fringe head mechanic Dave Singh, who will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering.
Fringe vehicles often are named with the letter "B," like Boson, Blueshift, Bissa and Bumper. Other teams, such as Apex, often use names that connotate fire, while the SDC (Student Dormitory Committee) team, uses names such as Vice, Bane, Avarice and Malice.
"We're used to saying everything with 'fr' in front of it but when we say something in front of other people, it gets them confused," said Fringe head mechanic Dave Singh, who will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering.
Fringe vehicles often are named with the letter "B," like Boson, Blueshift, Bissa and Bumper. Other teams, such as Apex, often use names that connotate fire, while the SDC (Student Dormitory Committee) team, uses names such as Vice, Bane, Avarice and Malice.
Drivers, have the closest connection to the vehicles, aside from the mechanics who spent countless hours building and maintaining individual buggies. While races are brief, each driver must log a number of practice runs to qualify to race. Teams practice nights and weekends throughout the fall and spring semesters as weather permits. Buggies are often built around drivers, so the fit can be snug, and drivers are often less than 5 feet, 3 inches in height. Most — but not all — are women.
Tishya Girdhar, a junior in neuroscience, is social chair for Fringe. She came to CMU wanting to drive, but first she had to get over being claustrophobic. She started as a mechanic and got behind the wheel for last year's Sweepstakes.
"Our team's philosophy is to teach everyone how to do everything," Girdhar said. "But I came to CMU wanting to drive. I wanted to drive so badly."
at first I thought they were racing to push a streamlined floor jack
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