At the Starting Line
Dear Reader,
This year’s senior design projects are taking things up a notch — and Team 17 is proving it. For the first time, a group of students is diving into something that usually isn’t allowed: a motorized drag go-kart.
When I asked team member Robert Yao what his project was all about, he grinned and said, “It’s a drag go-kart with active hybrid power aerodynamics.”
If that sounds intense — it is.
A drag car is built for one thing: speed in a straight line. No turns, no laps — just pure acceleration. The team’s goal is to make their cart accelerate as fast as possible, and they’re doing it with some clever engineering.
Unlike a typical go-kart, Team 17’s design focuses heavily on aerodynamics. They’re shaping the body to cut through air efficiently and even adding active aerodynamic components, like a rear diffuser with a fan system that creates extra downforce (and therefore friction) without adding extra weight. It’s a creative way to squeeze out more performance where every fraction of a second counts.
But the real twist? This go-kart is hybrid-powered. Most racing karts go all-electric or all-combustion, but Team 17 is combining both — using the electric motor for its instant low-end torque, and the combustion engine for its power at higher speeds. Together, they deliver smooth acceleration across the board.
Of course, as team member Karl Kreuze put it, the team’s biggest challenge can be summed up in three words “Budget. Budget. Budget.” Between designing a custom chassis, integrating the hybrid system, and getting everything to work together, it’s a huge undertaking. Fortunately, their mix of mechanical and electrical expertise means each piece of the puzzle has someone ready to tackle it.
Next steps? Karl joked, “I need to put a hole in my wallet.” The team is moving into the design phase now, with plenty of long nights and test runs ahead — but the excitement is clear.
Their goal? To not only cross the finish line first but to win the People’s Choice Award while they’re at it.
Keep an eye out for Team 17 — they’re racing toward innovation, one hybrid-powered burst at a time.
