Written by Mark Mcalary
Track Day 21st May 2025
On the 21st of May 2025, UOW Motorsport held a driver selection and testing day at Sydney Motorsport Park’s Skid Circuit. The aim of the day was to evaluate potential drivers for the upcoming 2025 FSAE-A competition under controlled conditions that simulated competition environments. Despite heavy rain and a wet track surface, the team carried out a full day of testing and data collection.
The primary focus of the track day was to measure driver’s consistency, speed, adaptability, and handling. Each candidate completed two autocross runs, designed to assess control, acceleration, and agility over short laps, followed by a simulated endurance stint to test stamina, concentration, and vehicle management across longer distances. To ensure reliable comparisons, car data logging was used throughout the day, allowing the team to analyse braking modulation, throttle smoothness, thermal behaviours, and overall lap time consistency.
Autocross testing began in the morning once the track had been set up, and a shakedown confirmed the car was in good condition. Drivers were given two rolling-start laps each, with time to debrief and reset between runs, similar to actual competition conditions. The wet surface made conditions challenging, and tire pressures had been set lower than ideal, but all drivers adapted well and provided valuable feedback on how the car responded.
By midday, the rain had intensified, and the endurance testing phase became the greatest challenge of the day. Each driver completed a full stint of approximately 24 laps to replicate Competition conditions as much as possible, with batteries recharged between sessions to ensure peak performance. The endurance stints allowed the team to observe concentration and adaptability over time, as well as thermal behaviour of the car’s systems. Despite the difficult weather, the runs were completed successfully, and both telemetry and driver feedback provided strong insights into areas of improvement for the vehicle setup and individual performance.
Despite some obstacles due to the rainy conditions, the team adapted quickly, with everyone contributing to track setup, data collection, and problem-solving. The car ran smoothly across all sessions, and the wet-weather testing offered valuable lessons for both drivers and members. By the end of the day, the team had gathered a robust set of data, developed its drivers under pressure, and taken a strong step forward in preparing for the 2025 competition season.
