cbr600

Viking 43 Formula SAE racecar was originally built at the Vehicle Research Institute, Western Washington University for the 2008 FSAE competition where it placed 6th overall at FSAE West. We chose this car in particular because it has great fundamentals. The carbon tub is stiff, light, and has great ergonomics. It’s a simple car with lots of off-the-shelf components (engine management, display, brake system, etc) for easy repair or replacement. Suspension members are all welded 4130 – strong and easily repaired if damaged. Original roll-out video below:

The car sat in storage for almost 10 years after competition where the intake and ecu were pilfered for use on new FSAE cars. Trever (who was on the original 2008 FSAE team) and I (Jared) acquired the car with the goal of rebuilding to be a reliable and competitive SCCA auto-x racecar. This required a lot of work (task list includes well over 100 items). The main highlights include:

Rebuilt differential with hardened steel side plates
Reinforced front rocker mounts
Reinforced steering rack mount
AEM Series 2 ECU, AEM Wideband O2, AEMnet CAN bus Gauge (multi-channel)
Custom motorsport grade wiring harness complete with datalogger and sensors (brake pressure F and R, wheel speeds, oil pressure, oil temperature, fuel pressure)
New Shorai LFX Lithium battery
New Momo steering wheel and quick release hub
Cleaned F4i injectors
Replumbed fuel system
New fuel pump – Walbro
New spark plugs – NGK Iridium
Gutted and plugged F4i throttle bodies
Custom Carbon Fiber intake plenum with AT Power 20mm restrictor and T-Body
Triple element carbon fiber unsprung rear wing
Carbon splitter with air dam and diffusers

Result: We raced the car during the 2017 auto-x season prior to adding aero and using the factory ECU with a Power Commander to compensate for the restrictor and it was awesome. Very reliable and very fast. Finished with top time of day at nearly every event. Competed in ~10 events with dual drivers totaling over 120 runs. This also included SCCA National Tour and Pro-Solo Events. The only major issue was a failed rod end on the rear suspension. V43 Auto-X 2017

In 2018, we built the new wiring harness and tuned the AEM ECU. We only competed in a couple of events but set fastest time of the day at all of them. V43 Auto-X 2018

In 2019 we added aero and finished 2nd in A-Modified at SCCA National Tour in Packwood, set FTD at most other local events, and took the car to SCCA National Championship in Lincoln Nebraska where we finished 5th and 6th. The car is competitive and has the speed to win (3rd place on day one) but our lack of practice (especially with the new aero) throughout 2019 resulted in poor driving. Datalogs show the car was on track to put down the fastest time but driving mistakes ended our chances. The car is much easier to drive with the the aero. Very stable and has so much grip.

Specifications:

Engine: CBR600F4i – wet sump with baffling/trap doors
Carbon fiber monocoque tub with chromoly roll hoop and rear chassis, body is painted Honda Championship White and partially covered with black vinyl graphics
Dampers: Penske with Titanium Coil Springs (pull-rod fronts, push-rod rears)
Front and rear adjustable ARB’s
10″ 3 piece wheels – 8 wheels
Hoosier 10″ R25B tires (4 tires are new with 12 auto-x runs in September 2019, 4 tires are 2-years old with about 50 runs in 2019, 4 Hoosier wets also included)
Transmission: 6 speed sequential, lever actuated
Fuel: 91+ octane
ECU: AEM Series 2
Driveshafts: Taylor Race FSAE Tripods (4340 steel)
Injectors, fuel rail and regulator from CBR600F4i
Differential Internals: Honda OBX Torsen style
Chromoly a-arms, billet aluminum uprights and hubs
Fits many driver sizes – Trever and I co-drive with no cockpit changes and I’m 6’2″ with a 36″ inseam vs Trever at around 5′ 8″
Hindle Titanium muffler with custom removable tip insert that drops 2.5 dBs
Ceramic coated custom stainless steel headers
Brake System: Wilwood Calipers, dual master cylinders with adjustable balance bar
Weight: 518 lbs with full aero and full of fuel (competition weight was around 465 lbs in 2008 – no aero)
Horsepower: 85-90 hp (75 hp at the wheels on dynojet)
Track Width (center-to-center): 45″
Wheel Base: 60″